bsumone | ❝ Masquerade ❞

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❝ 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.

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"The humans visit me," he mutters. That is to say that Gaja is right. No one else is going to. The humans don't care about him in any way that matters. They don't care about the long days and nights that he spends alone while waiting for them. They don't come to see him nearly as often as they once did, when the rivers were far more important to them. Now they only come to see him when they have need of him, when they want for fresh, plentiful fish or clear, cool water.

Gaja is the only one who's come to him looking for nothing in return. He's the only one who cares to keep him company or pull him away from his river when it's been far too long since last Nam left. Outside of the special occasions like these, Gaja is the only one Nam allows to pull him away. He simply trusts that the bird has on ulterior motives, and has his best interest in mind.

A small smile tugs at the river creature's lips as he raises his covered arm, watching the way the light fabric moves and admiring the colour as if in acknowledgement of the compliment. Then he reaches over to Gaja and this time he does run his fingers over the gold flecks on the phoenix's face. "The gold compliments your beautiful eyes."

Humans want things from Nam. Gifts, blessings, anything they can take. That's just how they are. Gaja is the one who visits him, who brings offerings wanting no favor in return. They weren't always friendly. They're still not always friendly, but these days their slights and insults are laced with the affection of an old friendship.

Gaja's lashes fall, leaving only a sliver of those dark, gold-flecked eyes visible beneath them. He cants his head into the touch, soft little trill bubbling up.

"Who are you and what have you done with my cranky crocodile?"

Once upon a time, he liked the humans a lot more. He looked forward to their visits, even. They respected him and his time. They spent time at his river, they appreciated it and often tried to leave it better than it was. And now they take. They take without remorse. They take without thought of what it does to him. They leave their offerings but it's only because they want something in return. Gaja is the one who appreciates him and wants for nothing (though Nam insists of offering him things in return) during his visits. Gaja is the one he looks forward to seeing now, despite how their relationship started. Nam never thought he'd see the day when he looked forward to the bird's presence.

And yet here he is, softly gazing at the phoenix and stroking his cheek.

"You'll have to forgive me because I must be getting soft in my old age. I've just never seen such mesmerizing eyes on a vulture before."

"I had no idea, in all this time, that you're a birdwatcher." How dare Nam look at other birds! What do they have that Gaja doesn't?

Well, regardless, Gaja shifts in his seat to pull a small box that was hidden in a pocket under his 'feathers.' With a huff, he hands it over to Nam.

"I brought you something," he grumbles as he pushes the box with said gift into Nam's hands.

"Didn't you say yourself that even birds need water? You didn't think you were the only bird visiting my waters, did you?" Oh but they have nothing on the phoenix. They are no more than momentary visitors who stop to drink and perhaps catch a fish. And if they're unlucky, they get caught up in the jaws of a hungry dragon. What do they have that Gaja doesn't? They're delicious. Well, Gaja is quite a delicious bird too but...

Nam looks at the bird, and then down at the box being offered to him curiously. Not like it's the first thing Gaja has given him, but it's not something he ever expected here. Especially when neither one of them had been certain that Nam would even be here. Carefully, he opens the box and he just blinks down at the beautiful piece of jewelry. He doesn't say a word as he lightly runs his fingers over it. It's absolutely gorgeous. He gently pushes the box back into the phoenix's hands and then turns his back toward him. "Help me put it on. I want to wear it."

No, Gaja didn't know if Nam would be in attendance. He brought his gift in the hopes that the dragon would be there. Who knows how long he's been holding on to that piece of jewelry, just waiting for the next time they meet. It is Gaja, after all, who spends his time travelling while the old crocodile remains much closer to his river. It's a place Gaja has grown fond of over the years. He's not bound to any place like some creatures, but Nam's river and the area around it feel more like home to him than any place has.

Gaja wipes his fingers on the linen napkin before taking the necklace from its box. In a careful motion, the phoenix drapes the jewels around Nam's throat, making a slight adjustment to the positioning before fastening the clasp. Even in the dim light of this dark house, it shines and sparkles like the sunlight dazzling on water.

"That's better. Now there's something more pleasant to look at than your surly face."

Nam gently lays his hand over the beautiful jewels the moment the necklace touches his skin. It's warm to the touch, having been tucked away under the fiery bird's 'feathers' but it still sends a delightful, comfortable shiver down the old dragon's spine. A cold-blooded serpent presented with something nice and warm. That's all it is.

