Spoiler:

The parade was over, and with that, the carnival outside would start. Still, it was not something he wanted to do and honestly, he figured that he would enjoy his time inside for the remaining of the Mardi Grass. There was a masquerade ball going on tonight. There were said to be a lot of people, and when he had checked on Kailani, he could see that she and Nimbus were sleeping. He was happy that she was getting the rest she needed but upset she couldn’t have enjoyed the festivities.

He found himself taking a shower and getting ready for the ball. It took a while, but he found himself wearing a suit and putting cufflinks that were given to him with his time in the guild. He wouldn’t comb his hair as he enjoyed it messing. He remembered they were to wear a mask, so he put on black shades to cover his eyes and then a mask to cover his nose and mouth. Now that he was ready, he would look down to the side and he would see that Renji was nicely dressed up for the ball as well. He figured he was going alone, but he was wrong on that.

Still, now that they were ready, both would leave the room and started heading towards the hall within the guild where this was taking place. Yuurei would enter the place and he would see the number of people here. There was chattering all around the place people eating, laughing and he could see that there were people dancing. He enjoyed dancing as of recently and he wouldn’t mind dancing here as well. Renji would look around to see that there were too many people here. He wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to find Revy like this.

“Don’t worry if she’s here you’ll find her. Let’s get some drinks first.” He said as they both walked over to the man serving drinks.

“Can I get a margarita and water for this guy here?” He said as the man would prepare the drinks for them both.

It wouldn’t take long for the man to hand them their drinks and they would take it and sip on their drinks to enjoy the sensation they felt with drinking their stuff. Yuurei wondered who else was going to show up here. He was an easy find because he had an orange Exceed next to him even if he was clothed that wasn’t hard to figure out.

420

A portal opens and a sharp dressed Kaito with a fancy mask starts walking out with Revy at his heels she jumps for joy excited and she looks up Kaito’s well dress attire and she wonders if nimbus and Kailani might make it to this event. She knows it was too hopeful to think they could show up to the event.

Kaito is still mad at himself for keeping Lani out so late the night they worked together on his costume, he figured she probably got sick from that night out walking by the water laughing and talking till late. So he is gonna try to keep a low profile in the masquerade, and make sure not to make himself stick out like a sore thumb fresh hit with the hammer of his own trouble making ways and bad luck. He makes sure his hair is firmly tied back then placed on his shoulder with care he shouldn’t have to worry about.

He and Revy walk into the ball and Kaito finds himself in a large group of people. He knows he can dance if he must dance, but he doesn’t have any plans to actually do it here, unless he ends up getting picked up but he doesn’t see any chance of that happening for him.

Revy looks at the people Around them and wonders where Renji is cause she figures if they are there Renji should be around maybe hitting on or showing off to females of this guild and females visiting for the ball, she hopes he hadn’t gotten himself in any trouble as of yet though she wonders why she even cared about it.

(278)

Brone Heavyaxe was informed that the next event would be a masquerade ball at the guild hall. After doing a bit of research, he found out the event was similar to that of a costume party, however more formal than he would have guessed, which wasn't entirely surprising given that it was being held at the Blue Pegasus guild hall. Though he wasn't fond of wearing the full suit, it was the only formal wear that he had, his other attire wouldn't cut it. It had taken the dwarf longer than usual to don the upper wear, such as the dress shirt and the blazer since he hadn't worn the suit since he had first joined Blue Pegasus. His muscle mass had increased a good amount since then and he hadn't had the time to get refitted, so he would have to make due.

One final piece was mask, but he didn't have one, he was never interested in aesthetics for the face, save for piercings. Since he couldn't find anything that would substitute for a mask, he decided to attend the ball while wearing his helmet and figured no one would actually care.

Night had fallen and by the time Brone reached the guild, he could hear the eloquent music that played, a mix of the violin and piano, "Is it April already?" he wondered as he approached the door. He thrusted the double doors open, his arms wide as to show off his appearance. Some onlookers noticed it was Brone and turned away, already use to his entry.

Brone's Outfit:

A good clean feeling that can only be bought with a shower was making Amir feel good. He kept his promise to freshen up after the parade from hell. He would not want to look at a Blue Pegasus emblem or similar for some time. It was a shame he had another event to look forward to hosted by the guild. Amir had to meet some of his old contacts from Minstrel. It was his family's way of checking up on him. Amir would have been unaware of them being in attendance if it was not for the invitation that showed up on his bed. When he came back for a quick shower. The young member of the house of night was not too excited. Dealing with any vampires and their kin could be irksome to say the least.

