Hunter of Dreams

He Gave her the World

@Mae Okay so . . . . that took longer than I meant *facepalm*

He Gave her the World

@Mae

It felt as if hundreds of eyes were fastened on the trio, even though the dance continued around them, seemingly oblivious to the confrontation, faltering only slightly at the disturbance.
Skylar would have almost preferred that her dance partner didn't even give the man the time of day, for she felt unexplicably vulnerable as soon as he stepped away to face the blustering offender. A cool draft seeped from the panes of the windows, flirting briefly with the coy flames of hundreds of candles before winding its way through swirling gowns and polished shoes, rippling gently against the young woman's skirt and breathing an uncomfortable chill down her neck.
Wrapping an arm about herself Skylar resisted the urge to glance behind her, not wanting to know how many eyes truly were fixated on them. Nor if there would be a flash of recognition behind any of the masked revelers, for the feeling was familiar and a sudden clenching in the pit of her stomach warned her to be on guard.

Yet there was nothing there. Nothing to be afraid of.
Light, laughter, and music swelled to fill the opulent space, chasing away any shadows that dared lurk in the corners, abandoning dreary thoughts to skulk outdoors in the darkness until an end would finally arrive and the party goers must return the way they had come, inevitably claiming their particular sort of dreariness once more.
Even so, in the midst of such gaiety, a place where there should be no room for anything other than lightheartedness and good intentions, there was something lurking still.
Perhaps just the shortcomings of man in general, too fixed in their ways and problems to be able to fully enjoy a trouble free evening.

"My apologies, milady."

The forced words were enough to distract from an onslaught of unreasonable paranoia, and Skylar silently dipped her head in acceptance, wondering vaguely at the sudden change of demeanor that had come over the man.
His blustering quite suddenly replaced by an intensely uncomfortable expression that overflowed until even his appearance became altered. Though not the tallest man he managed to become shorter still, body curling inward in an uncomfortable, clenched manner. Beads of sweat clung to his whiskers, a pallid shade replaced the flush of anger and alcohol, and bloodshot eyes darted everywhere but toward the tall man that directed him.
His mannerisms echoed that of a petulant child, repentant against his will, yet at the same moment a cornered animal terrified by what blocked any possible route of escape.

Truth be told the entire situation was somewhat puzzling. Any men she knew wouldn't have gone to the trouble of forcing a rather public apology. In fact, they were more likely to toss heated words of their own until someone threw a physical blow, thereupon blowing everything into even greater proportions until no one knew what had started the brawl in the first place.
Not that she was typically in the presence of upstanding gentleman, that is. Perhaps this was how true gentry went about settling things.

Yet, as she observed her dance partner watch the man scurry away, she wasn't quite so sure. The feeling of before ghosted past once more, that he strangely belonged in this setting far more than any other person in the room, yet he didn't quite belong here in this time. His entire air was so very different of anyone she had met.
It went beyond the event.

Beyond the mask.

Beyond his mysterious eyes.

When she realized she had been staring, and he had returned his attention toward her, Skylar's fingers brushed against her mask in a slight motion, as though she had simply been readjusting it and hadn't just spent the last few moments studying him.
A bubble of laughter escaped the young woman at the gentleman's statement. Not because anyone else would think it was amusing, but because it was, in a sad twist of fact, the exact sort of environment she was used to.
Realizing she was coming dangerously close to ruining the contrived guise of elegance that had been donned for the evening, Skylar stuck with the ruse, brushing away the comment with a delicate flip of her hand and giving a gentle shake of her head.

"Ah, but is that not one of the perks to being part of a privileged social class? So that one may act as brusque and uncouth as they like and not be held responsible for it?" She shrugged slightly, biting the corner of her lip as she became momentarily lost in thought.
"At least . . . that is what many apparently seem to believe." Her eyes followed the path the other man had taken, a look of pity flowing across her features for the space of a mere second.
"But then there are those who are simply too lost to realize their behavior is less than exemplary. Not everyone knows how to cope with the results of the life they have made for themselves. Not that it excuses them from such tasteless displays, but I try not to judge too harshly, there are so many things that could cause such behavior."
She had seen so many examples of such erratic behavior, as well as some of the stories behind them that Skylar had learned, for the most part, it wasn't fair to pass judgment before one knew the whole story. Besides, she was the last person that should be passing judgment on anyone for making bad decisions. She'd made her fair share of them, and one day she might turn around and find herself in the self same position.

"But it has passed, and now we may return to the evening as it ought to be," Returning to the present she slid a gloved hand through the crook of his elbow and turned attentions back toward the gaiety of their surroundings.

