bsumone | ❝ Masquerade ❞

{ 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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"It's more a recent thing that we've gone into hiding actually. I remember an age where we were part of the world."

Which honestly hinted at his own age he realized. But he just smiled a little and shook his head. "I remember when I could walk down the streets and be recognized for what I was but not feared or shunned for it. But I know many places were not like that. Hence why the Council came to be built in the first place."

“I wonder what changed,” Snake pondered aloud, though it was more to himself than to Sam. He always assumed the reason the supernatural creatures of the world went into hiding had something to do with human fear of the unknown… but haven’t there always been myths and monsters? Maybe it was more when humans stopped accepting the fantastical. After all, weren’t these creatures just as much a part of the world as humans?

“Is it hard? Having to hide, I mean.”

"Fear. And more powerful weapons being used in that fear." Unfortunately. It was no wonder so many creatures went into hiding. Only the most bold dared to stay out in the open and, honestly, he found them to be foolish for trying that. More and more types of creatures were going extinct each day as a result of that boldness. Something that pained him each time he realized another race was gone from the world.

"There are days it can be hard to hide, I'll admit. I was once a soldier of a king and now I run a bar. In other ways, it's very peaceful for me and I prefer that piece."

Snake nodded. Compared to most, if not all, of the guests here, Snake was a very short-lived thing. What looked like a lifetime to him was the blink of an eye for these folks. It seemed natural for him to defer to their knowledge of the world and their postulations on its changes.

“Seems like running a bar might be a little less risky than being a soldier. Do you like doing that?”

"There are positives and negatives to either side really. But yes, I really love doing it. People seem to like it too based on how many customers I seem to get all the time."

He truly wasn't bragging either. If anything it made him happy to know that people were that happy to come to his place like that. After all, he adored being able to see them too.

Snake didn't own a business, but he understood how good success felt. His blog was successful and he was proud of that fact. So, on some level, he understood. Sam seemed happy to talk about his business, an indicator that he really enjoyed it.

"Good atmosphere, huh? That's what draws me to places, mostly."

"I like to think so. I crafted one that I felt would be comforting but still fun. I wanted a place where people would be able to have a good time. Ah wait. You can actually look it up. There's a website now with some pictures."

He got out his phone and pulled up the site before offering it to Snake so he could scroll through it at his leisure.

"Sounds like my kind of place," he quipped. Some bars in his neighborhood were a little too elegant for his tastes. He felt out of place when he walked into them. Leaning forward when Sam mentioned the website and fished his phone out, he took the offered device and started scrolling through the images.

"Looks like a nice place." He nodded as he handed Sam's phone back to him. "I'm definitely going to check it out."

The wonders of the modern age. He could show a potential new customer the wonders of his establishment on a tiny box he could carry with him. It was amazing really and one of the reasons why he was so quick to jump on advancements and learn them. If one was immortal the one should always be learning in his opinion.

"I would like that. You can feel free to ask for me when you come and I'll make sure to offer you suggestions."

"I'd love to, but I don't think I got your name." Now that his hands are free of any devices, he reaches one out for a handshake. "I'm Snake."

Taking that hand, he offered him the handshake that he was seeking. And with a smile as he did so. "It's good to meet you, Snake. My name is Sam."

"I look forward to seeing you in your element, Sam." It might be a few days, though. Tiras took a lot out of him and he's sure he'll need a little more rest before he can truly enjoy a night of drinking.

❝ Masquerade ❞

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