This time Amir was dressing nicely. He painted his nails a dark black, with silver dots to represent the night sky. A symbol of the Nuit family. His hair was straightened out, it was not his usual style, but it would hide his facial features when he put on a mask. He did not want to put on an overcoat but he made sure his pants and shoes were nondescript. The shoes were a golden gladiator style that set off his skin tone, the only skin showing being from his shoulders to his hands. His mask was a silver dog mask made to look like an ancient desertion deity, it was enchanted to disguise his voice. It hid the mouth but could be used for food and drink. The scholar was thinking ahead. He did not want to miss out on any possible goodies they had. Giving himself one last check in the mirror he was happy with what he saw. He set off to the masquerade ball that was not far from where he was.

Amir followed the proper etiquette and presented his invitation. None of them had names. They were used to show that the person holding it was allowed into the party. Amir knew what to expect as masquerades were a common type of party in Minstrel. It was a chance for people to pretend like they had more in common. It was full of narcissistic sociopaths made to play nice. Amir could only pray to any being that listened that this party will have less drama. It would be a bonus if no one died.

Walking in, Amir made his way over to the desert table. He was feeling low on strength from earlier still. He could replenish his energy with a tasty treat as he waited. Vampires and their kin would not show up till at least after an hour when the sun had set. Amir was impressed that a vampire would even manage to get an invite to the very base of the Blue Pegasus. It only went to show that power and influence could make a difference. The same type of influence and power his family was pressuring him to expand.

[507]

Yuurei continued to look around the ballroom as it seemed like there were truly a lot of people enjoying their time here. There were a bunch of new people also entering the room as well. They were all wearing masks and making sure that it was hard to see who they truly were. I guess this was a good way to socialize with people that others wouldn’t normally speak to. The light mage would notice a small but big guy walk in. The berserker smiled as he knew it was from the style of his armor, and because he didn’t see a lot of dwarves walking around.

He would keep an eye on him, but for now, he would continue to enjoy his drink as he would take more of its content. He continued staying by the free bar. He figured he would stay here for a bit before venturing off and dancing. Renji would continue drinking his water as he needed this badly. There were so many people around him and he didn’t know if anybody here was bad. It pushed him to the edge, and he didn’t like it. He had to be protective of Yuurei because he sure was too lax for his own good.

“What are you going to do here Yuu?” He asked him.

“Me? I’m going to dance, but first, let’s finish this.” He said out loud as he took in all the content of his drink as he would walk away from the bar now.

Renji would walk by his side as well as he still had his water with him. Yuurei would approach a random woman within the crowd. Her physique was to his liking, so he decided that she would be the one that he would dance with. He would reach his hand out to the woman, and he would look into their eyes as they would grab her attention.

“May I have the honor of dancing with you?” He would ask them as the woman would look at the man.

She couldn’t see who he was exactly, but his presence was enough to show her he was strong and hopefully quite handsome. She would place her hand in his hand, and he would move to the dance floor. Renji would move as well as he was making sure that he didn’t get in Yuurei’s way but was close enough, so they didn’t get lost from each other. He would start dancing as eyes would turn in his direction from the elegant way, they both moved.

425|845

Kaito smiles at Revy and he knows she is a bit antsy. " Wanna be my first dance?" he sees Revy’s eyes fully light up with excitement and he laughs softly and he carries her to the dance floor with himself and he starts dancing with her as she stood on her other gloved hand and he dances with her and let’s her have fun and he keeps an eye around figuring he will see Yuurei here some where and maybe the dwarf at the bar or dancing with his pick of the ladies of the night, Brone clearly had the most charisma of the four men that should see one another at some point at the night.

After the song was over her let’s Revy down and he walks with her around so she can be protected from her getting stepped on, he has to admit Blue Pegasus knows how to throw a party and he is sorta sad that Kailani had to miss all this fun along with Nimbus. Revy is looking around for the orange cheese ball she knows should be around with his partner.

He gets with some fruit punch and Kai is careful not to spill any of the drink on himself and Revy watches him and laughs softly because between Kai being nervous, cautious of others, and really sort of awkward has a charm of its own that must be why some women stare at him, plus that he is a bit famous doesn’t hurt his chances, but most people just fear him because he is cursed and he is not a super open person always walking around in a mask and cloak bandaged up, he looks more like a horror movie monster then a person.

