Lazarus @caits

When they arrived at the ball, he could feel the tension and stress in Sasha through her hand. Everything that was happening around them was irrelevant at this point. He hadn't confirmed it with Sasha herself yet, but there was a very strong possibility that she was pregnant. That made him happy, and happiness was all he wanted to focus on tonight. He almost forced her onto the dance floor despite her protests, and began to slow dance with her. Looking around it had to be said nothing bad could happen tonight. The room was filled with some of the most powerful wizards on the continent, with a guard to every guest. He could indeed enjoy the night. He shut his eyes briefly, enjoying the dance with Sasha.

Shujin

Shujin and Wither arrived at the ball slightly after it had begun, as they had walked instead of getting a ride. Wither still had Shujin tightly in her grip, having no plans to release him anytime soon. They passed the guards at the entrance with ease, despite Shujin's concerns that Wither would be discovered. As evil as she was, she was still family. However, his thoughts were still filled with anger towards the palace guards. They had just allowed a member of one of the strongest dark guilds into one of the most fragile buildings in the country. Wither was delighted by all of the colours, music, food and drink. She tugged Shujin left and right in an attempt to visit everything in the room in the space of 2 minutes. Despite the situation, he couldn't help but smile. This was the little girl that he left behind all those years ago. She ground to a hault and looked into his eyes menacingly. "What are you smiling about Oni-San?" She grumbled, lips pursed. Shujin waved a hand, "Oh... nothing... it's just... this is more like you." She looked deeply into his eyes and grasp a hold of his immune system tightly, giving a him shock of intense illness. She grumbled, "Don't tell me what I am Shujin." The moment was gone. He sighed, catching a glimpse of Lazarus and Sasha across the room. There was a strong chance Lazarus would recognise Wither, so he had to keep her out of sight. He almost pushed her in the opposite direction. "Let me introduce you to... errr to.... errr..." He needed someone who could keep them occupy them for enough time for Sasha and Lazarus to move. Wither cut him off. "Shujin, I know Lazarus is over there. I'm not interested." Shujin's panic came to an abrupt end. She twirled her dress, discretely making a note of where all of the masters were. Shujin watched the cogs of her brain work in horror. "What are you doing?" He spoke in a hushed voice. Wither grinned. "You'll see Oni-San, you'll see."

@Caits

Edarn glowered as she kept eating some biscuits from the table. Where in the ever living fuck does all this food go?! And this body keeps retaining such a girlish figure?! Did the fire in his belly just burn it off? Rolling her emerald eyes for a moment, she forced this body to turn away from the bountiful plates of foods, much to this body's complaints as it growled in protest. For a moment, her gaze glanced around the ballroom for a moment, watching as... strangers just danced about. She didn't recognize people, or for that matter... she did, but she didn't really know them. This version of them. It was perhaps a bit lonely, being by yourself in a world full of either people you never met, or people who just look like people you know. Still, it didn't matter now. She was already broken. She didn't feel anything.

For a moment, she watched that Melodramatic Angel boy and Ice Princess enter together and start to dance with one another. It was odd, seeing Sasha in a dress. Well, a Sasha that looked like her Sasha. Perhaps a couple days ago, she would of felt the feeling known as irritation. That was pretty a defining factor of the Ice Princess. But whatever, Edarn didn't expect much in the first place anyways. She noticed Miss Hot Stuff enter as well, looking a bit unsure as well. Amusing. She pondered if she should bother the red head, but figured her little boy toy would be around to accompany her soon so the blonde didn't bother. She wasn't really in the mood to deal with most of the Phoenix Wing members. Other than to possibly mess with them.

It was then she spotted a boy who looked quite uncomfortable as he stood a bit away from the dance floor. Edarn held no reconigtion of him from either world, so that was a plus. And he looked like a fish out of water, easy target.

"Alright other me, how about we go have a little fun?" Edarn mused, plopping a olive in her mouth and chewing it before brushing her fingers through the blonde hair. Rolling her shoulders as she mentally started to play out how 'femininity' works. She had a great distaste for dresses, make up, and most things that are considered 'girly' for the matter of that most of the time, they just got in the way. However, there was one thing being in such get up was useful.

Toying with people.

"Alright! Sounds fun!" Karn chirped within their mind, curious of what his Edolan counterpart had in mind.

Humming, Edarn strolled a bit more elegantly over to the dark haired man beside another.. odd looking fellow. She flashed a alluring smile and did a little curtsy, holding in the habit of giving the more gentlemanly bow she was used to giving when being polite. Ya know, now that she thought of it, no wonder folks back home thought she was a guy.

"Hello handsome. You look a bit out of place here, and I'm feeling quite lonely. Care to accompany me for a dance?" she purred, her eyes blinking softly yet shining, like a bit of a predator.

---

(From The harborers head to the ball |Crocus )

---

There she was on the main tavern floor talking to a large questionable looking fellow. Avey could hardly notice the man as his eyes were drawn Solely to Jezebele.

She wore a red sleeveless dress that was as fierce as her hair, it was tight but had a long self made slit that flowed down aside her long exposed lean legs. A wide earthly brown band tied it to her waist, sitting just below her ribs. The neckline was low and the chest line modestly pushed up high. She still wore her leather fingerless gloves but in her own wild way they only added to the attire.

