OoC: I got an idea for the tapestry, Saki.

IC: "Hmm. They're getting closer and closer, aren't they?" Seth commented, inclining his head towards Sakiko and Alpha, his usual devilish demeanor returning. The mysterious psychic phase was over; he had delivered his warning and whether they would be heeded was not up to him.

"Go away, Seth," Arrika growled, and at that moment Shada appeared, clearly drunk. "Oh. Hi. Shada, right? I remember you from Kasei's. A drink...? I wasn't planning on getting wasted yet," she replied, although her hand reached out for the offered glass on its own accord. Her fingers closed around the drink just as she met Shada's eyes. The woman was so beautiful, and the smile on her face seemed to magnify that. But there was something about the smile...

The female thief took the glass anyway. As she raised it slowly to her lips she noticed something else that was odd- was the color of the liquid of a darker shade than Shada's? Or was it just a trick of the lighting?

Never accept a drink from a stranger.

Kobas' words rang through her mind. How appropriate they were right now. And Shada continued to smile... a beautiful woman surely wouldn't be deceitful, would she? Best not to take chances.

The thief let the liquid touch her lips, tilting the glass ever so slightly, in a way that mimicked sophistication to avoid movements that would make Shada suspicious.

Meanwhile, in the crowd, the handsome blonde man had reappeared- with no one at his side. He seemed to be searching for something, or someone, like a hound following a scent. The melancholy expression was back on his face, but his eyes lighted up when he spotted a slender silver-haired witch among the dancers.

"Oh!"

Sakiko had been reveling in the glorious triumph over getting Alpha's dance that she had let her mind wander from the movement of her feet. The ridiculous heel of her shoe caused her foot to turn downwards, pushing her body forward - ultimately, to Alpha. In the fletting second of her slip, she expected a face plant on the dance floor (or even worse, stabbing her partner's foot with her heel of death) but was instead greeted with the Sheikah's chest.

Her fiery cheeks resting on (*the*) Alpha, she couldn't help but breathe in softly. I never realized how nice he smelled...but then again...I have never danced with him.. Another grin made a way into her lips and she stole another glance at Arrika to see if she was watching all this. Sakiko's blush gradually disappeared as her confidence built up, adapting herself to this new situation and actually enjoying it. She began to disregard the music, and let herself be led by Alpha.

Sakiko had been getting the hang of it, when in the corner of her eyes she saw a large bulk crash down on the floor. (Ooc: Eberron...sorry...but he is a Goron) Sakiko turned her head swiftly to get a better view. However, because of the closeness between she and Alpha, her glossy lips brushed against his cheeks, leaving a trail of pink. She almost screeched in surprise, her eyes focused on the smudge of lipstick on his dignified and scarred face. What do I do...? Should I tell him?! Sakiko stammered,

"Uh...Alph...I...your...cheek..."

________

Zapheta was really getting into it, and was proud of Eberron as he began to catch on.

"Hey! I'm doing it, I'm..."

She laughed almost gleefully, rather proud of her teaching skills and his quick ability to learn. Her cheeks flushed healthily with the rigorous exercise, and she exclaimed,

"Yeah! Good-"

She didn't get to finish her encouragement, and was sent crashing down towards the ground along with Eberron. Zeze landed right unto the Goron, but her gymnastic skills acted instinctively. She somersaulted over the laughing dancer, back up on her feet in an instant.

"Hi."

Zeze had had a serious look on her face, mostly because she had adrenaline pumping from the quick save. After the silly word had been spoken, she herself began to slap her thigh and join in the chortle.

"Bahahahahahhaahah...."

She was still chuckling when she accepted his hand as well as his offer to go into the kitchen.

"Safer for the others, too...I'm rather famished myself. Now, you need to show me how you crunch those rocks without breaking a sweat."

______________

Masakazu smiled amiably, taking Keychain's head on his shoulder to mean that he could lead her to the banquet table. While they strolled - well, at least he was strolling - towards the food, he chatted,

"Ah, no, how rude of me, rather... my name is Masakazu, but feel free to call me Masa. And what could the name of this exquisite beauty who is happening to walk beside me?"

Masakazu brushed against the pale, handsome man who was almost floating beside the food. He murmured carelessly, "pardon." and fetched two glasses of wine. The blond man shrugged, and smiled at Keychain. His face was of pure perfection, and no unsightly wrinkles or creases formed as he made this small grin. And were there...fine golden dust almost radiating from his being? No...that wasn't possible; must been an imagination.

