The Devil's Ball

[Kristopher Roberts]

As Wonderland's sun came to a peaceful rest, its sibling was taking to the skies at its normally slow pace, creating eerily long and strange shadows as the moon went high into the sky. Tall, thin lamps flickered to life one at a time in a straight row, one after the other, lighting the way towards the newly refurbished Ballroom.

Inside, the room was set up appropriately that only a boogie could do. Small glowing orbs hung from the ceiling, giving off a soft light as the windows did the rest, allowing the full light of the moon to flood the ballroom. Rich carvings upon the walls glowed with reflected light, following the lush new curtains to the polished wooden floor.

Silver circular tables dotted across the open floor near the walls, a decorative piece rested perfectly centered as the faint lights glinted upon the reflective surface. They were spindly and ornate, bending, winding, twisting and turning with an eerie grace on an item crafted in this land could achieve. It captured the spirit of October, right down to their pointedly sharp ends.

From the balconies, the room looked very much like an eye from way the tables were laid out. Even a large 'iris' resided in the middle of the ballroom. Six large slabs formed the parts of a floor medallion, each slab inlaid with an scene from a different boogie tale.

Toward the front of the ballroom resided a long and tall stage, upon it the makings of a fine orchestra that would play for the Devil's Ball. The musicians where already there and began to play their sweet music as guest would shortly arrive.

Outside near the gardens the spindly lights continued, dotting along a path and around a clearing. It was a space to get some fresh air, or just a little bit of quiet from the festivities with a pleasing view of the gardens. Here also a few stone benches flanked a large fountain, reddened water that would trickle continuously throughout the night.

The big event was here, and now taking place.

[Kazn Ezel]

Music was both something wonderful and magical, though Kazn Ezel knew that there were those who would disagree. Those who did not understand it might hear little more than a peculiar arrangement of sounds. Some who were better versed in the appreciation of those mere sounds could understand that they carried the potential to evoke emotions and stir the soul, if there was indeed one to be stirred.

When Kazn listened to music and when Kazn played music he understood it in a very pragmatic sense. Music was the subtle mixture of the measures of time and steps in pitch and tone. There was a very logical and reasonable way that music progressed. Some types of music emphasized this point, and some emphasized the emotional part. However, both were constructed with the rules and laws put into place to organize the sound into what was pleasing. If the music broke away from those conventions it did sound to be very little more than noise.

As of the current moment the orchestra was playing a song for the entrance of guests before moving into the music more suited for dancing. Kazn sat in front of a large keyboard and moved his fingers accordingly. He had dressed up in what was his absolutely best coat. There were gold trimmings and a beautiful flower motif laid upon deep burgundy cloth. His mask was a matching gold and had the appearance of tears running from the eyes. Red cloth and feathers adorned the mask and none could see his face. However, there would be very little doubt about who he was.

He was hardly expected to play for the entire Ball, nor was his part strictly necessary for all of the planned music. However, he had insisted that he be allowed to play some songs. Casually he shifted his glance over to the freshly cleaned saber blade. The adornments were bronze instead of gold, but that was a sacrifice necessary to provide some utility over mere appearance. Gold would have been heavy and soft. Bronze could be brittle and did not hold a good cutting edge, but the parts made from it were little more than ornamentation. It needed to be solid.

There would likely be very few who sought him out for company this evening.

[Jasmine Krisp]

Normally Jasmine was never one for events. They were where crowds formed and light bathed everything in a painful glow that her sensitive eyes could not bear...but tonight, things were different. As she had for the past four thousand years, the young Boogie woman wore her mask with a special glass in the eye holes like that one one see in sunglasses. However these were much, much stronger and managed to keep the woman from having a fainting spell from the artificial glow. Now, without any hinder, she leaned against the balcony and watched the other guest arrive and swarm around iris in the center of the large room.

Tonight was a night she had anticipated and dreaded.

The same feeling she got every Devil's ball for four thousand years.

Unfamiliar masks of aces and clowns, along with the occasional cat or demon, made their way across the floor much to Jasmine's delight. A full crowd was a wonderful thing for the evening, as it would make the odds lessen that tonights climax would be somebody she knew. Of course she didn't know many humans, but the odds were always against her, so many humans was better than few. It would be fine if it was a stranger. As long as it's not Kyle or a child...or even that girl Sarah...goodness, how would Kyle live if she...?