Avey was in awe with conflicting emotions. He still feared this woman who he had unintentionally seen too much of but at the same time was drawn into her prestige, mystery and cold beauty.

As he came down the stairs the man had vanished. Avey gave it little thought as he greeted Zee with a soft awkward nod just as she clipped a shiny golden necklace around her slender neck. Her eyes ran over him slowly, judgementally and disapprovingly. There he realised his role in this was one of last resort.

Without words Zee held out her arm which after a befuddled awkward moment, Avey took in his and escorted the fine (dangerous) lady out of the tavern.
The streets were now far busier than before. Guards marched around on high alert. The general atmosphere was abuzz with excitement and commotion. Avey was beginning to feel very very claustrophobic, confined in his awkward tight clothes, around so many busy loud people and bound to the earth by this woman.

Before the panic could set in Zee had already led them to the location of the ball and they now stood before it at the grand entrance. Colourful lights, soothing sounds and sweet aromas drifted out the door drawing them in.
The ball was so inviting that Avey relaxed ever so slightly, thus dropping his magic camouflage he had unknowingly put up. The very thing Zee had been relying upon to get in. Already halfway into the building Zee quickly sprung forward into the crowds dragging Avey behind her before the guards could notice them.

Safely inside Zee silently scolded her partner with a deathly intimidating stare. Avey the near panicked wreck was cluelessly just trying to see this through so he could get his friend back. While Zee, the beautiful and dangerous woman was on a mysterious mission.

Sasa
@YipeeXD
Taken into the dance with Lazarus, Sasha let herself relax somewhat, trying to enjoy the ball for Lazarus's sake. She didn't think they had ever danced together before, and she sighed softly, allowing her body to relax, leaning into Lazarus. Maybe nothing would happen. Maybe she could let herself just...let go for one day. "Lazarus...I..." even now she could say what she knew to be true, after talking with Time...Patrick. Lazarus didn't want to talk about that, right now, and while she was sure if what she wanted to talk about wasn't apart of that, she didn't want to cause any difficulties in the night.

Gabriel
@Silver Fox

Gabriel still hadn't managed to escape Leo,and he wished he could simply close the gate and send the spirit back to the spirit world, yet he couldn't. The Zodiac spirit was here on his own free will. "Please Leo, its just ball, I'll be alright" He said wearily, "How am I suppose to interact with you baby sitting me? If you have to watch me, do it where its not obvious" Leo chuckled, which Gabriel didn't know was a good thing or not.

Sighing again, Gabriel wondered if he could just slip out, but figured that would be a bad reflection on the guild.Stuff, Gabriel looked up as someone approached him. For a moment, he couldn't decided if they were male or female. Could be one, could be another. He didn't want to insult them by asking, even as they curtsey'd to him. Beside him, Leo laughed, and Gabriel thought he was missing something. Even as they spoke, Gabriel drew in a breath, "N-no. I Don't dance...I'm not good at it...really really not good at it" He said aapologectically, hoping they wouldn't take offense.

He had absolutely no idea what was going on, why in the world would this...it seemed easier to just think of them as aa girl, why would she approach him? He stared at them, aas if waiting for an explaination, or to see what they would say to him.

@Lmpkio
Dreadlin simply shook his head, followed by three tsks in disappointment, not at Grane, but at the situation at hand.

"Bloody hell..." the green man responds shamefully, "Yea' somethin' really sticks to me that he and de others might've been cookin' somethin' up. I mean, I don't mind the 'umans. I actually kinda' like some of em. But I dun' support the violence agains' em by me own kind. At least... uh, de peaceful ones."

He paused for a second, with a rather worried face, until responding quickly.

"I hate to be dat kinda guy, Grane-ole'-mate," Dreadlin states rather softly, "But do ya wanna help me investigate da cause of dis ruckus? At least confirm it be them? I mean, if yer busy, I be respectin' that. I'm just uh... leavin' it out there if yer available, for I feel it be better if we lizardpeople investigate it ourselves? Waddya say?"

The blue lizardman began walking over to his desk where he had files of Frye littered about. Collecting them and placing them back in a box, he glanced back at Dreadlin ”As mentioned earlier, the Magic Games are over. I have to start packing some things soon as I plan on leaving early tomorrow. I should be able to find some available time for this investigation, but most of my time will be with the Council. Your role would be the most important since you could try searching for anything that could help us lead to these missing lizard folks and Maiz while I’m busy with the Council.”

After gathering all the files into a box, he took it with as he walked the door and motioned his head for Dreadlin to follow as he left the room. ”The sooner I get everything packed and ready, the more time I’ll have to dedicate into this investigation.”

@hatakekuro@Caits
Well, thanks to a little help from some of the others on the guild Ariel managed to procure a dress for the ball. It was a long violet and blue gown with an open back. Arriving with quite a few others she blended in just a little bit. Maybe a little bit wasn't quite the word for it. The excitement and everything had her hair and eyes changing colors like a kaleidoscope.

Waiting for Nolan to arrive she wandered around observing all the other attendees. This was definitely far and away the most upscale event she'd ever been to. Though to be fair this was being held in a palace, so what else could be expected? By this point she was feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Please ignore

Edit:
Feeling a a bit embarrassed...