He turns back around once the jewels are secured around his neck, head tipped down so he can see the way they sit against his chest. He doesn't quite remember the last time he's seen something this lovely and he already knows it will sit among his most prized possessions. Strange how each of those possessions has been a gift or offering from Gaja, which he something he may never let the bird learn. But he cherishes each thing the bird decides to bring him.

"You crows always were attracted to shiny things, weren't you?" asks the reptile who made sure to wear shimmery (almost shiny, one might say!), iridescent flakes around his eyes. Perhaps not just to match his scales, hm?

Gaja sucks in a breath at the sight of those jewels where they belong. Despite his previous quip, he actually thinks they pale in comparison to Nam's beauty. Those dark eyes linger a moment on the necklace before being drawn to Nam's eyes (and, yes, the sparkling flakes around them.

He is a bird, after all!

He's very glad he chose this piece. Without knowing what Nam would wear, it seemed the most likely to match any color scheme. He's grateful the dragon didn't show up in a suit with a collared shirt. That sort of attire didn't really suit him. No, he looks so lovely tonight, every piece of his outfit evoking the sense of flowing water. And now, he also has the shimmer of sun on water, too.

"We certainly are," he muses in a more subdued tone. As he speaks, he reaches over to trail his fingers along the dragon's jaw. Why do you think I'm attracted to you? those eyes seem to say.

Though Nam has worn suits and collared shirts in the past, he's not usually overly fond of them. They often feel a little too restrictive for his liking. A good thing, perhaps. Merely carrying this beautiful necklace around for the rest of the night would have been a terrible injustice. Such a marvelous item doesn't deserve to sit in a box all night, it should be on display for all to see.

He runs his fingers over some of the larger gems that crawl up his chest to the middle of his throat before he drops his hand back down into his lap. Yes, this will indeed live among his most prized of possessions. He looks forward to seeing how it shimmers in the sunlight.

It almost feels instinctual to lean into the fingers against his jaw, to turn his head in toward them. He breathes out a content sigh and lets his eyes fall closed. "Such ridiculous little creatures, you birds are." There's a fondness to his tone and a small smile tugs at his lips. "It's a beautiful gift, Gaja."

The movement of Nam’s hand over the jewels catches Gaja’s attention and he watches in rapt fascination as his fingers graze over the gems. Ah, they will be even more beautiful with the sunlight dazzling off them like it does off the surface water. Ah~

Gaja blinks and refocuses his gaze on Nam’s face, meeting his eyes until he closes them.

They so rarely use each other’s names. When they do, it’s always so earnest. Gaja smiles in kind, the expression less subtle than Nam’s, but equally fond. The phoenix always has been more effusive than his companion. And, truly, he’s pleased by Nam’s receipt of his gift. It would have been a shame for it to go unseen tonight, especially when the dragon looks so otherworldly.

“Then it’s a fitting gift for you, Nam.”

As Nam reopens his eyes to gaze at the phoenix - his phoenix - he pulls off his mask and sets it on the table. He'll put it back on should the need for it arise at some point during the evening, but for now he's done with the masquerade part of this ball. He's done obscuring his face. Mostly, he's done with the way the light catches on the mask once in a while and ruins his view of the gorgeous bird.

Using each other's names always feels like such a special moment shared between only the two of them. To anyone listening, it would be relatively meaningless, it would sound no different than any other conversation, but to them it means much more than that. Nothing can compare to hearing his name pass Gaja's lips.

"I only regret that I didn't think to bring you anything." The smile grows only a small amount. Just enough for no one but the bird to notice. "You'll have to settle for my company, I'm afraid."

Ah, Gaja’s so pleased when Nam takes the mask off. He’s truly too lovely to be obscuring his face. Not that the phoenix needs to see it to know its every detail. Were he so inclined, Gaja could draw Nam’s face in his sleep. In this form or his true form. A few seconds pass in which the phoenix simply admires Nam. Then, he, too, removes his mask. It didn’t say anywhere on the invitation that they’re required at all times.

Gaja heaves a sigh and gives a mournful shake of his head. “I am resigned to my fate,” he laments. But there’s a playfulness in his eyes, one most often drawn out by his dragon. “I’ve suffered your company for this long. I suppose I can suffer it longer.”

