❝ Masquerade ❞

[vowelsinyourheart]

{ seething shadows breathing lies }

Traditional thing that Iseul is, he made a point of sending out invitations to every monster and supernatural being with whom he's acquainted the day after telling Damian of his masked ball. Each is written in a large, looping hand and reads:

My Dear Friend,

You are cordially invited to a most exclusive masquerade ball to be held at my estate on the next new moon. The attire is formal with a theme of silver and gold. My doors will open promptly at 8:00pm. Dinner will be served with music, dance, and festivities to follow.

I do so look forward to your attendance.

Kindest Regards,
Your Host

Iseul's calling card is included for those who may not recognize his handwriting. It also happens to have his address on it, as well.

Guests will find the house dark and sprawling, positively goth in decor and style. For those who know or know of Iseul, this won't be a surprise. There's a running joke in the community that the Fae is truly meant to be a vampire... more so than his long-standing vampire rival. Those in attendance will be shown to the parlor, the pocket doors thrown wide to the adjoining suite to make it something of a small ballroom. Musicians sit off to the corner playing with few breaks throughout the night.

The dining room boasts a long table with a veritable banquet. Though, one must be careful about eating Faerie food. Never fear, dear guests, for none of this food was prepared or even harvested by Fae hands. Outside, the grounds are covered with sprawling flower gardens, topiaries, and even a small maze of hedges. Lanterns light the paths since there's no moon for light. Both in and out, the house has many dark nooks and crannies and unoccupied to rooms to disappear into. All guests are welcome to stay if, for any reason, they are unable to leave at first light.

Comments

𝐼𝑠𝑒𝑢𝑙

[vowelsinyourheart]

As the host, Iseul does his duty, greeting his guests and mingling once the bulk of them have arrived. To the shock of those who know him, the Fae is dressed in mostly white and pale blue, a far cry from his usual black on black (oh, when will they invent a darker color than black?). His mask is a matching soft blue with silver. He chose this specific attire to surprise a certain vampire he knows.

Indeed, this whole affair is for Damian. Had he declined Iseul's invitation, the party would never have been held. The Fae only pondered the idea vaguely until Damian inquired about any plans. That's when the ball solidified in Iseul's mind. Why would make sense only to him. You see, he recently had a night-blooming garden planted and he much desired to take his... the vampire on a stroll to see it.

In spite of his desire to devote his time to one guest, Iseul is the consummate host. He mingles with everyone for a time, however great or small (even that human who someone managed to get in. For a moment, the Fae thought he'd have dominion over the interloper, but it turns out he, too, has an invitation -- one that most certainly was intended for someone else). Pouring tea and wine, ensuring that the food on his table is always just right -- hot for the meats, chilled for the fruits --, encouraging dancing and games and conversation.

That is, until he disappears from the party entirely.

[unholyangel]

Damian had struggled with his thoughts after his last meeting with Iseul but here he was anyway. He'd said he would go and he refused to be a liar about that. So he arrived in a suit and mask that only served to further enhance his already pale features. But he knew that it made him beautiful and that was what he was looking to do here. To surprise Iseul with how he could dress himself in a way he knew the fae loved.

Strolling in since his invitation allowed him to enter without waiting at the door, he looked around at all the decorations. Glanced really. His eyes were searching for his host instead. Something was pulling him toward him and he just needed to find him.

When he spotted him across the room, he turned and walked that way. A polite bow and a smile followed when he reached him.

"Well? Does my surprise please you, dear host?"

[vowelsinyourheart]

Iseul half-expected Damian to arrive clad in some shade of pastel, even his attire was formal. White is most definitely a choice that surprises him! The Fae makes no effort to hide that, either. His eyes move up and down the vampire, drinking in not only the quality and elegant design of Damian's suit, but the way it's perfectly fitted to the body just beneath it. And those cursed flashes of memory of just some weeks before when the vampire stood half-naked in his studio flicker so clearly in his mind's eye. (But does he really curse them?) He walks a circle around Damian before stopping in front of him, clapping his hands together in delight.