No matter how jovial the atmosphere, how full of cheer, or how fascinating the society, the master of Frenzy Plant could not put aside the worries that needled him. While other partygoers snuck glances at waistlines and necklines, his furtive eyes scanned for telltale inconsistencies in fabric that hinted at concealed weapons. Despite his attempt to suppress his instincts, his silver eyes sought ripples in the air and darkness in the eyes of others, looking for any trace of magic aura or ill intent. He'd already increased the odds of him and his nearby guild members noticing the use of wizardry, and he knew that at any given moment he could rouse his entire army into battle mode, but all the same his paranoia remained.

A twinge at the edge of his consciousness grabbed his attention, and Sanders gave a discreet look upward. The ballroom's high, vaulted ceiling loomed far above the crowd, and a chandelier of extravagant quality hung from it. Notably, several chains rather than a single one secured it to the ceiling, but that detail didn't interest the old man so much as the dark figure sitting on the steel and glass decoration. While not what they used to be, his eyes could still make out the shape hidden up there: the slender form of Xyster the Dullahan. Dressed in her usual shirt, jacket, and jeans, the monster would have been a freakish sight down among the guests, and Sanders felt sure that the same thought had occurred to her as well. Sadness filtered through the tactician's mind to know that Xyster isolated herself, believing herself not fit for civilized company. Still, the fact that she'd shown up at all assured him that she wouldn't be whiling away the night all alone in some dark corner. Plus, perched at her bird's-eye view, she served as another line of defense should anything go awry.

While here, at least, he supposed that he should attempt to socialize. One target in particular stood out—Jack Goran, the master of Dragon Fang. At the meeting earlier today, the wizard saint's words had suggested that he wouldn't stand by and put up with Phoenix Wing's nonsense. The smartest move in any conflict wasn't, as the young and hotheaded might imagine, to believe in oneself, but rather to forge alliances that could be relied upon. In the span of one afternoon, Frenzy Plant had doubled in size; the might of Pirate Lord, plus its famous airship, now lay under Sanders' command. As anyone might have predicted, the lower-scoring guilds had abstained from the ball, with the exception of Pirate Lord's master Salem Monroe. From where he stood, Sanders could see his new friend's stormy expression as he lounged against the railing of the staircase. While uninterested in any more mergers, Frenzy Plant's general wished to make sure that his guild and Goran's would be on good terms.

With that in mind, Sanders caught the eyes of Hyun and motioned for her to follow him. The two navigated the crowd toward Jack Goran, and when in range the tactician gave a wave of his hand. ”Master Jack! Not much time has passed, but it is good to see you again. Enjoying the evening, I hope? What an extraordinary affair!”

On his right, Hyun bowed to the master of Dragon Fang. ”Good evening, sir.”



A maelstrom of pleasantries surrounding Frenzy Plant's premier sorceress at all times. A steady stream of people came by to say hello, to give her a comment, or to request a dance. Each time, Indigo gave the man in question a sorry smile before replying, ”My apologies, but I'm married,” and showing her ring. And each time, her teasing side giggled at their crestfallen expressions. One visitor stood out in her memory, however. Indigo recognized Malice as the well-dressed young lady who's had the misfortune of being matched against her in the one-on-one duels. Beyond the shadow of a doubt, she knew that Malice resented her for that—after all, who wouldn't? That kind of display, admittedly ill-judged on her part, left scars other than physical. However, Malice greeted her with hospitality, so Indigo returned the favor with a happy heart.

”Thank you very much! I found this at a little boutique not far away from the park where my guild camped out. A lot of the girls were eying dresses like these, but as it turned out, only I could get one to wear! Still, they cut a dashing figure, all dressed up in uniform, don't they?” She performed a sweeping gesture with her arm, indicating every soldier present. Her attention returned to Malice soonafter. ”But I must say, you look lovely! The black and purple match your hair so well. You've got a mysterious, reserved sort of allure that men go mad for. I expect you've broken a lot of hearts!”



Blue hair, a red beret, and a pastel green uniform did not make for an excellent color combination, but Joakim did not mind. After all, fashion never stood out to him as a pursuit worth his time, which was no doubt evident in the thin hide and fur robe he most commonly wore. Still, while taking pride in the garb that signified his own guild, he conceded the magnificence of the sight of so many impeccably-dressed men and women in the same room. Overwarm -as usual- he hung near the open windows, a light chill cast around him to keep him feeling cool. Not far away, he recognized two of the newer members of Frenzy Plant, Argus and Flint. From their bearings and expressions, though well-hidden beneath badass veneers, the Arctic Wizard expected that they might be feeling like outsiders themselves. Accordingly, he approached the pair, positioning himself between them. A warmer comrade might have clapped a hand on their shoulders, but Joakim did not intend to invade their personal space, and so refrained. Instead, he said, ”Talk about classy. Even in my dress uniform I still feel like something the cat drug in. I can only imagine how you two feel, so new to the guild and all. Mr. Dunigan, I'll bet you didn't expect your first official assignment with the war guild to be some high-society meet-and-greet in Crocus Palace!” His hand clasped behind his back, he put forward a pleasant, toothy smile permeated by the quaint charm of a foreigner trying to fit in.



When a former pirate was called on to give a dance, she gave it her all. After only a couple of rounds, Jane found herself exhausted. After excusing herself rather brusquely from her current partner, Owen, she found a chair to plop into. The momentary respite relieved her, though she was surprised that the others left her the time to herself. Since her arrival in the ballroom along with the rest of her guild, she'd been beset by suitors seeking a dance, both from within Frenzy Plant and without. The reason why wasn't hard to guess. As well-tailored as her uniform was, it wasn't a perfect fit, and Jane seemed fit to burst her buttons any moment.