Tonight was a mascaraed. Tonight was a gruesome spectacle. As Jasmine twisted the lashes of her whip around her wrist for the third time, a childlike, cold smile pulled at her delicate pale lips.

What horrible fun it will be.

[Piper Wren]

Piper really didn't want to be going to the Devil's Ball...but the letter had ordered her to be there for the Rebels so that meant she had no choice on the matter. It was a long time since Piper had dragged herself out of her typical clothing which was designed to cover, nothing else really mattered to her. She didn't see herself as attractive and didn't dress to show off her body, the dress she had been given was not something she would have picked for herself at all. Deep rich red, strapless with a corset style bodice and full skirt. Swallowing deeply, Piper turned to the cracked mirror and put up her hair. Keeping it in a demure bun with delicate strands of black hair left to twine their way down, Piper felt slightly exposed without her long, heavy hair leaving a comforting weight upon her shoulders.

Trying to ignore it she dabbed a dark red stain onto her lips but leaving her face free of anything else, on impulse she wanted to wipe it off but forced herself to leave it there. Turning to put on the dress and pick up the mask, she pulled the mask to cover her eyes over the face, it didn't hide who she was but it was enough. Her appearence seemed satisficatory although she felt horribly exposed still, turning away from the mirror she left the dorm and swallowed the nerves churning in the pit of her stomach.

It wasn't long before she arrived at the doors of the ballroom, steeling herself she stepped inside. The elaborate decorations caught her eyes and especially the orchestra...it seemed like the boogies intended for this to be a night to remember. No wonder Augusta was targeting it...Now was the time to be as invisible as she could to blend into the wall if she could.

[Naelona Ezel]

The notes of music floated crisp upon the air, while the warmth of the fading day welcomed the senses with the scent that was unmistakably, uniquely Fall. Following the lamps Naelona entered into grand room arm in arm with her favorite slave, eyes searching from the ceiling to the floor for detail, and noting of it approvingly. All was in place as it should be.

Crossing the floor Naelona paused to look at the Medallion and pointed to it as she remarked over her shoulder. "Look closer at another time." It was mostly meant for Elric, but any could benefit by studying it. Each panel was a different story, a different tale of some fabled big event in Wonderland's past. Some tales referred to the beginning of Wonderland, Boogies, or both.. others hearkened to more dark and sinister tales. Sinister.. at least to the slaves.

The depictions were a carven reminder of exactly where they stood in all things. Precisely underfoot.

But these weren't the pondries for the Ezel this night and so she let them up to the Balcony, passing a boogie on the way to where some more.. secluded tables resided. From there she could watch the other attendees from a distance. All they could see would be a woman dressed in black and cream with elbow-length gloves, hidden behind a mask with a few black feathers. Her hair tied back low and neatly, melting into an array of large curls. It was precisely as she wanted.

It was different from her usual attire. Much of her shoulders, upper back, and arms were considerably bare, it conflicted with her normally more conservative dress. Even the set of claw-mark scars that rested on the front of each shoulder had remained unhidden. For once she didn't seem to mind who noted they were there. How most bizarre.

"El, keep an eye out for those faces I spoke to you about." Naelona started quietly, instructing the boy as she pleased. "Kristopher - you are to stay near one of us at all times. Kyle.. consider yourself fortunate, you may do as you please.. within reason. Aid the staff if necessary. And if any of you must stray, to not stray for long and do not stray far. I may have need of any of you yet tonight."

[Elric Vlarintos]

Elric looked one way and then the other was he followed Naelona. The distance between the two of them was a little closer than Elric would normally have allowed; but it was a rigidly measured five feat. There was a certain rigor to his bearing this evening. Putting Elric into a tuxedo and giving him a mask put his mind back into the frameset that he had assumed at all times when living at home. His father had ran the household like a military officer should have been expected to. The same attitude always surfaced in Elric when things because serious.