"It pleases me very well, my dear guest." He even offers Damian a genuine smile that warms his usually cold eyes. "I have a surprise for you, as well. Will you walk with me?" And like any gentleman of bygone days, he offers his arm to lead the vampire out into the gardens. Iseul knows the grounds by rote; he could walk them in the dead of night with his eyes closed and still arrive at his intended destination. No need for that, though, since lanterns hang to light the gardens.

He takes Damian through the various floral arrangments, wanders with him through the hedge maze -- quite complex by all standards -- to the center where his prize awaits them. Surrounding a large, solitary oak tree lies the surprise: a section of garden in full bloom under the night sky.

"Does my surprise please you, dearest guest?"

Tiras

[eroticpain]

It had been ages since he'd last seen his friend in person. So of course when he got the invitation he accepted and said he was bringing his partner. Then he dressed for the evening and put up with no fussing about his attire. His outfit and shoes looked amazing on him. Besides they matched his mask and the jewelry he'd chosen. And he was technically wearing outwear. Even if said outwear left nothing to the imagination.

Enjoying his charm that kept people from falling for his natural charm, he lingered mostly in crowded rooms with glasses of wine in hand. However when he grew tired of all the people, he'd go to sit in quieter rooms. This meant the magic given to him by Iseul stopped working as well. And the chance of falling for the incubus and longing to sleep with him or even falling in love with him? Well that increased tenfold when he was on his own.

Oh well. He supposed it just meant some easy snacks along the way...

[dangernoodle]

"Oh. My. God," sounds a voice over the din of conversation in the room. Those three words of so full; full of excitement and wonder and giving the sense of a dream coming true, of something everyone said is fake being proven real. Whoever else may be around, Snake only notices Tiras and hurries to make his way toward him. It has nothing (well, very little) to do with Tiras' natural appeal and everything to do with this guy being a huge fan of the conspiracy blog about the incubus.

He doesn't even try to hide the childlike excitement. It's like a sports fan randomly running into their idol on the street, it caught him so off-guard.

"You're actually real!"

[eroticpain]

Tiras blinked as he turned to see who was talking to him. Clearly this person knew him. More than that he seemed to be human? An odd choice for this party. Tilting his head, he wondered who this could even be or why he looked so excited as if he was this man's hero somehow.

"I am the last I checked, yes." Why that should matter was beyond him though. It wasn't like he cared who thought he was real and who didn't.

lbr, it's gonna be NSFW

[lamia]

These sorts of parties are more up Su-jin's alleys. Despite being a generally private person to the outside world, a little shy even, he loves mingling with others. He enjoys getting to know people, be they his fellow monsters or humans (and is that a human he saw over by the punch? WEIRD).

But with Tiras present, how can anyone expect Su-jin won't eventually gravitate to his partner's side? It's quite late by the time he seeks the incubus out, certain he's had a snack or three by then. Despite the charm their host provided, there's only so much that can be done to stifle the abilities of a creature as powerful as Tiras. Even Su-jin falls prey to them sometimes.

But usually, he's just in silent awe of Tiras. Well, when he's not sighing over how put upon he is because of Tiras (no one who matters believes that for a moment!). Tonight he's just happy Tiras is wearing shoes. And, you know, something that leaves a little something to the imagination. To others' imaginations. Su-jin needn't imagine anything after all their centuries together.

Finding his lover in a quieter, less busy room, he sidles up behind him, looping his arms around that slim waist to pull Tiras against him. It's literally been several hours since they arrived, but Su-jin heaves a dramatic sigh as he rests his chin on his partner's shoulder.

"I missed you."

for real

[eroticpain]

Taking a break from people he was admiring the decorations of the house when he felt arms come around him. Though it could have been anyone, he knew these arms well and smiled as he leaned back into that strong body. So cute. He loved when Su-jin got like this. So sentimental and sweet.