The rest gave her the chance to look around, and her position on the outskirts of the room allowed her to spot Gabriel, looking nervous and out of place as ever. Moreover, she spotted a blonde sidling up to him, and in the moments that followed Jane determined that she did not at all like the interloper's provocative manner. There was no way she was letting anyone seduce a gullible young boy, especially a fellow soldier. Adjusting her beret, the cannoneer arose from her seat and made a beeline for the pair. On the way, she squinted at the ambiguous newcomer, trying to figure out whether Karn was a manly girl or a girly man. From her time in the bustling ports of Hargeon, she'd grown a great contempt for the deceitful. She arrived just as Gabriel's sentence trailed off, and after crossing her arms asked him in a firm voice, “Avast, Gabe. This...person botherin' ye?” A steely glance flew Karn's way, and -still addressing her guildmate- she continued, ”Don't do anythin' that makes ye uncomfortable. We don't want anyone taken advantage of.”

@Caits@Lugubrious

Edarn watched the stammering boy utter out a rejection, trying to explain why he particularly did not wish to dance. It was easy to see that this one was perhaps a bit on the... how to say? Gullible? New to the block? A rookie? Mhmm whatever the word is, he was the kind of guy that could be taken advantage of if set in the hands of someone who knew what they were doing. Her slightly ethereal glowing green eyes blinked slowly, the same amused smile lacing her lips.

"Now dear sir, you do not need to have the knowledge to dance. It's all in good fun after a nice week of hard work. I'll forgive you if you step on my toes." she responded, calm and cool if not elegant. "Plus, it's better to learn from experience rather than sitting in the corner all your lonesome. Or perhaps, in actuality, I am ill suited for you?" she mused before amused glowing eyes flicked toward a approaching woman who gave the ambiguous figure a firm look.

Edarn just found it amusing that this woman seemed to defend the young cub, rather than offended in anyway. "Awe honey, he's been uncomfortable the moment he set foot here." she mused with a soft chuckle, eyes doing a once over on both of them before shrugging. "Though I must say, can quite understand if he would rather fancy you. You're all the... booty any sailor needs." she smirked and winked innocently before turning her green gaze to the young man.

"Of course, she is correct handsome. If you really don't wish to, I won't drag you along, even if it was possible for little ol' me to do so. But I will say, dancing is a lot like fighting. Won't ever improve without training." Edarn hummed as she shrugged her slender yet toned shoulders. The sly smile still upon her lips, predatory glowing gaze watching the two with mere curiosity.

Standing inside a fancy building, surrounded by hundreds of well-dressed dancing wizards, and the entire event just spewing out proper elegance for everyone that was invited to the ballroom. Well, except for that one grungy looking man standing around with his extremely large and poorly patched piece of cloth that he called clothes. The man wasn't even wearing a shirt under that poncho, he was literally half-naked without that earthy toned garment but that this problem was only due to his predicament in the limb department. The rather large sombrero combined with the bright red-masked also didn't help much in the elegant look of the average event goer. Though, the grungy looking man didn't mind the vast difference of appearance between the average denizen of the event. Even if he tried to look fancy, the contraptions permanently attached to his body would cause too much of a stir within the peaceful ballroom. So, Flint just resigned himself to the less populated area of the room silently staring at the guest that populated the fancy palace.

While trying to look as inconspicuous as possible in his conspicuous attire, it didn't take too long before someone took to note of the two new members of the Frenzy Plant guild. Flint realized that this approaching character was someone that belonged to the guild as well, but Flint always had trouble remembering people's names and rather giving them nicknames of their appearance or actions. To be honest though, in his profession, it wasn't rude to call other murderous people by an alias rather than their real name. So, Flint just waited for the fellow guild member to approach within an acceptable distance of conversing with strangers.

Jo-Kam, that was his name wasn't it? The Frenzy Plant member was trying to talk to the two newest trainees of their guild, trying to make them feel involved and Flint appreciated the effort. "I do admit, I expected something with a bit more violence for my first mission, but standing around and doing nothing is my fifth favorite thing to do at least," Flint remarked, "And at least you dressed up for the event at hand, never thought to pack myself up with some fancy clothes."

@Burthstone@Caits
"Mayt?" Trinity was just on her way in. She must have missed Karn on his way in, so she went without an escort. She was wearing something resembling a conductor's tuxedo, but with more skirt and flowing bits. And pockets. She pulled the collar of her getup aside to show the mark on her clavicle. "He's in my guild. C'mon, Mayt." She waves him to follow along behind her. "You're just in time to watch me begin."

She'd lead the way into the classy party and found herself almost bumping into Penny. "Ah, and here's a Penny. Why the troubled face? Hmmm... If I were to play you a song, would you dance for me, and forget your troubles for the party? I'll take a request, if you have one."

Mayt was very relieved when Trinity had finally showed up and let him into the ball. "Thank you so much Trinity, I really appreciate it," he would say to her as they went in. "I owe you one," he patted the minstrel's shoulder as he went over to the tables and grabbed the first treat he saw, stuffing it into his mouth and swallowing it almost whole. He looked around the room as he did so, trying to take stock of the situation. He didn't have a date and he couldn't really dance on a sprained ankle and a broken arm. Looks like tonight was going to be fun.