OOC: How nice he smelled? XD; For some reason, I have trouble seeing that with Alpha.

IC:
Alpha glanced over as a flash of motion caught his attention; a moment later Eberron crashed to the ground, his dancing maneuvers having tripped him up with two left feet. Sakiko responded to the sudden movement as well, twisting her face to get a good look at the Goron. As she turned, the Sheikah felt a soft sensation brush past his cheek; even after her head had halted, a strange feeling remained. Something sticky remained where contact had been made, and it took but a moment to figure out what the substance might be.

"Uh...Alph...I...your...cheek..."

He released her back and brought up to hand to brush at the affected area, drawing it back to see a faint pink coloration glittering in the soft light of the room. As expected, it matched the color of Sakiko's lips, and within moments his own were reformed into a smirk. "I appreciate the sentiment . . ." He grabbed his sleeve, and brought it up, wiping away the lipstick from his face. "However, I don't think pink is really my color."

That done, he reached around and wrapped his arm around Sakiko's waist again, drawing her into a quick twirl that allowed him to see what was behind him. His heartbeat dropped a bit as he saw Shada standing there talking to Arrika, her back facing the dancing pair. Even if it was an accident, Sakiko would have likely been on her way to a quick, painful, and immediate death if his fellow Sheikah had seen that.

* * *

Shada smiled as Arrika hardly drank any of the glass she'd been given; there was nothing she could do if the thief wasn't very thirsty, and it wasn't like Arrika was the central target of her wrath anyways. Well, vengeance was like wine; one must be patient in order to enjoy it to its fullest.

That was why she'd given Arrika a plain glass of wine. Shada had been a thief for years herself, and knew full well that trust did not come easy to their kind, even to those who had been your friend for years and proven themselves time and again. She'd need to have already had a few glasses before she'd accept the true drink.

She turned around and looked to the dance floor in time to watch Alpha and Sakiko complete a rotation. The drink she had left in her hands . . . that was for the witch.

Keychain felt wobbly in her heels. Once she got to the banquet table, she bent down and started taking the shoes off, wiggling her toes at the freedom. Looking up at Masa, she grinned lightly, hoping he wouldn't mind her taking off her shoes shortly.

She blushed at his words. "My-my name? It's, er, it's, well, you see. . ." Keychain rubbed the back of her neck, the words not coming out properly. "Hi, I'm Keychain. You could call me Key like what most of my friends call me or Key-Key, as what Zeze calls me." Her blue eyes examined the wine closely. Having to never had a single glass in her whole life, she wasn't so sure about having one now.

"Excuse me," she mumbled as she moved past the man as well. Her eyes briefly flickered to the man, blushing as she looked away. "Um, Masa, did you ever notice the small hidden passage near the tapestry? Maybe I was just hallusinating, but I could have sworn there was something there. What tipped me off was how my legs felt cold. There was a breeze."

She shook her head. "I just might be talking gibberish."

"What about gibberish?" Aqua appeared behind Keychain. She grinned widely. "I just came to check up on you." She grabbed a random drink and took off.

"Aqua, wait!" Keychain groaned lightly. "And she's off. What am I ever going to do with her?"

Ooc: hahahaha... I really do wonder what Alpha smells like now.. when I was writing, I was imagining fresh laundry, but maybe he smells like musty sweaty armpits?? O_o But I guess that's OK...Saki doesn't think the smell of rotten blood revolting. ...Alpha is quite the flirt, isn't he? ^^

Now to speed up this party... *rubs hands*

IC:

Masakazu put down the glass of wine with a cling, raising his jet black eyebrows at Keychain's words. A secret passageway? How interesting... The Mage's eyes sparkled with mischievously at the aspect of an adventure looming before him. He was about to suggest that they go ahead when he noticed a blur of white in the corner of his eyes.

The spirit man was glowering intently at him, his face that had been chiseled by the gods unthinking. He met the glare with his own brilliant green eyes - he almost blinked with surprise when he noticed a slow smirk forming on the strange man's pale lips. Shuddering, he grabbed Keychain's hand and began to walk briskly to the tapestry. How absurd. Whatever...he can't do any harm.