"Did you? We've been at the same party all night."

He hummed and lifted his hands up to rest his arms on Su-jin's before tilting his head back to rest it on his shoulder.

"Should I reassure you?"

𝐺𝑎𝑗𝑎

[returnanew]

Gaja's pleasantly surprised by the invitation. He's encountered Iseul a few times, but he wouldn't say they're much more than passing acquaintances. Then again, the host is Fae so he probably keeps track of anyone he's ever encountered in a slightly more than negative way. Be polite and hospitable in case he needs something from someone in the future. That seems to be his way, of so Gaja assumes. Well, he too might need a favor someday, so he won't turn down the invitation.

He arrives promptly at 8, clad in a jumpsuit of gold and white that mimics the appearance of feathers (he has such a fondness for them) and a matching mask. Beneath it, his eyes are painted dark and gold flecks his skin. Rather than mingle immediately, Gaja heads straight for a seat at the timing room table, feasting on the many varied meats available. He tears them apart with his fingers as if they were claws before popping small, shredded bites into his mouth.

Every now and then, he glances up from his plate and cocks his head around to see if anyone he might know is there. Maybe even a specific someone....

[flumen]

The invite to the Fae's home was an unexpected one. They'd had no more than a few encounters, though none of them were particularly memorable. Not memorable enough for an invite to a masquerade, Nam would have thought. He's not normally one for venturing terribly far from home, but he simply couldn't bring himself to decline. Not and potentially subject himself to the ire of a Fae. Besides, the company he could find there had the potential to be quite interesting.

It's just after 8 o'clock when Nam steps through the doors, adorned in a jumpsuit, coloured in a gradient from a light blue to a silvery white. The pants are very reminiscent of the single long sleeve, loose and flowing. It gives the illusion of gently running water. His mask follows almost the same pattern of motion as his clothing, all mimicking a watery appearance. Mostly visible beneath the mask, his eyes are painted in a blue gradient, similar to his clothing. Around them are blue and white iridescent flakes. He says a few hellos, but is mostly acquainting himself with the Fae's home. The dining room is the last room he finds himself wandering into, even if the delicious smells have been trying to draw him in since the moment he walked in the door.

It's hard to keep his eyes from immediately settling on that fiery hair as he walks up to study the food that's on offer. It's impossible to keep himself from stealing a few glances, though. He's like a beacon of light in such a dark venue. Without a word or more than the few stolen glances, he sidles up to the phoenix and takes a seat next to him. He watches Gaja out of the corner of his eye as he picks at some of the smaller pieces of meat. Specifically pieces that he won't have to tear apart like Gaja did, thank you.

𝐾𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑎𝑛 𝐾𝑎𝑛𝑔

[unseely]

Kellan knows Iseul because of course he does. His sister is very fond of Iseul's fashion sense and design. Some little renown comes with being the one who dresses the Unseelie Princess, at least among her immediate kith and kin. He wouldn't say they're close, he hardly knows the other fae. But an invitation is an invitation and it makes for as good an excuse as any to 1) take his sister to see her present favorite and 2) spend more time with his own beloved.

The Prince arrives fashionably late due to the Princess fussing over looking just so to impress her tailor (little does she know he'll be otherwise engaged for quite some time). He shows up with dramatic flair. The double doors swing open to reveal the Prince in messy, but regal attire (sans the goth stompy boots) and a simple gold mask to match the trim. On each arm, his beloved twins, Sumin and Suho.

Yes, yes, everyone pause to admire what a fine trio they make. Then you may go back to whatever you were doing before this distinguish group arrived (Princess in tow).

[dissimilis]

Sumin knows Iseul only through Kellan, and only really then because Suho asked about him when they received the invite initially. Well, when Kellan received the invite. If either twin received a formal invitation, Sumin was not made away. It could simply be that Suho tucked them both away somewhere and forgot to ever tell him. Not that it would have stopped either of them from joining their prince at this event. It should always be understood that they are Kellan's +1 and his other +1.