Mayt noticed Karn, wearing a dress, and harassing a couple people, and he wondered if he should go over and save them. The guy looked nervous, and the woman definitely didn't approve of Karn. Mayt smiled, and decided to intervene, and that he'd probably pick the side of Karn. The kid was bubbly, but he wasn't usually all that dangerous. Mayt limped up to the three of them.

"Hey Karn, how's it going?" He'd say when he got there, and before he gave them a chance to respond he'd look at the other two. "I'm Mayt, by the way, nice to meet you. I'm part of Phoenix Wing like Karn here," he'd hold out his hand to the woman and the man. He didn't seem to care that he was butting in on the conversation, though inside he was freaking out about it. He had no idea what they had been talking about, though he hoped he could glean it from what they said next. If it was interesting enough, he might just stay.

@CirusArvennicus@Silver Fox@Lugubrious@Caits

Amelia smiled as Sam skipped away, distracting Jamie a bit. She moved away, looking at the various foods that had been spread out for the mages. She found that much of it looked rather appetizing.

As she looked around, she spotted Master Jack talking to Master Sanders. She wanted to talk to Master Jack some more but was hesitant. Fight back her fears, she approached the guild masters.
"Master Jack, Master Sanders, good evening. And nice evening to you too Miss..." Amelia said, first to the guild masters then to Hyun, whose name she was struggling to recall. Luckily for her, Phlegethon knew Hyun very well and appeared as a red ball of energy behind her, whispering the woman's name. "... Miss Hyun. Sorry for not remembering your name from the games."



Probably betraying everyone's expectations, both Jackie and Aria did go to the ball. Jackie, having been to a few in her time as an assassin, knew the proper attire and had managed to procure matching dresses for herself and Aria, the only difference being color, with Jackie wearing black with white trim and Aria wearing white with black trim. The dresses were sleeveless and off the shoulder, but simple in terms of design. It had taken some convincing, but Aria had left her headphones at home, making it even harder to tell the girls apart if you didn't know them well.

Enjoying their time together, although Aria was displaying slot of nervousness without her headphones, Jackie took the lead in walking around and sampling food. She was aware of her sisters sensitive pallette and made sure she only ate food with more... subtle flavors. As she looked around, she spotted Master Sanders, Hyun, and Amelia approaching Master Jack. She kept her distance but also watched the situation, incase Jack needed support.

In a near-constant state of retreat from the large crowds, Fleo found herself near the buffet tables. As of yet, more people were intent on wearing themselves out with dance or socialization that taking advantage of the luxurious spread. However, the dusty woman's current locale brought her close to none other than Amaya van Isis, her old teammate. Nothing was old about her garment however; the Ice Dragon Slayer was stunningly dressed. Drawing closer, Fleo smiled and waved. ”Amaya! You look amazing! ….Uh, mind if I stick with you for a while? There's so many people around here, I'm a little lost.” Her focus shifted to Amaya's companions. ”Er, h-hello! I'm Fleo, from Phoenix Wing. It's nice! To meet you.” Keeping a smile on her face proved difficult indeed when Fleo felt overwhelmingly that every word coming out of her made her seem more of an idiot.



As his new comrade spoke, Joakim ran his fingers through his hair. When he withdrew them, he found small clumps of scraped-up, dead skin cells collected beneath his nails. With little regard the the impropriety of such an action in the public realm, he flicked the specks away and replied, ”No problem. It is a shame that we didn't have an extra dress uniform available that could have been yours, but even Edith can only stock up so much. Perhaps it was for the better, given your...er, situation. Forgive me. I understand if it is rude of my to pry, but I have been plagued by curiosity since Belka. Maybe, since we're just standing around at all, you wouldn't mind sharing your story with us?”

Despite the trepidation with which he asked, Joakim gave off no vibe of awkwardness at all. If anything, he projected the air of someone with a genuine curiosity in an equally sincere attempt to be polite. A waiter passed by, offering the trio a silver plate loaded with stuffed olives, and the cryomancer took a handful to pop in his mouth.



When two ships pulled up alongside one another to do battle, neither could expect any quarter. At that range, a barrage from either side could spell doom for its opponent, so not a single cannon could go unused. Jane, no stranger to the sort of emotive warfare that Karn provoked, packed her full arsenal. The intruder pointed out that Gabriel hadn't been comfortable for a while now, and without a moment's hesitation Jane barked back, “An ye think yer meddlin' is helpin' that?” The usage of the word 'honey' pestered the former piratess—as if this pipsqueak had any reason to look down on her. Jane did not flinch as Karn's gaze probed her head to toe, and she responded to the ensuing taunt with a dangerous grin even as her foe's wink made her temper boil. ”Ye noticed? Huh! Well, does it stir yer black lagoon, or raise yer jolly roger?” One way or another, this bothersome tease would drop that manipulative look in her eyes and learn that Frenzy Plant soldiers weren't to be toyed with.