Revy ruffles Kai’s looser hair and giggles she hopes that he can at least have fun. He turns to look toward the door hearing it swing open like it did, he sees the dwarf making his glorious entrance and Kaito laughs glad to see he had made it and that he was right the man was one with a very unorthodox style and that makes him have a very big charm of his own.

Revy thinks she caught sight of Renji the cheese ball and his partner, she runs off to go and see him and of greet him as she hoped he was ready to party and have a fun night. ”There you are you cheese ball where you been hiding? ” She pets his head and she giggles. ”I can see your partner doesn’t waste time. ” she points to yuurei already in a woman’s arms.

(440)

The event was stunning to the eyes and the attire everyone wore was very elegant, however for the dwarf this was troubling, he couldn't tell who's who beneath their mask. Though it was easier to put a name to someone if the mask they wore was but a simple eye mask, but even such simple aesthetics made it difficult for the dwarf.

Brone would make his first stop at the bar and before he could sit on the stool, the bartender had already spoken up "The usual, Brone?" which startled the dwarf.

"Ye got magical eyes that can see through my helm?" Brone asked as he plopped onto the stool.

"No one has..." the bartender took a look at the dwarf and thought about what he was about to say, he didn't want to insult his best patron when mentioning his height, he's a member of Blue Pegasus after all, "... A frame such as yours; those broad shoulders gave you away" He laughed before turning away to retrieve a mug.

"Ah, yer right" Brone nodded as he leaned onto the counter, "Do ye know if any of my friends are here?"

"Yuurei was just here; seeming a bit cheerful, he's enjoying himself, I'm surprised" The bartender began pouring ale from a keg into the mug.

"Why ye say that?" the dwarf asked as he looked around the lounge area to see if he could spot Yuurei.

"He ordered a margarita, though he usually goes for-"

"Whiskey on the rocks, ye I know, but he can switch up at times" Brone interrupted as he turned to see the bartender handing him the ale.

"True, but Kailani has been absent and I'm sure he knows she won't be attending tonight." The bartender raised an eyebrow at the dwarf.

"Ah, good point... maybe he's moved on?"

"Possibly, he seems to be doing fine dancing with that woman" the bartender leaned against the counter while pointing towards the dance floor. The dwarf followed the direction of the finger towards the dance floor. It took him a moment to find a man with white hair dancing with a woman.

"White head with the round glasses?" Brone asked.

"Yes, Brone" the bartender was surprised that even though Yuurei only wore glasses upon his face, the dwarf was still having difficulty detailing him, "If you want, I can point out anyone else you're looking for."

405

As per usual the scholar found his way towards the bar. He had finished some snacks and decided a drink was the best way to wash it down. He got one of the bartender's attention waving a few jewels, and was able to place his order. “I will have apple martini.” He slid the man some jewels in order to get a higher liquor content in his drink. A trick he picked up in Minstrel, the land of the subtle.

Glancing down the bar Amir noticed a short figure talking to one of the bartenders. Amir was a good 92% sure as to who it was. The disguise would have been great. On any other person that showed up. An event that had no children like this meant it was an adult. Only dwarves would have a short and burly figure like that. It made them stick out a lot. The Fiore kingdom had a shortage of the shorties, even now Amir only knew of one dwarf. The same one he had met today participating in the parade.

“Well. You look like you are at least enjoying a nice drink. Ale is an interesting choice. I feel like it lacks the sophistication of some of the finer alcohols. Yet, it remains charming in a way of its own. Normally stout with a mouthful of flavor.” Amir walked over to the dwarf when his own drink arrived. The scholar did neglect to mention the mouthful of flavor tasted like piss to him in Fiore. He did not want to kill the vibe by starting an alcoholic based grudge match with a dwarf. That would be a lesson on futility. Too many livers would end up destroyed and who could guess the grudges that would form.

The bar was a busy and crowded place. When a person bumped into his back Amir did not think too much about it. Then a subtle whisper hit his ears. “La Maison de la Nuit sollicite votre présence dans dix minutes.” It was said in Minstreli for only himself to hear. It was the summons that he was expecting from his family. They came early but still gave him ten minutes. Amir felt they were trying to insinuate how much control they had over him and his life. The more time he spent away from his family. The more toxic he realized they were. They gave him an education and insisted that was enough for him to owe his life.