Fashionably late. Sumin hates fashionably late. Where the Princess not Kellan's sister, Sumin would have insisted she find her own way here whenever she was finally ready. Alas, he had to settle for simply looking at the time and sighing (two things which he's certain only Suho ever noticed). But finally, they've arrived. Thankfully, they've arrived. Every minute past 8 o'clock that they weren't here was like a fresh knife in his chest.

Sumin and Suho arrive dressed to match their prince as well as each other. They're wearing matching jackets, with Sumin's being the same shade of red as the inside of Kellan's jacket, and Suho's being the same shade of blue as the outside, as well as simple black dress pants. Their masks are a similar style to Kellan's as well, though the filigree on Sumin's evokes images of the sun while Suho's, of the moon.

"What would you like to do here first, my Prince?"

𝑀𝑎𝑡𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑎𝑠

[thedevilsaid]

How an invitation came into Matthias' hands is beyond him. He doesn't really socialize with monsters. But who can resist a masquerade? Maybe something exciting will catch his interest. He supposes it won't hurt to mingle with the local supernatural, sort of get a feel for who's who and what's what in the area.

No matter who he's socializing with, he's all smiles under the red devil mask that obscures most of his face. It's the exact color of the red velvet suit he sports. He almost seems like he belongs as part of the decor in this house. Almost.

He's never in one place for long, bouncing from the conversations in the living room, to trying some of the foods on display, wandering the garden, and even trying to solicit some lovely thing to join him in a dance.

[hwarangalpha]

Sam had dressed up for the occasion when Matthias had mentioned dragging him out for the night. He certainly didn't mind a reason to dress up, utterly adoring any chance to be fashionable. So he wore a finely tailored suit with a mask that complimented it. Given his height he truly stood out at the event but that was something he had been used to his entire life. Naturally he socialized on his own for a time but there was no stopping him from being drawn to Matthias.

Or maybe it was Matthias drawn to him? He really couldn't say but them meeting up in the garden was a welcome thing and he smiled fondly at his friend as he stepped closer to him once he took notice of him.

"Are you having fun?"

Sam

[hwarangalpha]

The werewolf hadn't been given an invitation but he had come as a guest of another who had been invited. Given how he preferred to keep his head down in the modern world, he wasn't surprised that this was how it turned out. But that didn't mean he felt insulted or wouldn't use the chance to go out shopping to dress himself properly. He was a werewolf who adored fashion after all.

Towering over many people around him, he easily stood out. But he looked handsome in his suit and mask while doing it. Sam was polite to everyone he spoke with, definitely drawing eyes to him due to how handsome he was even with the mask.

He did seem to have a sadness in his eyes though. One very old and one that had clearly been there a long while. Still, he smiled and worked his way through the party, sometimes watching a certain demon across the room...

[vowelsinyourheart]

At some point before vanishing from sight, Iseul makes it a point to chat with most, if not all, of his guests. His focus is on those he doesn't know well or at all. Those are the people he chooses to spend more time with, trying to get some knowledge of who they are and taking note. There's no interaction too small that it can't be leveraged at some point with enough time and effort.

He wanders close to Sam once, looking very much like he intends to engage him in conversation before sharply veering off in another direction. Thankfully, given Sam's height, it isn't easy to lose him in the crowd. A few minutes later, when Iseul appears in front of him again, he has a folding stepstool in hand. Without a word of explanation, and as if it's the most commonplace of things to do, he merely unfolds the stool, sets it directly in front of Sam, and then steps on it.

"Greetings, dear guest," he intones with a polite smile that does nothing to brighten his eyes. However, the words and his cordial tone should indicate that Iseul is the host of this event. "I do hope you're enjoying the hospitality. Though," he pauses, looking thoughtful. "I'm afraid I've not yet had th e pleasure of making your acquaintance."

it's time!