Her featured hardened when another guest approached with a name on his lips: Karn. Karn, Karn, Karn. Where had Jane heard that name before? Memories of past days seeped into her mind. Like water rolling off a duck's back, Mayt's niceties rebounded off her, but he did succeed in fitting the last puzzle piece into place. Jane, arms unmovingly crossed despite Mayt's offered hand, smirked. ”Oh, aye? Karn, the shapeshifter, an' Phoenix Wing...that be explainin' a lot! Ye think us easy targets, do ye?” Her expression became a frown with teeth exposed, and one eye open wider than the other gave her a definite leer. ”Go find yer playthings elsewhere, ye treacherous gut aches.” Plain to see, this confrontation was no longer about Gabriel.

@joshua tamashii
"We might as well cause after all how long has it been since we been able to enjoy a event such as this. I remember the last time I was at a event like this was when we were last partnered up years ago"said rose with a smile before she looked around before she noticed the moving boulder of muscle moving through the crowd [color=salmon]"I see father made it. I am surprised he is actually dressed up."[/Colorsaid rose

"Have I ever told you why I hate things like this. First off ,I have yet to find a tailor that can make me a tux that Actually fits and will not rip with every movement I do but I did find a nice robe tailor that I believe did a good job"said raiden when he got near his daughter and granddaughter. He was for the most part taller then most the guests and more built for sure.

"Honestly, I probably would be better off back in my robes then this tux. I see not point in it nor do I care for the restrictions of movement"said ryu seeming to come out of no where as he stood next to rose with his arms folded

"I am just happy and surprised you both came to this function and actually look good and don't worry ryu I am sure lucus agrees he hates restricting clothing"said Rose keeping a eye on Elyse,more making sure she didn't leave the ballroom out of the blue.


@joshua tamashii@Lugubrious

Amaya looked around when a familiar smell of dust hit her nose before she saw who the smell belonged to with a big smile "I am very happy the other female of Powder keg is actually here. "Now all we need is Lucas and Nolan with his newest Exceed partner and my newest partner"said Amaya sweetly before nodding. She was kinda in the same boat as Floe with not wanting to be in crowds. "We don't mind if you tag along...Oh this is Joshua Tamashii, he is part of our guild. I have been hanging and doing missions with him when team powder keg is god knows where cause our ash slayer is too popular with girls or for his old team anymore...oh I need to see if Nolan brought Dalton. I want to see if the exceeds know eachother"said Amaya first talking to Floe before her mins did it's usual trailing off on to a side track of thought.

Gabriel
@Lugubrious@Burthstone@Silver Fox

As Jane approached him, the feeling that Gabriel was missing something increased greatly. What was going on here? Did he look that gulliable, that someone thought to take advantage of him? He frowned, He shook his head to reassure Jane that he was alright. At least, he thought he was.Somwhere, he could hear Leo laughing and he couldn't help but think that it was at his expense. "No, everything seems to be okay...She wants me to dance, and that's a disaster waiting to happen. I suppose I could summon Rat...He'd dance happily" He said almost innocently, perhaps too innocently, looking to the stranger. "I doubt it would just be your toes I'd hurt. My brother has tried tohelp me, and failed. I don't dance. It has nothing to do with being ill suited" Almost as if the presence of a fellow guild member increased his confidnece, something seemed to have shifted in Gabriel.

He narrowed his eyes, thinking that this person did indeed think he was gulliable and an easy target. "Oh, I think you could. You like to be underestimated so you can then come in and knock everyone out of the park. You were the shape shifter in that event, the one with the floating plateform, right" that was more of a statement then a question, and while this person seemed a little different, Gabriel was sure they were the same. "I don't dance. I've already insulted one guild member because of my abismale dancing, I won't risk it again, thank you very much" He shifted as someone else approached, trying to keep the two mages in his sight, just in case.

"Karn. Michael's cat friend's friend" They had met before, however briefly, when Gabriel had hunted Michael down to talk with him. They'd been in a small fuzzy form then, cementing Gabriel's knowledge that it was the shapeshifter. He glanced to Mayt, frowning slightly, deciding not to say anything to the other man for a moment, looking back to Karn and narrowing his eyes. "Just because I don't like crowds doesn't mean I am uncomfortable, and it certainly doesn't mean I am an easy target. I'm not gulliable, and even if I was, I have my guild and my spirits. Don't think me an easy target, Karn of Phoenix Wing"

Glancing over to Mayt, he sighed. "I'm Gabriel"

Pennny
@CirusArvennicus

Penny looked over as trinity approached her. "Just a few things on my mind, Trinity." She said, trying to shift her deamonor, she rolled her shoulders, shifting slightly into a more relaxed stance, and trying to soothe the troubled expression she wore. With a slightl shrug, she said "Alright. i can do that. It doesn't matter what dance, I'll figure it out" With her phoenix song, Penny generally could catch things others couldn't, and in music it was the same. Trintiy seemed excited, and like she needed a distraction, so Penny would give her that.

@Caits@Lugubrious@Burthstone

Despite the two's perhaps irritated attitudes, Edarn's expression didn't change from the one of pure amusement. They were just doing what she wanted them to. Proving a point. Earthlanders, such high strung individuals. There was obvious amused laughter glinting in the predatory eyes. At the woman's words, the blonde simply let out a chuckle. "Lets say I wouldn't mind sailing your ship. As soon as you cool your breeches... Darling." she mused before turning her gaze to the young man, his words unaffecting the blonde's mood or stance.