They stood before the heavy rug. Masa gazed at the painting, when he noticed a very big blob of pink in the corner. He frowned, wondering why in a group of beautiful ladies, a fat lady would be outstretching her pudgy arm to the very translucent looking young man in the center. Maybe the artist felt a fleeting whimsy at the moment?

He turned to Keychain with a smile.

"So where is this...strange discovery?"
________________

"I appreciate the sentiment . . . However, I don't think pink is really my color."

Sakiko stared at Alpha for a brief moment, confusion enshrouding her thoughts. My...sentiments?

Realization struck her, causing her knees to buckle slightly. She wanted to protest that it had been an accident, but had no chance as Alpha soon fell into the dance again.

Meanwhile, the violinist was on her last stroke, the high note trembling in the warm air. When the final breath of music sighed softly to indicate the end, the other dances twirled to a stop. The ladies fanned their pink faces, curtsying in reply to their partners' low bows. Sakiko gently lifted her hand from Alpha's shoulder, stepping back with some regret. She was glad that nothing terribly embarrassing had happened, but disappointed that it had ended so quickly.

She dipped her legs, holding out her ruffled skirt. She murmured,

"Thank you."

OOC: I think large bulk describes Eberron rather aptly actually. XD I didn't chose to rp a Goron for his trim waste and good looks now did I?

IC: Looking around sheepishly Eberron felt himself blushing slightly at the attention he imagined he had gathered, falling as he had. He was far too busy looking at his feet to actually check if anyone had stared. Upon hearing the question however, he lifted his head up and chuckled nervously, unsure of whether this was a joke or not. Perhaps a middle route was best.

"Hehe... Well, umm... Well I don't know really. I don't know much about gorons, or hylians or humans or Deku's or... well there's lots. Lots and lots of different kinds of people. But I never knew them. Not until recently. But that's a long story, so I'd take my best guess and go for... good dental care."

Grinning and showing off his surprisingly white teeth, Eberron chuckled a little.

"Have you ever seen a goron with awful teeth? If you have, he is a hungry one. Also, I notice my... umm... cheek muscles... jaws! Yes, my jaws are some of the hardest parts of my body."

Rubbing his hands along his face as if to remind himself of the accuracy of his words, Eberron continued smiling as he moved to head into the kitchen.

"I'd love to hear about your food though, I've always wondered where it comes from and no one's ever really explained to me how something like a grape grows..."

Before he could move however Eberron was suddenly struck by the lack of music. Turning he watched with fascination as everyone began to clap their hands together, looking up at a number of people who held what he assumed were some form of instrument he had not come across before. Staring as if hypnotised, Eberron joined in quietly with the clapping and turned to this wonderful dancing new friend he had made.

"Sorry if I'm asking too many questions... But what are those... I hadn't really noticed until the music was gone. They're very nice instruments... But I don't really understand how they work."

Gazing as if to try and discern the magic that operated the odd looking wooden devices, Eberron scratched his head and smiled politely back at Zeze.

Sakiko's countenance abruptly changed after his last line, and it was all Alpha could do to suppress a laugh. "I'm joking," he said softly, smirking at her overreaction to his choice of words. Then the music was coming to a close, and those on the dance floor were separating with cordial motions and words of gratitude. Sakiko herself stepped back and bowed slightly, muttering a simple "Thank you" to the Sheikah.

"You're quite welcome," he replied in turn. "Perhaps we can do this again later; for now I think I'll -"

"Sa-ki-ko!" Shada bounded forward with the special glass in her hands, a white smile greeting the pair . . . well, greeting Sakiko at any rate, because whenever she so much as glanced at Alpha her grin vanished, replaced by a look that simply said "You and I are going to discuss this later, traitorous bastard." Or something along those lines. The male Sheikah hardly seemed to notice, giving the silver haired mage a half bow before backing away without another word; if one wasn't looking at Alpha when he departed, they likely wouldn't have even realize that he had left.

"I've been wanting to talk to you!" Shada continued even before Alpha had gone. "That dress just looks fabulous on you - where on earth did you get it? You simply have to take me shopping with you sometime!" The perfect actress, she kept her rage bottled up nice and tight, never letting it show in her motions or words. "And how have you been? It's been far too long since . . ."