[dangernoodle]

Sometime between his encounter with Tiras and Sam leaving the party with his demon in tow, Snake managed to come across him. He’s pretty tall and thus hard to miss. He also seemed to be wandering alone which was as good an excuse as any to go talk to him. Snake grabbed two cups of punch and brought one over to the stranger as an offering.

He's sure everyone here knew he was the lone human. Snake’s counting on his continued good luck to avoid any bad experiences. Oh, he’s had a few in the past. That one time he met a chupacabra sprung to mind. That was one encounter he barely managed to get away from unscathed.

He doesn’t know it, but a good portion of the people here could smell Tiras on him. Maybe they didn’t know him personally, but they definitely caught a whiff of Powerful Incubus™ on this lone human as he continued to mingle. And, in all truth, he’s still feeling a little dazed from his romp with Tiras.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much food at a party,” he commented, holding out the cup to Sam.

𝑆𝑛𝑎𝑘𝑒

[dangernoodle]

Snake wasn’t sure how he ended up with an invitation to Iseul’s masquerade, but he wasn’t going to miss the chance to see who (or what) might show up. He didn’t know anyone there personally, and Iseul only through reputation and speculation. Maybe he was just a very eccentric human guy. The only way to find out was to go to his party.

The invitation was definitely meant for whoever lived in the apartment before him. But, since it had no name on it, Snake wasn’t turned away despite – very technically – having someone else’s invitation.

It was obvious in every important way that he was just a human. He looked and smelled like one. He gave off no aura or energy that indicated anything but a regular, run of the mill human. One who was trying very hard not to walk up to every single attendee and ask them what exactly they are.

Loitering near the drinks proved a good way to strike up conversation. After a time, he could be found in the gardens (though by this point anyone with a keen sense of smell could scent a powerful creature had marked him). There’s a tiredness to him later in the evening that does little to dampen his enthusiasm to chat with anyone and everyone who comes near enough.

[flumen]

Suddenly his own wanderings about the Fae's home aren't quite so interesting anymore. The beautiful interior has all but lost Nam's attention when he spots the human. Even from across the room, it's not hard to tell what Snake is. His appearance, alone, is almost a dead giveaway, despite everyone else here having a human appearance, or at least a human form they can take. There's something very normal about his appearance. There's a certain quality about the way everyone else here carries themselves that Snake doesn't quite possess. Not to mention the only energy he gives off is excitement.

Nam sidles up to the human just before he has a chance to reach his drink destination and cants his head first to one side, then the other as he looks him over. He makes no secret of the way he scrutinizes the human man. "You seem to have lost your way and ended up where you don't belong."

[horreur]

Seok's heard mention of Iseul more than actually ever met him. The fact that he even received an invite to this masquerade is a little surprising to him because of it. Invites were just sent out to anything non-human, he supposes. Seok isn't exactly one to turn down an invitation somewhere, though. Free food and drink as well as potentially decent company? He'd be a fool to stay home.

It's a bit after the doors open to the guests that Seok finds his way inside of the Fae's home. He showed up tonight wearing simple black slacks and a black fitted jacket with a dark grey dress shirt, as well as a black pair of gloves. The most elaborate part of his outfit tonight is the mask he chose for the occasion. While not as fancy as some, it suits his tastes. He's not often a terribly fancy thing, after all. Beneath the mask, visible through the large eye holes, there's a heavy blindfold over his eyes, one that he's only just able to see through. It's enough to get him around relatively okay.

It's enough to get him to the food and drinks, at least.

Seok smells the human before he ever gets close enough to make out the rough shape of him through the blindfold. How interesting. It's a little dangerous for a human to be loitering about in a place like this though, isn't it? "Hand me a drink, would you?" He cants his head to one side as he holds out his hand. "I had no idea the Fae were employing humans now."