The current waltz had ended and a change was taking place upon the floor. Waterfalls of thinnest gold silk poured from the middle circle of the ceiling, rippling softly to hang just above the floor, every breath of air catching it up for the briefest of seconds.
Lights dimmed slowly until the sole source of light came from the enchanting mixture of golden candlelight and pale, silvery moonlight. Hushed tones of cellos began to hum a haunting melody, joined by the liquid tones of a single harp as the silken ropes stirred once more.
They began to spin and float through the air as a slender figure descended from above, twirling and gliding effortlessly in a dance above the floor.

A story unfolded as the music faded into the background, the aerial dancer drawing every eye in her breathtaking performance. It took several moments, for the movements were subtle, but with a glimmer of light and a dramatic flair to the haunting tone, the audience finally noticed that a second figure had joined the first.
He danced beneath her with an equal amount of grace and dexterity, but every time his hands reached to grasp the slender ropes a twitch of her hand would carry it beyond his reach. So they danced, in perfect sync and rhythm, but yet separate.

So captivated by the performance Skylar almost missed it; the flutter of a white napkin.
The moment was not frozen in time and space, and not everyone was held in awe, servers gliding silently behind the scenes and efficiently carrying out preparations for the supper that was to follow shortly.
A twinge of disappointment tainted the beauty of the dance, and Skylar was no longer able to lose herself in the moment, for she knew it was all coming to a swift end.
The evening would, no doubt, carry on far into the night. But she wouldn't be here to see just how long.

They had solemnly agreed to specific terms.
If they were going to sneak into such an important event both Skylar and Belinda knew it would be vital to leave just as covertly, lest they be found out and discover just what unpleasant consequences might come of their rash plan.
Once the schedule of events had been discovered it had been poured over until every detail had been thoroughly examined. If they had managed to get in and not observed, their evening would only last until just before the call to dine.
Even if they managed to escape detection it would do them no good at supper, for every single setting was labelled with meticulously lettered place cards.

Not a single one that happened to bear their names, that was a certainty.

Still pretending to enjoy the performance Skylar began to scan the crowd in her peripheral vision, searching for a dusty blue lace mask and a mischievous smirk.

He Gave her the World

YOU'RE BACK @Mae!!!!!!!!!!! *unintentionally scatters cookies in excitement and may have entirely terrified the poor unbaked puppy with copious amounts of incredibly excited hopping about*

Of course I'm up for it, I'm so excited to see you back! (And I love the post as always:) <3

Super busy this week with work, but hoping to start on a post when I can! :D

Written: A Fairytale RP

@McHaggisOooooo, the shadows AND collabs? Sounds thrilling!

Written: A Fairytale RP

*GASP* I'm alive! And I have internet!!! At least, for the next couple of hours *sigh* Wifilessness is certainly cramping online presence . . . .

Written: A Fairytale RP

Rapunzel

---

@SailorSadie

---

"I didn't have time for a shower this morning, though goodness knows I practically got one on the way here. But I think the bubbles would have looked pretty in your hair, especially if they were those color changing ones that are-wait, did you say Dorothy is missing?"  The momentary distraction of bubbles adorning Ariel's fiery hair were forgotten the second the rest of her news registered. Rapunzel's eyes widened as she glanced around the diner, taking careful stock of just how many fellow fairy-tale people had come in this morning.  
To see them regularly was not unusual, to have so many of them at the diner at the same time, however, was another matter. 
So that was why everyone was up and about so early this morning. No doubt the earthquake had a hand in such an early day, but a disappearance was unsettling news, and the best place to compare theories and speculations was over a cup of coffee at Jess's diner. 

Picking at a slight indent in the counter, Rapunzel bit her lip as she digested the news, a chill of foreboding rippling up her spine at the unnerving thought of Dorothy disappearing into thin air. 
"She was just in here the other day . . . " Truthfully they weren't what Rapunzel would term as ‘friends’, even if her understanding of the words was extremely broad, but even so she felt a tickle of worry in the pit of her stomach. 
"I don't suppose she just decided to take a last minute trip out of town. . . no, she wouldn't have done that in the middle of a storm." 

Glancing up half of a grin replaced the worried expression as Rapunzel reached out and flicked a bit of fluffy whipped cream off Ariel’s nose.
“Ah well, it will be heavily discussed at a meeting, for no doubt we’ll have one what with a disappearance and all. But for now, you better scramble for work,” She nodded at the ever moving hands of the clock on the wall, “I’ll save you a seat at the meeting if I get there first!” Which she probably wouldn’t, but then again Jess might close the diner early, what with the disappearance of one of their own and an important meeting no doubt already being arranged.

- 4:06 pm -

Of course she wasn’t on time, she never seemed to manage that, but there was the small comfort that she wasn’t terribly late, and as Rapunzel slid into the circle of chairs and took a seat she noticed even Lucy herself wasn’t even here yet.

When she did arrive, in a flurry of jumbled words and apologize, Rapunzel scooted to the edge of the seat, leaning forward slightly in order to catch every single important detail Lucy was about to share. . . . which turned out to be nothing more than Rapunzel herself had managed to glean from the conversation of everyone else today.