There it is. His phoenix's lovely face in full view. Now he can truly appreciate the way the gold from his eyes seems to have spilled out onto his face. He once again reaches out to brush his fingers over the flecks of gold, though this time it's the ones beneath his eyes. This time it's the one he didn't get to touch before.

Nam pulls his hand from the bird's face and instead covers his own mouth as he chuckles softly at Gaja's display. "That's the spirit. You can go back to your world travels tomorrow and leave me to my river, all you have to do is make it through this singular night in the company of a common water snake." Though there's an unspoken hope that Nam will get to see Gaja tomorrow as well.

Oh, he will definitely be seeing Gaja tomorrow. For such creatures as them, months pass by like hours. One evening alone will hardly be enough to satisfy Gaja before he goes wandering again. No, he’ll accompany Nam back to his river and reside nearby for some time before his wanderlust returns. That’s usually how it goes. And when he’s travelling? The urge to return to Nam’s river grows day by day, month by month until he’s drawn back.

“I suppose I can give you just one night.”

There may be a slight worry that the phoenix had been mid-travel when the invitation to the masquerade came along, and that he would be itching to get back to it once the night ended. With months feeling like hours, a single night passes in the blink of an eye. To spend just one night together would be just a tease of the bird's company and the loss of it come morning would be more deeply felt by the dragon than usual. Of course Nam could simply ask him to stay a while longer and likely will before the night ends (or rather find out that the bird does indeed intend to go home with him after the masquerade) but to be so upfront about it so early into the evening just feels so unlike them.

Nam climbs to his feet and his expression says that he wants Gaja to do the same before he ever has to speak the words. "If a single night is all that you can stomach in exchange for the beautiful gift, then I don't intend to spend it sitting here, watching you rip apart meat like an animal."

Nam is right. It’s far too early in their reunion for either of them to admit to missing and wanting to be near the other. One night would pass in the blink of an eye for them. The dragon needn’t know yet of his phoenix’s plans to remain with him for a time. An undisclosed amount of time that would end when Gaja’s wanderlust resurfaced. He’s been traveling for a while now and his desire to return to Nam is irresistible. Leaving him now is out of the question.

When Nam rises, Gaja’s eyes follow him, full of curiosity. And maybe a bit wary that the dragon is about to leave his side. His eyes go wider and a little pout bows his lips.

“... But I’m hungry…”

Things would be so much simpler for them if they were to just stop with all these games, stop playing coy and admit sooner how much they enjoy each others company. Oh they usually concede eventually. One will crack and admit to wanting to see the other for just a little longer, and the other will often echo the sentiment, but getting there is a slow process. In the meantime, instead of sharing how he feels, Nam will just fret over the idea that this is his one and only night with the bird before he disappears once more. He will let the very idea of it eat away at him for most of the night and when it gets to be utterly unbearable, that's when he'll finally ask Gaja to come home with him, unless Gaja gets to him first.

"I hear tell that plates are rather portable. It'll allow you to bring some food along with you."

But Nam, did you not see the bird using both hands to rip his food apart? How can he possibly carry a plate and eat? That little pout remains as he peers up at Nam with wide, sad doe eyes.

“So you’re not asking me to dance?”

Perhaps it was too early in the evening for that. Too early for complete softness. Much of their game involves wearing the other’s edges down. Still, he doesn’t want to waste too much time. So, with a dramatic huff, Gaja stands and makes a show of grabbing his place, clutching the dish in both hands.

“Where do you want to go?”

Ah but that's part of it! If Gaja only has one hand available, he can't as easily eat like a feral creature. Were his eating habits not an absolute travesty, Nam might actually offer to hold the plate for him as he ate. As it stands, however, he would not even dream of encouraging such a thing.

At least when Nam does it, it's in the comfort of his own space!

"Mm I'd considered it but you said you're hungry so I suppose not. It'll be difficult for you to dance with a plate in your hands!"

Oh, they're dance before the night is out, but it's true that it's too early in the evening for such things. Those are things best left for when both sides have agreed to a truce and the game is temporarily on hold. Soft, tender moments are for when they put the claws away. They'll dance, just not yet.

"The wanderer suddenly needs a destination? Just walk with me."