"Is that so? Might want to convince your Guildmates on that then." Edarn hummed in amusement before eyes flicking to... well a Phoenix Wing member. One of which she didn't particularly wish to see at the moment. After all, on one hand, he looked like her own Mayt back home. The other... well this was the one who killed back in Edolas. Burned alive even. He was perhaps one of the main reasons her opinion on Earthlanders had been dampened.

Still, he'd be a good little test. It didn't seem he was notified of this... certain predicament his Karn was in. Although Edarn wasn't a big fan of straight up lying, it wasn't really lying. Just acting. Her name was still Karn after all.

Turning her head to look at her guildmate, the mischievous devious amused expression disappeared into one of pure excited cheerful joy. Although her emerald green eyes still glowed that mysterious ethereal, she hopped and excitedly waved her arms above her head. "Energy-man! Hiya! I've been feeling a whole lot better! Chatting with Frenzy Plant members! Buuuut I think I'm going a little overboard again. GM warned me to behave too." Edarn chirped in a sudden cheerful and hyper manner, giving a soft childish pout as if she had been smacked on the hand for being too energetic. But soon that melted away as she eagerly grasped her counterpart's guildmate's hands and flashed a giant smile.

"Say, you wanna dance with me? It'll be super fun!" she chirped. Her way of speaking from before turned down a few notches to that of a more dummer blonde than that of a mischievous calculating one. But admittedly, her Earthland self wasn't one to really be calculating or play the game. Honestly she didn't know how the fuck her counterpart did this... twenty four seven.... Ugh.

"Hey! D:" Karn chirped within their mind.

"Sorry." she thought back.

Emerald eyes glancing to the two Frenzy Plant members, she flashed a bright cheerful goofy smile. "If you two ever change your mind. I'll be around!" she chirped, for a brief moment, her eyes sharpening into a devious predator before returning to a bright cheerful one. Looking to Mayt with a played hopeful expression. Puppy dog eyes to the max.

"Pweeeease?"

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Isabella couldn't help but start to blush when she saw Jane. Nervously giggling into her hand, she started to feel the wines influence; making her incredibly giddy. Or perhaps Jane's stunning outfit had caught her off guard? Whatever it was, she was surely making a fool of herself. She quickly turned her head away with a small chuckle.
"A Lord? How fitting." She teased, clinking her glass with Jane's before taking another sip. She tilted her head to the side, intertwining her fingers delicately in between each other.

"I didn't expect to be so nervous. I've never attended such an affair with another lady before." Truthfully, she had never felt this way about a lady before either. At first she had accepted Jane's invitation, which may or may not have been serious, as more of a playful way to help break the ice between them. Though as the hours passed, Isabella soon found herself unusually excited to be attending with Jane.

"Well," She began, standing up, "I suppose we should make a move on. Won't want to miss the first dance." Extending her hand out to Jane, Isabella awaited to depart for an evening that no doubt would be a merry one.

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Bullet offered a thumbs up and a grin to Marlene's pleasant reaction to his gift. Though he was caught off guard by the sudden hug, standing there like a stunned mullet. After a few moments, he awkwardly returned the hug by wrapping his arms around Marlene. When the tender moment passed, Bullet took a step back and hid his blushing face by turning to face the door.

"Man, I'm hungry! Let's get going to the ball." He went to take a step, only to stop himself in his tracks. He turned back to face Marlene, extending his arm hesitantly out to her.

"Go get 'em, Bull!" A loud, familiar voice called out from across the room. Immediately turning to where Isabella was, Bullet saw her and Jane departing the lobby themselves for the party. Isabella in particular was very obviously pointing to Marlene before giving her friend a thumbs up. He responded in turn with an awkward smirk. He caught Jane's eye briefly, his face softening to a gentle smile. Despite everything, he was glad that Isabella was with someone that made her happy. There was no point being bitter that it wasn't him right now; not when he was with Marlene.

Turning back to Marlene, he held out his arm to her more confidently this time; shoulder squared and chest held out proudly.

---

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Rosalina was briefly lost in the festive music that breathed life into the ballroom, admiring the finesse of those playing the instrument. She had briefly wanted to pursue a career in music once; though that was before her life became complicated. Despite seemingly zoning out, she was still attentive to everything Sayatachi was saying. Finishing her drink with one final swig, she set the cup down on a nearby table for a server to pick up later before addressing the other woman's concerns.
"I didn't see the girls Magic, but she has a strange presence. The man is incredibly powerful. I didn't exactly see his magic but he was capable of appearing out of thin air without me noticing. They no doubt would be assets. Though I find their relationship curious."

Sighing, Rosalina offered a soft smile to her friend before accepting another drink from a passing server. She briefly considered slowing down, but the last few days had been taxing enough to merit cutting loose a little.
"It shames me that I would be so desperate for recruits to consider accepting random strangers who I find on the streets. Desperate times, eh?" While she spoke, Rosalina scanned the ballroom in hopes of finding some Guild Masters present. As the new leader of the Knights and their representative on the Council, she had hoped to formerly introduce herself to them. Though with so many people dressed up, it was hard to pin point any direct person.

Mayt smiled as Gabriel shook his hand, and shot an unhappy look at Jane for not shaking his hand, but he quickly returned to his previous demeanor. Before he could speak up again, Karn directed their attention towards him, and Mayt was almost immediately won over by the shapeshifter, seeming to completely miss over the sudden change in demeanor. After Karn finished talking Mayt would look at Jane and Gabriel, hoping to dissuade them from their seeming disdain for Karn. "Karn's harmless. Well, mostly," Mayt noted, looking upwards and thinking for a second. "He has his dangerous moments, I suppose, but I've never seen him do anything that might hurt someone or something without good reason," Mayt explained, and turned to Karn as the mage started excitedly asking him to dance.