“Wait . . . but . . . we already knew that!” The words were out of her mouth before she considered the fact that they wouldn’t help the matter at hand at all. But she was quite certain she couldn’t be the only thinking them, and therefore should be voiced accordingly.

---

Sebastian

---

Peaceful solace.

All libraries seemed to have the same basic feeling at their core, a quieting atmosphere that offered temporary escape if one were willing to quiet their minds and let themselves be distracted.
Never having been much of a leisure reader Sebastian had not, in times past, spent much time in the midst of such places.  When the need arose he preferred instead the musty, damp vaults of ancient maps and records of aged and nearly forgotten deeds. Which made them a library, of sorts, but there tended to be an air of serenity in a library, lacking the intensity and thrill of discovery that was wont to go hand-in-hand among the mazes of vaults of old.
It did not mean, however, that he did not recognize their value. He respected such places, acutely aware of the time and effort that went into the creation and upkeep, not to mention the time spent on the creation of the books themselves. 

Since coming to this place he had become intimately familiar with the library, having spent endless afternoons scouring the shelves for answers that were not to be found. Despite the calming effect the establishment had on his ragged nerves, it was also a source of never ending irritation and frustration. 
He understood records implicitly. He knew how to track down the source of even vaguest references. And he was well versed in deciphering old ciphers and encrypted messages.  But in this case none of his talents had helped bring anything new to light.

Today would most likely be no different, but he had come as he always did, leaning lightly against the corner of a bookshelf and waiting for the others to arrive, flipping through an old book simply to look as though he were doing something instead of letting his mind wander. 

Even though they had all been here for five years now, no one had been able to figure out exactly how the man found out about important updates or meetings.   He did not carry a cellphone, nor did he live within the town limits, instead preferring a quite spot in the woods.
Very few could recall a single time that they had actually directly contacted him. Yet whenever something of importance was happening, even if it was no more than the regular meetings that often failed to be of any help, there he would be, tucked somewhere on the edge of the gathering, not as far away as to be completely isolated, yet rarely close enough to be in the middle of everyone else.

Today he had arrived before everyone else.
Well, almost everyone else.
Keen eyes slid over the array of chairs to where Peter was, scribbling on a normal piece of gaudily colored paper instead of the bound booklet he usually carried.
Sebastian hadn’t engaged in conversation with the other man, choosing instead to find his own spot and wait until the meeting came to order. He fidgeted for a few minutes, making certain he had not tracked any mud or wood shavings into the building, an offense he had already committed once or twice during the past few years. He did not want to be at odds with Scheherazade this evening, a feeling in the pit of his stomach making him wonder if this gathering was going to be different than so many others. If so there would be no need for other distractions to muddle the proceedings.
Long minutes ticked by as he absently picked at the sliver that had wedged itself in the toughened skin of his palm, the feeling in his gut spreading until he could hear it throbbing in his ears. Finally, in a sudden movement of exasperation he had grabbed a book off the shelf and begun to leaf through it, giving himself something to do while he reigned his impatience into check.

---

There had been times in the past that he puzzled over how Lucy had ended up being one of the few everyone else turned to for answers. Truth be told he still questioned the decision to put her in the position she held among them.
The oddity of the choice made itself even more apparent when she finally showed up, a tangle of scattered thoughts and absolutely no new information.
Her excuse of waiting was simply a delay tactic. If there was any new information it should be shared immediately, late comers should have to catch up later if they didn’t deem it important enough to show up on time.

"Is there any sign of this disappearance being any different than the others?" He finally inquired, book still casually resting in one hand. To anyone else in the library he would have appeared laid back and relaxed, giving the impression that their gathering was hardly of any great importance. But the steel grey of his eyes remained intense and keen, fixed solidly upon Lucy, analyzing every movement and expression.
"Any signs that she was taken alive or dead?" Perhaps not the most subtle way to put the question, but this was hardly the time or place for subtlety.

He Gave her the World

@Mae Hi! Nice to hear from you! :) I hope everything is going good for you and that you find some time to breathe in the middle of the craziness that is real life :D

I am looking forward to your next post, but don't stress about it! I'll still be here when you have time :)

He Gave her the World

@Mae Just wanted to let you know I'm in the process of moving this week, and my new apartment doesn't have wifi. So if I temporarily drop out of existence and don't reply to anything, I will be back! Just as soon as I can find decent internet signal :)

Written: A Fairytale RP

@HalfofLancelot@McHaggis@Roosan@Undine

Post in progress! (So sorry for the delay @SailorSadie I didn't forget! :)
I am moving this week though, and my new apartment doesn't have wifi (to my knowledge anyway) so I won't be able to put it up until I can find a coffee shop or something that offers internet-y things.