She stopped suddenly, and blushed a little bit. "Oh, but you must be parched by now after that . . . event just now . . ." For the first time her anger cracked through her mask, but she covered it up quickly enough and held out the special drink. Potent as it was, only a tiny amount of the yellow beer had needed to be mixed in with the wine to create what she expected would send a lightweight like Sakiko over the deep end. The yellow liquid had lightened the wine's coloration a bit, but that wouldn't be noticeable without any other glasses in sight to compare it to. "Here, you can have mine."

* * *

"Perhaps we can do this again later; for now I think I'll -"

Get some fresh air, he had intended to say before Shada interrupted him, but her appearance had provided Alpha with the perfect opportunity to head out the door unnoticed. Granted, he couldn't be entirely certain that no one had noticed his departure from the room, but the two women that he knew to be paying attention to him were distracted at the moment, which made it more likely that he'd escaped without any onlookers.

The moment he was out the door and standing in the streets of Ruto his shoulders seemed to collapsed inward, as did his merry face. No longer having to maintain the illusion of enjoyment, he began walking, staying close to the wall of the building as he continued moving around its architecture. At last an alcove presented itself, and he turned to head into the alley - too late.

His legs suddenly gave way, buckling under some unseen weight that had been pressing down on the Sheikah ever since he'd stepped inside the party, causing him to practically fa - okay, no 'practically' about it. Alpha literally fell on his face, landing in a heap on the dusty ground of Ruto Town, his breathing turned harsh and raspy as his last few barriers fell and the full force of what he had been hiding struck him. Anyone who passed by would likely think him sick or something, though of course, as was often the case with the Sheikah, the reasons for his behavior were much more complex than a mere disease.

For now, let's just say there was a reason he didn't go to parties very often.

Sakiko, albeit reluctantly, had relinquished her hold on Alpha, and the second she did so Shada had approached her with the second glass of wine in her hands; all of this was observed by the thief's keen eyes. Alpha had disappeared, like a fleeting shadow. How graceful and stealthy he was- and he wasn't even a thief! It had to be the similar Sheikah genes.

Arrika lost track of Alpha as he maneuvered through the crowd.

"There," Seth said, nodding towards the entrance, and sure enough the end of the mage's cloak was seen whipping out the door.

Arrika did not bother thanking the younger thief as she deftly made her way through the party after him, forgetting everything, including the full wine glass still in her hands, but he did not mind. He drew up a chair, picked up a salad bowl, and proceeded to devour it and lick the bowl clean of even the slightest traces of dressing.

Arrika shivered as a burst of cold air hit her, wishing she'd thought to bring her heavy coat. Outside, away from the party, the town seemed sad, dark, and bleak. She scanned the area, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the night.

"Alpha...?!" she said when she spotted him on the ground. She knelt beside him, ignoring the rough gravel imprinting into her bare knees, and struggled to lift him into a more dignified sitting position. "Are you- sick? Do you want me to get help?"

Back inside the mansion, the tapestry was behaving rather curiously. Well, realistically speaking, a tapestry shouldn't be 'behaving' in the first place. Yet the changes were so small and simple that only the most observant of guests would notice the strange occurrences. In addition to the appearance of a large woman in a pink dress among the worshiping women, the young man in the center of the tapestry was slowly beginning to fade away to nothing more than a silhouette. And a mere few feet away, the handsome blonde stranger gradually increased in color and vitality. His movements seemed more solid than airy, and his mannerisms more alert.

He had advanced towards Sakiko at the same time Shada had, and seemed deterred by what he interpreted as strength in numbers. He changed course as if attracted by a magnetic pull, this time towards a young brunette dressed in blue.

Alpha had picked a bad place to sleep.

A very, very bad place to sleep.

For in Ruto, there was a tavern. This tavern was owned by none other than Bendeath. And who would so happen to be Bendeath's best friend? Why, a particular Cleric of the round and jiggly variety, with hair like a sooty mop and clothes that were likely handed down by orphans. Orphans who were much smaller than the man, mind you.

And where should this man happen to live but in a barrel in the alleyways of Ruto Town? Well, several barrels, depending on which were empty and didn't have other less-than-wealthy occupants already. Yet, tonight, he was asleep in a highly convenient place. Well, convenient for him.

However, since someone had to post minutes before the writer of Burlo's actions, Burlo sat quietly in his barrel, peaking through a tiny corkhole at the two Sheikah, curious but somehow miraculously quiet at the same time.

OOC: Goddommot Orroko!