[414 | 921]

Yuurei would continue dancing with the woman as she could only smile because of how he was able to lead her so well. She noticed that he was familiar, but she couldn’t tell with everything he was wearing. Still, she continued dancing as she notice the number of people watching over them. It would seem like he had a presence that made people look at him. The light mage would smile at her as he would moving around with her.

“Are you enjoying the attention that the spotlight gives us?” He asked her wondering what she would say.

She would blush a bit as she would giggle a bit.

“I do like the attention, but you’re technically the reason why we have it in the first place.” She said to him as she continued dancing with him.

While this was happening, Renji would continue to look around to keep an eye on Yuurei. It was then he would feel someone petting his head. He would look to see who had done that to him, and when he saw that it was Revy his eyes would light up as she spoke to him. He would smile at her because he was happy to see her.

“Yes, yes, here I am. I’m happy you’re here Revy. I was hoping I would see you today, but wasn’t sure if Kaito would want to be around a lot of people.” He said with a smile on his face.

He heard what she said about Yuurei and he would laugh a bit because that was true.

“Yes, he figured he would enjoy himself instead of being down about the other things that were going through his mind. Still, would you like to dance as well Revy?” He asked her as he remember that Revy loved to dance.

Yuurei continued dancing with the woman as he would spin her around and then brought her close to him. She would smile as they were close to each other and then he would dip her and then she brought the woman back to her natural stance as the two of them continued to dance around the crowd. It wouldn’t take long, but the song would come to a stop, and everyone would clap at the performance. They would bow to the crowd and Yuurei would smile at her as he walked away from her and towards Renji.

He would see the Exceed was with another one, and he figured that it was Revy. He would wave at her as he was excited to see she was here.

“Ah, hi Revy, I’m glad you made it, so that means Kaito is here too.” He said to her as he was happy that they were here.

Another song would soon be played for those who wanted to dance again.

469|1314

Revy nods agreeing to dance with him cause she didn't want to be rude though she knows he is right about Kai not liking to be around crowds he is trying his best to do Fairy Tail well in these bonding events. "Yeah he is doing his best around the crowd he is mostly using his magic to dodge contact but he is still working hard not to mess this up so it goes off without a hitch."

Kaito stays back and off of the dance floor it isn't like he could really do anything about it as he still has to be careful so he doesn't cause a panic that ends up ruining the party for everyone else and putting shame on Fairy tails name and that won't be something he would want to do or cause at least not at this every moment. He tries not to get himself cornered as he walks around but he can feel eyes on him he isn't sure if they were in an admiring way or just staring at him cause he is weird and has sharp teeth.

Revy hopes Kaito is gonna be okay she knows a lot has been happening lately for him and she wonders how his mind is working cause he keeps pushing himself and she knows he has to be feeling the fatigue of it all on his mind and his body but he can't do anything about it.

Kaito get another glass of fruit punch and he walks through people with his drink and they stare at him as if they are looking at a ghost or some phantasm that has appeared for the night that could ruin the night, Kai just doesn't want to spill his drink on himself or anyone else so he keeps himself from having to do to much.

(309)

"Nah, don't ye worry about it, I'm sure I can find'em" Brone told the bartender as he scanned the crowd, looking for anyone familiar but this was proving to be too difficult due to the costume attires. As he was straining his eyes, he was then startled by a voice behind him, from what the masked man said, Brone could only make out that he was paying a compliment to his ale, "Thanks... I guess" he shrugged, not really sure about what to say.

Brone awkwardly took a swig of his ale as he fell quiet, though when he noticed the silver mask of the man who sat beside him, he openly admired it, "That mask ye have is very fancy, where did ye get it? I had trouble trying to find a mask of my own" he chose to start conversation, to save himself from boredom as well as keep from being rude since someone had attempted to speak to him, then the dwarf had remembered about proper etiquette when it came to socialization, introduction, "Sorry for being rude, my name's Brone Heavyaxe, and who may ye be?' Brone offered his hand to shake. Due to how crowded the lounge began to become, the dwarf didn't notice anyone behind the silver masked man, that is ifthere was someone.