He Gave her the World

@Mae

Music and golden light swirled about them in a gauzy haze as the orchestra spun an intricate waltz into being, the richness and elegance of tones pairing beautifully with the subtle sound of silks whispering against the marbled floor.
Conversation amongst the mingling crowd hushed, inexplicably reluctant to interrupt the beauty of the music and the dance, content to put aside meaningless words and observe the enchanting scene as it was painted before them, couples spinning and weaving in pursuit of invisible guides.

As a strong guiding arm curved around her waist Skylar's eyes drifted closed and she breathed the music in, feeling it seep through every part of her being and allowing her subconscious to respond, quieting the inner voice that demanded to be in charge and instead allowing herself to yield to her partner's every move.
It was one of the hardest lessons a person had to learn, and though she might have trouble trusting other people to lead in day to day situations, this was one area Skylar excelled at it. After many failures she had finally understood that to truly complement and give life to the pure, untainted nature of any dance, to tell a story and to move as one being instead of two, she had to yield to the wishes and guidance of her partner. Poignant drama was very different from the jarring conflict that was brought on by an unspoken fight for control. One brought breathless exhilaration, the other only managed to create ugliness and twisted interpretation.

A soft breath escaped her lips as silvery-green eyes fluttered open once more, their steps matching with such accurate, fluid precision it was as though they had followed this melody many times before.
He moved unlike any other she'd seen, so graceful and powerful, an air of assured authority and not even a hint of a misstep.
She had a brief, fleeting urge to glance down just to make certain his feet were in fact touching the floor and not skimming above it, but she couldn't, having instead become captivated by the eyes that still hid faintly behind the slanting shadow of his mask.

Light and shadow played together in a dance of their own, effectively concealing the expression within the depths of his gaze. All tricks of light and the intended purpose of a night of such mystery.
Even so she felt there was more to him than a businessman or investor dressing up for an evening of intrigue and lavish displays. There was a subtle intensity she could feel resonating from somewhere deep inside him. In the way he held himself. The way he moved. Even the way his gloved fingers curled lightly around her hand.

It was probably just the mask.

A person felt wondrously daring when their mundane existence was hidden with whim and fancy, tucked away behind glittering masks and false personas.
Still, she had to admit even the falseness of his assumed guise seemed to compliment him in a strange way. He fit this atmosphere, as though he was far more suited to this setting than he would be in the ordinary day to day happenings of life.

But then that was the point.

In the normal world, if they had passed each other in the street there was a good probability that they would not have given each other a second glance. But here, swathed in the glamour of the evening they could be whoever they wanted, enjoying the company of complete strangers with an intimacy that held no strings and no consequences, for at the end of the night they would all part ways and most likely never see each other again.

They had drifted into another waltz before either of them spoke, lost in their own thoughts or simply enjoying the dance and what the evening might bring.

"You dance divinely," It was not a compliment Skylar had ever expressed, but then she had never danced with one so accomplished before, and felt the need to give due recognition. No doubt he had spent long hard hours perfecting his technique. Either that or he was one of the rare few who were born with such a gift.
"In this day and age so many things are becoming a lost art form, it is refreshing to see some of them have not died off entirely yet."
She felt horribly formal and out of character, but it wasn't the easiest thing to start up a conversation with a complete stranger, even if you were supposed to be pretending to be someone else yourself. Plus, a little voice in the back of her mind kept whispering she must be careful or she would give herself away as the fraud she was and be thrown out in due course.
What fun would that be when the evening had only just begun?

A few seconds later their personal space, and any following conversation, was invaded as another couple misjudged their distance and crashed into Skylar and the tall gentleman before either could correct their path.
The rest of the revelers spun around them, undisturbed by the ordeal and simply widening their steps to avoid any chance of becoming entangled in the mess.

"Bloody rotten form! You aren't the only two rotters in the whole bloody room, watch where you're going!"
A string of irritated words, punctured with a painfully fake British accent, began to stream from the bearded man as he scraped himself off the floor, neck flushing red with an instant, unreasonable wave of anger toward a situation that had been his own fault.
His words were crisp enough, and he did not yet give off the stench of over indulgence, but it was clear by the vaguely glassy expression in his eyes that the man had already had one too many of the complimentary beverages offered in the refreshment area. His partner was left to pick herself up, and once she'd brushed a few wrinkles from her gown she slipped off to find someone more genteel to spend the evening with, shooting a look of disgust at his back before disappearing into the crowd without a word to any of them.

He seemed content to blast the pair with unreasonable accusations, but when no apology was forthcoming and he began advancing on them with unpredictable intentions, Skylar subconsciously drifted closer to her partner. Not so close they were touching, but close enough that her body was partially shielded by his left shoulder. He owed her no protection, but it was an instantaneous reaction any woman would have employed under the circumstances.