Ooc; i gots me an idea... so don't freak out, arrika...

IC: Zeze's loud and almost obnoxious laugh rang throughout the party room in ripples now that the music was gone. It was almost a miracle how cacophonous her laughter could be because of its loudness, but at the same time be almost pleasant to listen to. She listened to all of Eberron's questions with patience, intending to answer them all at once. Zeze had to admire the Goron's pearly white teeth, though; she hadn't paid attention to them before.

She rubbed her hands together enthusiastically; she was a Bard, and Bards knew music. And if one knows music, one knows the instruments. Finally, an area of conversation where she could dominate like no other -

As if lightning struck her, her painted lips shut with a snap. Everything seemed to just disappear, blend into the colors of the room. Zeze's eyes were drawn to one figure and one figure only...the godly young man was gliding towards her, his face in a playful smile. As his almost nonexistent 'steps' - as he was floating almost - drew closer to her, her breath was caught in her throat. She heard the most beautiful melody, so full of soul and sorrow, all contained in the heavenly tunes of a flute. Zeze stood almost paralyzed, her eyes glazed over.

The young man was now so close to her that she could feel his cold breath on her flushed face. He took her hand in his, silently seducing her...asking her...pleading her... The Bard nodded, her lips too dry to answer. As he led her into the dark halls of the mansion, all she could do was to listen to the ethereal melody.

_________________

Sakiko had been distracted by Shada's non stopping chatter that she didn't noticed Alpha leaving. She frowned; the last that she had seen of him was his bow, and what had he been saying...? She couldn't remember...Sakiko scanned the room, wondering where he had disappeared to. She was about to slink away to look for him - she had a rather bad feeling that Arrika may jump on the chance somehow - when a glass of wine was right under her nose.

The Mage took the drink with a small but empty smile. She thought that she felt the distant feeling of gratitude, but it was all a vague emotion as her thoughts were still on Alpha. She felt stupid for not noticing earlier...where in the world could he be? She brushed against Shada lightly, looking for Arrika. If she couldn't find Alpha, then maybe if she saw the thief, she could rest assured.

She walked towards the refreshment table, but noticed her gone. Shuddering at the dagger marks on the table, she noticed Seth shoving salad in his face without a drop of dignity. Sakiko had never liked this suspicious brat, and she didn't do anything to hide it. She leaned against the wall, now a mass of dark energy. Everything was a mess, she was never a fan of messes. Glowering at the dancers who had resumed in their activities in tune to the music that had started again, she lifted the wine closer to her face.

Her lips pressed against the glass, she tipped the cup and took a light sip. It was good; she hadn't realized how thirsty she had been. The mental and physical strain of the dance had gone unnoticed by her excitement. Sakiko drained all of it, licking her lips. She would have to thank Shada later...

Eberron watched, confused and slightly offronted as Zeze suddenly stopped talking to him. Blanking him completely she stared straight ahead, definitely focusing on something else... No, make that someone else. A young man walked up to her and took her hand, seemingly gliding away with her.

"Umm... bye then?"

Eberron didn't know quite what to say. He felt... strangely sad. He had rather hoped that his new friend would answer his questions, or at least if this man was so important she could have said bye, or excused herself. It just seemed rather spiteful to drop him in favour of someone more interesting so suddenly. Though that would explain it, he could probably dance properly as well. Look at the way he moved, barely touching the floor with his movements it seemed... Well that was odd. They seemed to be leaving the room for somewhere else in the house. Who knew how big this place could be, and Eberron wondered if he might ever see here again. His mind made up, Eberron decided he would go after her and tell her that it had been a lovely evening up until then, but that he felt particularly hurt by her sudden and rude abandoning manoeuver. The least he could do was make sure she knew how he felt. Besides there was something... odd about that man. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something seemed wrong. Growing more curious and angry by the second, Eberron set in pursuit, hoping to catch up with them through the halls.

"Zeze... Zeze, where are you going? Could i just... say something... Zeze?"

OOC: Dang it, I promised myself that I wouldn't write such long posts anymore. ^^; Oh well, hope you all enjoy it, because there is a reason for its length.