224 | 889

Amir took gradual sips from his martini. It was unfortunate he could not savor the flavor. The drink was mired by his emotions of meeting his leech of a family. Talking to the dwarf was hopefully one way to sooth his mood.

“This old thing? It was specially crafted to represent an olden god of my home country.” Amir said the words with his pride and reminiscence. Learning about the olden gods was more of a childhood joy of his. It was among the stories his mom would read to him all the time.

Amir smiled when he saw the dwarf being socially conscious, funny the dwarf may be the only person capable of seeing the smile, as long as he looked up. He reached his hand out to shake it as well. “If I told you my identity it would be discourteous to the theme of the party. Still since you are easy to identify I should give you a couple of clues. My name is Rima and this is not the first time we have met.” Amir was vaguely enjoying giving the guy a riddle. “If you know it. Refrain from saying it aloud.” A small tidbit that was added in at the last moment.

This conversation Amir guessed was going to be the most pleasant one he would have at this party. He mentally kept tabs on the time. Amir was smart enough to be able to multitask. Mentally counting and telling time was easy enough anyway for him.


[252 | 1,173]

Renji and Yuurei would hear Revy speak to them, and they would smile as they would be able to do their own thing. Renji would grab Revy’s hand as she agreed to dance with him, and he would move on to the dance floor. The Exceed would lead her in dancing as everybody would look over to the two small cats doing their thing. They were impressed that they could dance and adored the sight that was in front of them. Renji would spin Revy twice as they separated from each other, but then he would pull her close to him as he would continue moving around with her.

Yuurei would smile when he saw Renji dancing with Revy but looked around to see if he could find the man in the mask. Yes, unless he was wearing a different mask, he didn’t think it would be hard to find him. He moved through the crowd as he was watching people hypnotized by the two cats. They were easy to move around, and it wouldn’t take long for him to find the man he was looking for. The berserker would wave his hand towards the man, and he figured he would speak up.

“I’m glad you made it. I see Revy is already having a good time with Renji.” He said to the man.

He didn’t want to mention Kaito’s name since it was a masquerade party. He would get to the bar, and he would smile at the bartender.

“That margarita was fruity and good. Do you think you could give me another one please?” He asked the bartender.

They were on the job as they would prepare his drink for him. Once they were done, they would hand him the drink and he would nod gracefully as he took his drink. Yuurei would take a sip of the drink as it was really good as he would look at Kaito again.

“How’s the fruit punch?” He asked with a smile on his face.

335|1676

Revy goes along with the Orange cheese ball of a cat, and they start dancing and she can feel all the eyes that are on herself and Renji and she wonders if they just hadn't seen people dance before or if it was weird to see that Renji had someone be close to him by choice. She giggled a little to herself for thinking that last thing cause Renji was okay just he is a little strange sometimes.

Kai looks at Yuurei knowing who he was without having to even think about it, but he figures him phasing through people like he is a ghost must of giving him away. He decides he is gonna just play dumb and fake he is not himself for a bit. "I am sorry Sir I think you have me, mistaken I am a humble traveling monk." He removes his gloves and shows the brands on his palms of yin on his left hand and yang on his right to make it more convincing that he was not Kaito as this man and thought. After showing the brands off he puts the gloved back on his hands and keeps walking and avoiding people like a normal person and not phasing through them.

Revy had caught sight of Kaito walking away from Yuurei and she wonders what that is about, if Kai had another dimensional vision and knows that he needs to do something or if Kai is just being Kai and is a bit on edge and trying to make his presence small in the crowd cause he doesn't really like crowds or if Yuurei had said something that Kai had disliked but she goes back to focusing not to let Renji step on her feet as they danced.

(297)

Brone's hand clasped the hand of the masked man and he tightened his grip in a friendly gesture. The dwarf understood and respected the reason as to why the man's identity wasn't outright given, the event's theme was the enjoyment of secrecy, or at least that is what Brone believed it to be. But what through him off was the fact that the masked man recognized him and stated they've met previously. Now the dwarf's mind raced, trying to figure out who this person was, but he couldn't put the voice to a face, nor the name 'Rima', he's never heard of the name before.

He took a swig of his ale to help his mental prowess, though he could admit that he wasn't sure if alcohol has ever helped him with remembrance. Either way, he stared at the mask, though the smile beneath said mask seemed familiar, it was rather difficult to recall figures he's met. In the dwarf's life he has met a set amount of humans, most in his recent years, so he can surely cross out any dwarves due to height and elves due to lack of long ears.