[diversus]

Between the social setting and the late hour, it's any wonder that Sumin managed to keep himself awake as long as he did. A want to spend time with the prince and his brother before going to sleep, perhaps. They didn't even get here until late, after all. He still feels a little bad about encouraging the princess' tardiness. Sure, it's mostly her fault that they got here late, but Suho is also not above taking his own share of the blame here.

Now, his brother and his dear prince have found a quiet space for Sumin to curl up and go to sleep. Normally, he would sit with them, perhaps curl up next to his brother until he fell asleep, but tonight he's perfectly happy allowing Sumin some alone time with their Kellan before he actually falls asleep, since Suho will have his own time with the prince afterwards.

So Suho is taking the opportunity to look around on his own. Partly to merely explore, and partly to find some nice places around the properly to take Kellan should he decide he'd like to get up at some point while Sumin sleeps.

He smiles when he sees the man out in the gardens, and clasps his hands together behind his back as he makes his way over to him. The smile drops away and he blinks up at the man with just open and honest curiosity. Then he gasps and covers his mouth with his hands.

"Are you a human??"

𝐹𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑥 𝐾𝑜𝑦𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑖

[exceptonlyacat]

Felix was relatively new to town; he only moved there in the last four months. So, he’s surprised to have received an invitation to a party! Someone’s keeping tabs on their neighborhood! Well, he’s definitely going to show up in a cream colored button-up and slacks, an outfit to match his cat mask.

Once he’s close enough, he can smell the Fae and… a lot of other creatures, too! So this is a supernatural soirée. Felix wiggled his fingers in excitement. Being new to town, he really didn’t know any of his fellow creatures yet. What better place to meet on equal ground than a Fae party. They’re such stickers about manners.

Felix made his way to the back of the house first, slipping out to enjoy the fragrant gardens. After a time, he wandered back in for some dinner and even charmed a few strangers into having a dance with him. Mostly, he kept returning to the spread of food to eat his heart out.

[eroticpain]

When someone he didn't recognize (not a surprise since he didn't have a reason to care about this one existing) came walking up to him, he gave him a look up then down from where he was standing. He had a glass of something in hand. Wine perhaps? It was mostly just for show that he was holding it at all.

Tiras hummed softly as he tilted his head to the side. "Dance? Do you know how to dance?"

He hummed a bit as he smelled him. A cat of some kind. Newer too since the city was still fresh on him. Months perhaps? As a predator his senses were very refined. As an apex predator? They were honed down to the finest detail.

𝐿𝑎𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝐶ℎ𝑜𝑖

[tappingthevein]

Laurent wasn’t about to miss a party, even one thrown by a fae. They always made sure there wasn’t any trouble or, if there was, the fae dealt with it swiftly and decisively. The vampire only knew of Iseul from events such as this. They were hardly friendly, even if they did socialize every now and then.

He showed up in flowers and a matching mask, his beloved gumiho on his arm. It was rare for them to be apart after sunset. There might be a few moments here and there, but mostly he stays glued to Elyas’ side: walking arm-in-arm through the gardens, dancing, and frequently sitting at the banquet table feeding his fox various and sundry bites just to kiss him for the flavor of each.

[unholyangel]

Oh well here was a face he hadn't seen in awhile. Mainly because most vampires didn't prefer to associate with him due to how he wasn't really like them. He loved to be colorful, to enjoy cute things, to be...basically nothing like the stereotype. Oh sure he'd given himself a more vampiric name but he'd given up otherwise on the matter. Besides, now he truly didn't want to do anything about it when Iseul adored him as he was.

Taking up some hosting duties, he moved around to speak to people, pausing only a moment before going over to Laurent. It wouldn't be hard to see that Damian had fed recently and had fed on something magical given how there was almost a flush to his normally pale skin.

"How nice to see you, Laurent," he noted politely. He didn't really mean it but he knew how to be polite when he needed to be at the very least.