IC:
Shada watched as Sakiko slithered away towards the refreshment table, frowning for a moment at the thought of the mage possibly setting it down and forgetting it somewhere. That wouldn't do at all! She'd have to get another drink mixed up at the right quantities so that its coloration would only be slightly different, while still tasting good and being potent enough to start the girl doing who knows what?! And then she'd have to somehow convince Sakiko to take the drink, which certainly wouldn't work so easily the second time around -

And then she had to keep herself from clutching her sides and laughing in triumph as the girl not only took a sip, but then downed the entire glass in one go!

She berated herself, though; she was now out on the dance floor with no partner, which made her stick out like a sore thumb. Not wanting to draw more attention than her appearance had already afforded her, the Sheikah moved off to the side, making sure that she was near Sakiko at all times and keeping a steady watch on the girl to see how exactly she acted when drunk. The events of Kasei's party were something of a blur to her . . . it was strange, really. She'd not gotten drunk, she was sure of that - Shada Merellial simply did not get drunk. She didn't, end of story, that's all there was to it. And yet she didn't remember much after the point where she'd (accidentally, that time) gotten Sakiko to start drinking and growing more than a little tipsy.

Well, that was fine; she'd get to see the results shortly anyway. And this stuff was much more powerful than the wine Sakiko had had at Kasei's place . . .

Almost without thinking about it, Shada reached out and grabbed a glass of wine for herself, downing the drink in a single go much like Sakiko had. Now all she had to do was figure out what the best way to kill Sakiko was. Sword? Too obvious. Garrote? Too quick. Poison? Might not have enough time to let the mage know why she was being taken out . . .

* * *

As Arrika turned Alpha over, and Burlo watched from his barrel, the woman would likely notice something rather odd about the man. And we're not talking about the fact that he had fallen face first into the ground. Alpha, it would seem, had passed out, and was actually shaking as if having some sort of nightmare - but he showed no sign of fever (you know, aside from the whole falling unconscious and collapsing part).

"I'd leave him, if I were you."

A new voice arose from deeper within the shadows of the alleyway, but didn't sound menacing or desperate like a stalker or robber would make. Slowly an elderly looking man stepped out from the darkness, looking down at the mage all the while, regretful, mournful eyes bordered by the grayed hair and beard.

"It isn't easy for him, you know," the man said as he bent over Alpha's form. "I had hoped Shada would have realized it by now, but obviously she remains convinced he is putting on an act." He shook his head. "No, no . . . what you saw inside . . . that was the act. Enjoying himself, being social, making jokes and even smiling . . . it all goes entirely against his nature."

The man leaned back, looking up at the sky above them. "His life has forced him down this path . . . he lost everything and everyone at such a young age, leaving him only one person to depend on - and in time, he realized that he could not depend on that man either. And so he is alone; his life has taught him that no matter what, evil is omnipresent, the future is bleak, and, in the end, he can only depend on himself.

"But Alpha always tried . . ." A glimmer of a smile crept onto the edges of his mouth. "He wanted to believe that he could find exceptions to that rule. Wanted to have friends again, and trust people who had proven themselves. It's because of that that he is able to go into a party like that at all; his inner desires have led him to attempt those sorts of things, even if this is always the end result." The smile became real at last, revealing the white teeth in a melancholy grin. "He has always tried to believe in others . . .

". . . and yet the effects of his life remain. He has spent so much time alone, both physically and spiritually, that even being in such a festive chamber as that is truly a torment to his soul." He pursed his lips. "It is the man's greatest weakness - his soul's claustrophobia concerning the aura given off by others. By opening himself up even for something a simplistic as a dance, his barriers faltered and his spirit was crushed by the oppression of so many beings."

He glanced back towards the building. "It's a good thing he chose to dance with that mage. Had it been you, my dear, or Shada, likely he'd have collapsed much sooner. Sakiko is far more reserved, and already distances herself from others subconsciously. Someone in such close proximity to him affects him much more strongly, and her soul is far less oppressive than yours, I'm afraid." He looked to Arrika, as if to express sorrow at having revealed this secret, but then smirked. "I wonder if he chose Sakiko because his subconscious was aware of that fact . . ."

The elder stood slowly, never letting his eyes leave the thief's; they were locked on each others' as if the seriousness of his gaze was magic. And yet though his eyes were sharp and hard, his voice remained kind and true. "He'll come around shortly; he only needs a few minutes to recover from that. I'll continue watching him if you wish to return inside; else I'll leave him in your care, Arrika."