Holding up his hand to the shapeshifter, he'd motion for them to hold their horses. "Whoa whoa, contain yourself little guy, I'm more than happy to dance with you. Just don't go too overboard okay? And, uhm, forgive me if I step on your..." Mayt hesitated and furrowed his brow, trying to think of the word. It was right there in the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't quite... Toes! That was it. "Toes! Sorry if I step on your toes. I'm a bit banged up from a train mishap," Mayt explained, taking one of Karn's small, thin hands in his own, and motioning with his cast for them to go ahead and lead him to the dance floor. Mayt wouldn't even seem to mind if Karn wanted to lead the dancing itself.

@Silver Fox@Caits@Lugubrious

@Raijinslayer
ZEV

Blind huh? Not a problem! I'll be sure you'll be looking good for this party! Oh, and the name is Zev Buchanan, but Zev is just fine. And Zev had done good on his deal. Zev had bought and fitted Ezekiel a black vest with matching dress pants and tie, black dress shoes, and a red dress shirt. Before they had even arrived at the ball, Zev had personally helped the new recruit with combing the knots out of his hair and even used some magical gel that would keepy Ezekiel's hair slicked back and even gave it a shine.

Zev himself wore a black suit with a purple dress shirt underneath it and still wore his sunglasses. He too had also slicked his hair back with the same gel that he used on Ezekiel. At the ball, Zev had made sure to accompany with the blind mage and hung back with him to make sure the country boy wouldn't freak out and attract a swarm of cats or Prince. "So what's your plan of action kid? Need me to introduce you to some pretty women?" He asked in jest.

@t2wave
NOLAN and DALTON

"Okay, okay. You can do this Nolan, you can do this..." The nervous wreck was pacing around outside of the palace, working up the courage to go in and go on his first ever date with Ariel. Talk about setting the bar high for the first date; nothing he could ever do could ever top dancing at a royal ball and he knew that very well. The date was not the only thing that was terrifying him; he was willing putting himself out there and be an open target for his many fan girls to swarm upon him like bees to very unwilling honey. Just thinking about it almost put him in a mouth foaming state of anxiety. Nolan took multiple deep breaths and ran his fingers through his hair, trying to regain a cool composure so he wouldn't embarrass himself in front of all the guilds and high society members.

He looked down at his atire and realized that the last time he wore any formal clothing for an event this grand was when he was a child. He wore a dark blue suit with a gold chang hanging from his left jacket pocket and gold buckles around the jackets cuffs. Underneath the suit he wore a white collard shirt that was unbuttoned by the top of the shirt with a loosely tied dark red ascot cravat tie around the collar. To top it off, he wore white gloves and brown dress shoes though he still kept Kaso by his side because he felt oddly naked without it.

This outfit was a far cry from his usual green jumper and black hoodie and many party goers had taken notice, mostly those of the female persuasion that made his skin crawl as if termites were running along his spine. "Come on man. Do it for her." He sighed and made his way through the castle gates and as expected, the castle was the pinacle of luxury. It was similar to his family manor when he used to live there as a child, but on a grander scale.

"Hey Nolan! It's about time that you got here! Working up the courage to dance with your lady friend?" Dalton flew over to Nolan with shrimp cocktail in hand. Dalton was wearing a cat-sized black tuxedo, which was actually stupidly adorable.

The slayer arched his brow and decided to ignore the part about Ariel. "How did you even get in here? You're no even officially part of the guild yet."

"I have my ways. Anyway, how about a little dance before you get off to your lady?" Dalton jokingly offered, which was met by Nolan rolling his eyes and smirk. "Oh come on, it could be fun!" The Exceed chuckled and popped one of the pieces of shrimp into his mouth.

"Thanks for the offer, but I've left Ariel waiting long enough. I'll talk with you later." Soon Nolan was wandering through crowds of guests with many suitresses trying to gain his affection. Of course he politely turned their offers down though because he seemed so shy and nervous around them, it somehome made them even more determined to catch him.

It was almost impossible to find Ariel with so many people in the ballroom, but Nolan soon found her. It actually wasn't that hard; only a blind man could miss a woman changing several colors in seconds. "Hey, Ariel!" Nolan called out to her, moving through a group of people before he was finally in front of her and took a good look at her. To say that she was gorgeous would've been an understatement. For how long the moment was, he didn't know what to say. What do people tell their dates when they meet? Should he compliment her? There should be a guide for socially inept people like him.

"Um, you look really beautiful." Heat intensely radiated from his red cheeks.

@Joshua Tamashii@Roseletta@Lugubrious
DALTON

Seeing as Nolan already had his own affairs to attend to, Dalton had decided that he would go and get some more of that royal grub that was being served. Seeing as he didn't want to get trampled by the part goers, he decided that he would just fly over to the magnificent buffet table and eat until his stomach can't bear anymore. As he flew, however, he saw a few familiar faces standing right by the buffet table. "Amaya, Fleo! How are my two favorite girls?" The exceed flew towards them in his tiny, black tuxedo.