It had never occurred to him to study the carved depictions more closely for meaning. It had seemed to possess a similar logic to stained glass windows in a church--you could understand the meaning best if you had already been taught the story. Still, perhaps a closer investigation at a later date would not hurt him. Perhaps he might even discover that he understood more of the tales than he thought he did.

The idea sent a shiver down his spine.

Readjusting his mask and hat once more he followed at that same measured pace behind Naelona into the room. It was every bit as grand as he had expected, but one thing never changed about this ball room.

He always swore that it smelled of blood.

"I shall see if I can find any of the ones you mentioned, ma'am." He hardly liked the idea of performing such a task during the middle of the dance, but at the very least it would give his mind something else to focus on. Also, if he was doing work it meant that it would not be quite so bad for him to stray a little ways away so long as he knew where Naelona and Kristopher were.

Quietly he slinked off, but the room was a sea of masked faces. When everyone was dressed up it became very difficult to tell who was who. Elric tried hard to pick out her hair in the distances, but it seemed like many could be her. Almost instinctively he recgonized the familiar body language hiding off on the side. She was trying to be inconspicuous--she was unless you knew for what you were looking.

A knot built up in his throat as he approached her. He gave a formal bow and then lifted his mask slightly away from his face so that she could see it was him. There was no smile and almost no greeting before he forced himself to speak. "Good evening, Piper."

[Kristopher Roberts]

However nice the music was, Kristopher was no listening to it, he was more kin on letting his eyes wonder carefully throughout the room. The room itself was---interesting to say the least and apparently safe. First he noticed a woman in red, she looked very much like Piper and he was certain it was her because of how she stood and to him, she looked lovely. It brought a soft, sad smile to his features.

Then, looking about a bit more and seeing no one to worry about. With that quick three second search and thoughts he happily guided Naelona with her hand upon his arm.

His steps where direct and to the point as they moved with pride and grace as all of her slaves did when in public view. Kris, unlike his Master was not dressed in cream and black but black and white with an elegant bondage flair that Naelona had picked out for him. His jacket was buckled closed and his white shirt was a hint, his mask looked like a cross between a bat and goblin with four large golden rings hanging on the sides.

Up the stairs and around the bin he went, sparing one glance at the boogie that he could of sworn was looking at his madam oddly. Mismatched eyes went back to business, pulling away from Naelona for a moment he pulled out a chair for her to sit upon at a very secluded table.

As she spoke, he pushed her in and stood off to the side, looking down only when she addressed him. He gave her a court nod, "Very well." He stated and now had to remember where Elric and his brother would be if they went off to go else where for he had to stay close to one of the three.

Which also meant, little time to see Augusta and Zeke. Speaking of Zeke, he needed to locate him soon enough to have a word with the twin. God, he wished he had some freedom like Kyle did but knew that would more then likely lead to a very swift death on his account.

"Would you like anything to drink, Madam?"

[Piper Wren]

Piper's eyes flicked around the room, she noted the entrance of the boogie named Jasmine, Naelona Ezel with Kristopher on her arm...although she couldn't tell who was behind the full fask mask next to her. The thought escaped her as she carried on glancing around, noting where the exits were for a start...the last time the rebels had made a move things had been extremely messy. Too many people had been hurt because they were unprepared, that was not going to happen again, especially to the people she cared about. Piper was especially nervous about this evening, not just for the movement of the rebels but for being around so many boogies as well.

It was then she noticed that the person in the full mask who had come in with Naelona, she recognised the way he moved...at least this time he was able to walk in a straight line for more than two hundred yards without retching. That was a relief at least. When Elric bowed and lifted the mask to show her his face.

"Good evening, Piper."

Piper glanced away for a moment before responding to Elric.

"Good evening...I'm glad to see that you're feeling...better."

Piper wrung her hands and did not remove her own mask, there was no need, it was only the eye area and the bridge of the nose that it covered. She hadn't expected to see him come to the Devil's Ball but really she should have had more sense, there was a lump in her throat at the sight of him.

[Zeke Suzushima]

Zeke hated these sort of ball-things. Normally it meant Serenity was going to doll him up in some ridiculous outfit, subjecting him to a while night of flirtatious men, gay or straight, and left him feeling horribly violated. But tonight he was actually in men's clothing to his delight, but to his distaste his dear mistress had been lost to the sea of people and and young girl who he'd heard had caught her fancy. Of course, Zeke knew better. He figured it was Charoa who'd taken the child as her slave. And that just dropped a large weight in his stomach.