And then the man vanished. And I mean vanished; not one of those blink-your-eyes-and-he's-gone deals, even looking right at him one would fail to see even the first hints of his departure approaching. He was literally there one nanosecond and gone the next, and the only sign of him not being a ghost was the soft breeze that brushed against the thief's face. As well as the memory of the piercing crimson eyes on his elderly face.

OoC: I'm glad I checked this when I got no messages.

IC: Keychain pressed her lips together. Her shoes knocked together as she walked with them in her hands. Letting her eyes linger on Masa shortly, she kicked the tapestry aside with her foot. A brush of cold air rushed at her legs, making goosebumps on her skin. Keychain knocked on the secret passage with her foot more than once.

"Um, here. I can feel the cold air on my feet." If that didn't sound lame, then she wasn't sure if anything else could be as lame. Face flushed and eyes downcast, Keychain began to think. "How old is this house? If it's one of the older houses, it could just be a little hideaway that no one has touched in years on end."

"And there are some people," she added in. "There are people who seem to be almost non-existent. Or maybe I'm just being paranoid. Not being such a party goer gets to a person." Keychain rubbed her arm. She was starting to regret not having a jacket with her.

Aqua paused when she was going through the crowd of people. She was actually looking for one person in particular. Zeze. She had a question to ask, and was going to ask the Bard, but there was no sight of her. Seeing Keychain off near the tapestry, Aqua made her way quickly over there. Shoving people out of the way, Aqua didn't care if she knocked anyone over. Loud cuss words were shouted at her, but they rolled off of her.

Opening her mouth to tell her about Zeze, Aqua paused. Seeing the two huddled next to the small dark hole made her curious. "Exactly what the hell are you two doing over here?" The excitement and cheerful girl was gone and was replaced with a strict woman who glanced between the two with a powerful look in her eyes.

"It's good to see you too, Aqua," mumbled Keychain. "Nice to see you calm down. There's a passageway, right here. I think we're going to investigate it." Her eyes flickered to Masakazu. "Right, Masa?"

OoC: For you, Saki. Vagabond's Waltz by Jeff Victor. Down By the Salley Gardens (for the same feel than the words)

IC: The passage behind the tapestry is cold and dark, and if Keychain and Masakazu were to step in and drop the side of the tapestry behind them, it would cut off all sound from the party, encasing them in a separate, near-silent world. It is impossible to tell how far it goes, or if it goes anywhere at all. It is pitch-black inside and more than eerie.

========

"Oppressive... soul?" Arrika repeated, more to herself than anyone. Her brow furrowed in confusion. She withdrew from Alpha, her hands shaking, as if afraid to touch him. Am I making it worse, being so close?

She had learned something tonight, apart from Alpha's condition- Alpha was much like a vagabond. Much like her personally, in fact. Growing up with only Kobas and Rhyss around, and Seth for truer companionship, she had longed to have friends. That was why she kept going back to Sakiko, even after all of their unresolved fights, wasn't it? Yet her thief's nature refused to allow her to grow closer to anyone else. Mingle at a party, she could do easily, but to the point of opening your heart to someone else? She even still had doubts with Saki. The discovery of Kobas' true betrayal a mere few months ago had not helped.

The man vanished, leaving more questions behind than answers, but she could still feel his gaze as if it had burned into her.

Alpha's head had tilted awkwardly to the side, and his body was held like a broken puppet. Fingers trembling, the thief gently stroked the side of his face and smoothed his hair, wishing she could somehow calm his shaking body. Seeing him in such a state was near shocking to her- she'd always seen him in a battle setting, smooth, powerful, elegant even. Witnessing him sprawled on the ground was something she had never expected.

On impulse she began to sing softly, an old tune called The Vagabond's Waltz. Kobas would croon it to her in hoarse, crackling tones- he was not much of a strong singer. But the feelings were still there. She could not remember all of the words, and mumbled most of them uncertainly, but occasionally a few would be audible. "This is a song about innocents lost..."

cling

The wine glass fell on the smooth floor, exploding into a million fine powders of glass. A few party goers turned around to look, whispering into their companions' ears. The Mage calmly knelt towards the ground, wondering what had come over her. Why would my fingers just release the glass like that? That was strange...it was as if all energy disappeared from my hands. Sakiko picked up the larger pieces carefully, putting them into her palm.

"Oh, pardon!"