But, Nam, he is a feral creature! Who ever heard of a domesticated phoenix? Woefully, Gaja opts to simply leave the plate behind. He highly doubts their host will allow the party to run out of food. He can always come back for more later when Nam softens.

Until then, Gaja fixes him with an offended look. “I don’t presume the old crocodile enjoys wandering aimlessly. Especially when he hardly ever leaves his abode.” The bird huffs, but holds out an arm for Nam to take. If they’re going to walk, he at least wants others to know the dragon is his companion for the evening.

The phoenix can be quite possessive.

Nam would argue that he's now only half feral at best! He'll never be truly domesticated, but it seems that his days of being fully feral are long since gone.

"I've been known to aimlessly wander and enjoy it." It's perhaps not aimless wandering in the way the phoenix may mean, but it still in just that in the strictest meaning of the idea. He gives himself boundaries, distances he won't often travel outside of. He wanders within those limits, but can it really still be called that at that point? Even still, aimless wandering inside of a home seems perfect for him.

"Someone needs to watch over my home. Who'd do it in my absence? A lowly pigeon?" He cants his head ever so slightly to one side and raises a single brow. He can't help but laugh quietly, then, at the bird's huff as he takes holds of the offered arm. Despite how things might often appear between them to onlookers, he'd also like others to know that he's the phoenix's companion for the evening.

The phoenix is the only one permitted to posses him.

What Nam considers to be wandering is vastly different from Gaja’s idea of it. There are no boundaries for the phoenix. His travels take him across the globe, to the most rural countrysides and the busiest cities! Humans are ever-changing creatures and there’s always something new and exciting to catch Gaja’s interest.

But Nam is exciting, too, in a way that other people and places cannot be. Nam is the light that beckons Gaja home. He never feels more comfortable than when he’s with his dragon.

“I wouldn’t dream of spending my time watching over a river! In case you’ve forgotten, I am a creature of fire.”

But he’s happy when Nam takes his arm and leaves the table, food forgotten. “I understand our host has a magnificent garden,” Gaja pauses to glance at Nam from the corner of his eye. “Though, I don’t know if an old crocodile can appreciate flowers.”

There are times when Nam wishes he could see and experience the new and exciting ways the humans have changed the world around him. He's gotten tastes of it in his far less interesting travels, and Gaja has been kind enough to tell about the world when he's decided to ask, but it still gives him little idea of what the world at large is like. His own imagination can only take him so far when he doesn't know what he's trying to imagine.

No, he doesn't get to see the changes the humans make to the world around them, he just gets to see the changes the humans have undergone, themselves. It's not been a pleasant experience. Not for the dragon.

"A creature of fire with one of water on his arm!" Fire and water. A combination that shouldn't work. Two creatures who should be opposed to each other, but instead care deeply for one another. Creatures who should be glad to be separated, but miss each other when they are. A combination that shouldn't work but does.

"I'm sure I can appreciate the flowers far better than some silly bird can. Take me out to see them."

Fire and water is what started their old rivalry. A very long time ago, a much younger phoenix crashed near a certain dragon’s river. Gaja’s life cycle is never exactly one-hundred years to the day. No, that would make his life far, too easy. However, the closer he gets to that inevitable moment, the weaker he grows. It was a dangerous meeting as he didn’t know if Nam would be a threat to him in his weakest moments. Of course, he didn’t burn right there on the banks. Gaja managed to stagger off for that. To a secluded place where his ashes would be left in peace until he emerged from them again.

It took many, many centuries to get where they are now. From the outside, it looks like little has changed. But they know better. What else matters?

Gaja feigns offense, shooting a mock glare at Nam.

“Many birds have a great appreciation of flowers! Some common water snake might try to eat them.”

A day that's forever burned into Nam's memory. The phoenix crashing down on the bank of his river and Nam worrying that the bird would burn his home. Only then would Nam have been a threat to the vulnerable phoenix. The opportunity is rare when the dragon feels the need to strike first. So he watched the bird closely while preparing to defend himself from the flames. They never came but still, Nam watched. First the bird, then the direction he stumbled off in. He'd not slept but rather, just watched until he was certain the bird was gone. Watched until he was certain his home was safe.

Nam watched until he knew the bird was safe. Did he ever tell Gaja that part? Oh well, it doesn't matter now.

"Some common water snake would prefer to eat the birds over the flowers."

❝ Masquerade ❞

congrats on the not phone tagging! : D

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