He didn't want to have to clean another corpse from his master's room, drained oof blood and broken like a tossed aside doll.

Leaning against one of the silver tables around the main floor, the boy turned his masked face toward the stairs to the balcony. Just in time, to his delight, to see a very...oddly dressed Kristopher following after his black-drabbed mistress. God, what was he wearing? Bondage gear? Is that what he and Augusta were into now? Zeke covered his mouth to hold back a laugh as several Boogie walked past him with curious eyes. He ignored them quite easily, suddenly thinking something strange.

He better not put me in that. I'll friggen die...

...it's hard enough to keep them from staring when I'm in normal clothes. But in that...? I'd get attacked.

Sly as he could pull of in his simple suit and matriculate ice-blue mask, the older twin slipped up after Kris a good ways behind him so he wouldn't be spotted by Naelona. They needed to talk. But it looked like Nae wasn't going to be letting Krissy wander that easily. Which was a big problem. But he was sure his smarter little twin would figure something out. And soon.

[Elric Vlarintos]

Honestly, Elric was not sure what kind of response he was supposed to expect from Piper. Their last two meetings were hardly what one would consider ideal. Elric was certain that if he recalled more of the previous one that he would have just rather hidden himself under a rock than come and face Piper. Still, here he was facing her. It was not like he could really escape her until Naelona had finished the business with her.

Suddenly it was like someone had dropped a stone in a metal bucket. Naelona had wanted to speak with Piper and the time before their last meeting she had told him that she was in trouble and could not tell him what it was. What if Naelona wanted to talk to her about that? The idea seemed all too realistic, and she did deserve at least the consideration before going into the situation blind.

"My Mistress wants to speak with you." He hardly felt right talking to her about things. Her reaction to seeing him again told him plenty about how she felt about it. It would probably have been better if he could just have left her alone. Really, he would have loved to just put the mask on his face so he wouldn't be tempted to say anything else that was stupid. "It might be about your dilemma." He put emphasis on the last word so she'd know what he was thinking. Even if he was wrong it was better to consider the possibility.

It would probably be best if she came with him immediately, since Naelona likely had meant for him to bring them as soon as possible. "It would probably be best to get it over with quickly." His eyes sank to the floor as he nervously shifted his weight from one leg to another.

[Piper Wren]

"My Mistress wants to speak with you...It might be about your dilemma. It would probably be best to get it over with quickly."

Piper felt the sudden cold sink of dissapointment tinged with fear in the pit of her stomach, she glanced past Elric to Naelona Ezel who was currently not paying any attention to her. She must have known about the passing of Tristan and she had taken Aione under her wing so to speak. Piper would have to explain about Zarek but how? Answering questions that there were no real answer to but the honest one...and that would would put both of them at risk. There was no way that she could bring herself to risk it. At least Naelona seemed occupied with other matters for the moment but that wouldn't last if she wanted to speak to Piper.

"Shit...now what?'

The young woman flitted her eyes away from Naelona back to Elric, the dissapointment that all Elric had to say to her was a message from his Mistress...it stung, stung a lot more than she would have thought so. Piper couldn't bring herself to look him in the face, averting her gaze to the shining floor. Right now she felt far too exposed in the dress chosen for her and without the comforting curtains of hair to hide behind...it was all out in the open. When she opened her mouth to speak she couldn't hide the sting from his words from her expression although she kept her eyes fixed on a spot on the floor.

"Is that all you came to say, Elric? A message from your mistress?"

[Elric Vlarintos]

With the awkward greeting and the message from his Mistress out of the way Elric was hardly left with much to say to Piper. Maybe he had hoped that offering her the warning in regards to what it could have been about might have helped patch up things between them. It seemed silly to think that that possibility would have ever crossed his mind. He had said it because it was the right thing to say. Elric would not work to deceive his Mistress or any of the Boogies, but there were others who might have liked to.

Deception is right up Piper's alley.