A leg brushed against the pale girl, causing her to lurch forward with her hand outstretched to regain balance. She grimaced in pain as the small crystals cut her skin sharply. Sakiko watched as the thick crimson trickle down her pale skin...her eyes focused on the small droplet of blood as it made its way down from her palm to her wrist. As she watched, her head grew heavy, and she almost felt like burying her nose into her bloody hand...but wait...was her whole hand a blur? She clenched her teeth as everything began to spin and blur into a whirlwind of colors. All the bright, twinkling lights swayed to and fro, and she felt like hurling...

Sakiko shot up, knowing that she was going to be sick. And she didn't want to do that within eye shot of everyone - no, that was just plain embarrassment. The Mage began to run towards the stairs, trying to keep steady. Her 'stupid' high heels got stuck on the corner of the staircase, and she was sent flying to the rail. She clenched her stomach, trying to understand her situation...

She cursed under her breath, realizing that she didn't - no, couldn't drink. But at Kasei's party, she had only been a bit - what was it? - tipsy. And she had made sure before the party had started that the wine was very diluted in case she had to drink...so why was she acting like this?

Sakiko wasn't dumb; she rather prided herself in being intelligent. And her intelligence told her that there was someone else to blame for her plight. Her head shot up towards where Shada was standing, her gray eyes clouding over. The Mage gritted her teeth; she didn't do anything to the Sheikah...or at least she thought she hadn't. Why did that foolish woman give her something like this?! Her hand gripped the satin fabric of her dress tightly, trying not to regurgitate right then and there. You're going to pay for this, you sly little fox...you're going to pay...

And everything went dark. (Ooc: But that's not the end of Saki's trials, folks. )

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Masakazu turned around, seeing Aqua. His face became dark, as he was annoyed easily. Who is this? Her mom? He wanted to investigate, not deal with overly protective women. The Mage grabbed Keychain's hand, his other brushing away the tapestry further. As he did so, a wave of cold wind that smelled like slight mold greeted his face. He smiled - ah, the smell of adventure. He put a foot inside the passageway, pulling Keychain with him.

Only when the murmur of the party disappeared did he realize that it was completely, eerily silent. He shivered, noticing the almost freezing temperature of the dark...cave? He couldn't really tell; it was too dark. He began to walk, trying to widen his eyes. Masa decided to put his arms forward to feel around his environment when he noticed that his hand which had been holding that of Keychain's was...entirely free.

He stopped abruptly in his tracks.

"WTF?! Keychain??"

His loud voice echoed and rebounded against the walls of wherever he was, mocking him. Masa punched into the darkness, his fist slashing through the icy air with a swish.

"Damn!"

Meanwhile, as Keychain passed through the border between the dark passage and the warm party room, she experienced a rush of bright light. However, this light was only seen to her and none others. As she fell towards nothing, she feels a strong vortex almost sucking her into...nothing?! She feels her flesh and bones squeezing tightly, as if they want to become as thin as paper.

When she recovers from the sudden fall, she looks around to see that she is surrounded by beautiful ladies and a ghostlike young man in the center, enjoying the attention.

The immediate second Keychain's foot disappeared into the hole, the tapestry fell back into place, its heavy rug-like material covering up the discovery.

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"Zeze... Zeze, where are you going? Could i just... say something... Zeze?"

Eberron's loud voice rings throughout the deserted hallway, whispering into mere silence. As he travels further down in hopes to catch up with Zeze and the pale young man, his surroundings get darker and darker. The only thing that can keep one in reality that there is a party going on is the faint hum of the music. However, within view, he can see the eerie glow of the mysterious man in the black halls.

The man scowled, turning around his face halfway. Baring his sharp, white teeth irritably, he snapped his fingers. The sound echoes throughout the hallway, ringing in Eberron's ears.

And suddenly, the solid wooden board that had supported the Goron and kept him standing is no longer existent. He falls through a black void with extreme speed, the wind screaming and slashing across his face and body.

SLAM

Eberron's body makes a rough contact with an even rougher material. He discovers himself in large chamber, its walls lit by flickering candles. There are a few skeletons stacked by the musty corners, fungi dotting the floor. If Eberron was to turn his head, he would see a small, wooden door.

Ooc: just so y'all should know, the "wtf" exclamation by Masa is literally said as "W.T.F., and not the full non abbreviated version. Yes, it's one of those things Arrika and I just *have* to plan out...