It was a cruel, brutal and honest thought. Of course, it was met with the resistance in his mind that she was not a worse person for it. If anything, she had more than enough reason to hide everything about her if she wanted. At first Elric's shock had been simply with her confession and how he had been treating her before. After the initial shock subsided he thought that maybe he could think of her the same way he had before.

He was deceiving himself if he thought he could manage it.

She was still a person and all she wanted was to be treated like she was not different because of her past. It took a lot of guts to put the words together and manage to say what he did, but he told himself that he wasn't going to leave until he said it.

"Would you dance with me tonight?" It seemed a weak attempt at patching things up, but it was certainly held the same unorthodoxy that most of Elric's social interactions had.

[Naelona Ezel]

At the balcony, Elric seemed to make short work of vanishing. Naelona eyed the departing boy, but relented for the gathering crowd below. Looking below, she spied what could only be her father, Kazn Ezel, playing as the guests arrived. Fortunately his infernal playing was drawn to an end.. unless he was going to play another - hopefully not.

"Thank you, Kristopher." Naelona murmured to the slave, taking the seat he'd pulled out for her. "Would you like anything to drink, Madam?" For some reason she had the vaguest sense of eyes upon her, then again there was a growing crowd below. "I would, yes. And pass Mr. Takanami my regards, if you see him." And Shaehern her scorn, if possible. Just because she could.

From her lofty place the boogie was perfectly content recline into her chair, watching the bustling movement of below. It really was an idea location. It was high, and out of the way. There would be a good view for the spectacle later, be quieter for betting, and left more seating room below for the more dancing inclined. Something that did not include her, and for obvious reasons.

But what curiosity, with her slaves leaving her for the time being her eyes fell upon one making a practical bee-line across the room to a certain young woman in a red dress. Someone he knew? Raising a thin eyebrow Nae tuned her attention to the balcony briefly glancing to the other boogie, and turned her attention back to the floor below and keeping a quick eye upon El. If all was true as she presumed, it was only a matter of time, now.

[Piper Wren]

There it was.

The awkward silence between them, that had been commonplace of late...apart from when he was totally wasted, that had shifted between silence, insults and throwing up on the way back to the dorm. One part Piper was really starting to wish she could turn back the clock and not have said anything...but the other vaguely defiant and somewhat sad side still remembered that look. Hoping to be accepted just as she was, scars and foibles came as part of the package thanks to circumstance. She did her best to behave normally, it wasn't like she had lied about herself...just didn't talk about it.

Until blurting it out to Elric and regretting it ever since...But she wasn't expecting what would come next.

"Would you dance with me tonight?"

Silence again if only momentarily, it took Piper a moment to take in the shy request from Elric. Slowly she raised her eyes from the floor to look him in the face, he looked about as nervous as she felt right now but none the less a shy, half smile quirked the edges of Piper's lips. At this moment she was glad that was competent enough to dance without embaressment.

"Yes...I would like that."

[Kristopher Roberts]

Kristopher looked to his Madam, to his brother who was off doing who knows what and then to Elric who he could barely see through the crowd. Then, he looked back at Naelona as she addressed him and stated she would like a drink and to give regards to a certain someone. He smiled and bowed his head politely. "I shall do that then." He then turned and went away from the table with a slight jingle due to the belts and buckles upon his person.

The blond disappeared into the growing crowd and happily. His mismatched eyes where looking for something, or rather someone and it wasn't drinks either. Spotting a tuff of blond hair that was like his own he quickly made a bee-line towards Zeke as quick as he could.

Reaching his twin, he put a hand on his shoulder, "Zeke?" He asked just to make sure it was his twin and not someone else. But as soon as he saw the eyes of the one behind the mask, he hugged him and whispered. "We need to talk, brother." Then pulled away, "Come help me at the drink station, if you would please." He said out loud, needing an excuse not to be caught by a boogie or given an odd look.

The blond then started off towards the station, once again he caught site of Elric and then Piper. He, in a way, wanted to go to her and hug he and ask to be forgiven but he knew not too. Piper needed her time away from him to deal with other issues other then the one with Kristopher. But he was happy to see her talking with Elric. That was nice, to see her speaking to another person even if it wasn't him. It meant she wouldn't be alone tonight, plus seeing her smile made it even better.

But now, he had business to attend too.