"From what I could tell, ye human" Brone pointed out as he leaned against the counter of the bar, "And ye seem young, so we've met in the past few years" he was rattling his brain, even though from what he has deduced, it narrowed down the years, but not the amount of people. During his short time in Blue Pegasus, he has met many humans, so the only clue he had was the name 'Rima', he tried to match it to different people he's come across, but nothing was sticking.

"Anymore hints?" He asked.

291 | 1,180

Amir finished off the apple martini in his hand. It tasted too great to merely sip off of. He made sure to do it between rounds of questioning from his dwarven compatriot. “Well any more hints and it would be too easy to figure out. All I can say is that you should think as recently as possible. To be honest it is not like it is of great importance. One second.” Amir languidly added in as he waved for the bartender.

“Another apple martini please.” He wanted the same thing; he just needed a second to order. Amir was picky when it came to his drinks. If the dwarf drank around him enough, he could pick up on it.

“Anyway. Do not think too hard about it. If you cannot figure it out just recall a float and a blue pegasus costume.” Amir would give the biggest hint that would practically spoil any chance at a surprise. He would have enjoyed playing around for a lot longer but he had another meeting to attend in a bit. He could not afford to be late. His family was not happy to be kept waiting. Amir also needed some time to decompress. He needed some minutes to temper his mental state. Showing too much or the wrong emotion was dangerous. Amir would wait on his dwarven compatriot, to see if the fellow had any ideas.


[234 | 1,407]

Yuurei would hear what Kaito had told him, and from the sound of his voice, he knew it was him. The light mage wouldn’t pursue him though as he was showing him a yin yang brand on his hands. He would nod because now he knew that Kaito had those brands on his hands. He never saw Kaito’s hands before because well he had them covered. The light mage would just sit there as he would watch Kaito move away from him, and he would shake his head.

“If you see the guy I’m looking for then tell him I’m trying to meet with him in my room and a couple of others to play some games.” He said as that wasn’t really what they were going to do.

When Kaito was away from him he would look over to the bartender.

“He is one weird guy. Always been and always will be. It’s why I like him.” He said to the bartender as he would look at his drink.

Yuurei would drink his margarita and he would smile at how good this freaking drink was. Still, his eyes would turn to the two Exceeds that were dancing with each other as he was admiring his friend.

Renji continued dancing with Revy as he would move around. He would notice that she was looking over in the direction where Yuurei was. He saw the other guy and knew if she was looking over there, then he must have been Kaito. He thought about why the two had separated from each other but chose not to bring up the subject to Revy. He didn’t want to ruin the mood, so he continued to dance with her.

He would try and dip her, and if he couldn’t then he would continue moving her around until the song was over. Once he was done with that, he would bow to the crowd as they would applaud because of their dancing, and he would move her to the side.

“That was fun dancing. Do you want to go find Kaito? I can come with you?” He asked her waiting for an answer.

358|2034

Kaito sighed and wondered if what he did was really the right choice he could have just spoke to them and not been like that but it is to late now, he is pretty sure if Lani had seen him do that she would have killed him. He wonders if he should just follow the man and pretend he is himself or if he isn’t. He hears the distant screams of people in his head and he hold his head and he finds a corner. What was that vision why did he see it, does that mean in a different dimension he just died to something, was it being shown to him because of a reason?

He sits straight up and rubs his eyes the vision has past and he looks at the crowded room again, was he still in his own dimension or had he swapped he wasn’t sure anymore to if he was even him anymore. He looks at his hands and his clothes and the people around it seemed they were all still in their own clothes and didn’t appear different to him, but he felt like he still didn’t belong here, like he had been asleep and is in a waking nightmare. Then he felt nothing, a void in his soul an empty uncaring spot were his senses just sharpened and his sense to survive aching reaching for his hip where is katana would usually be but is currently in Revy’s bag. He snaps out of it fearing what that feeling meant.

Revy nods to him yes. ” I wonder where he went, but if his eyes look cold try not to get to close to him.” Her voice had a slight sadness to it as she spoke those words. She had seen Kai in action while in that state and she didn’t want to see it again unless they had a good idea of what was on his mind, she didn’t want to see that bloodshed again. She leads him by his hand to see if they can find Kai in case he was having any issues.

Kai decides it is safer to get away from the party and the people than to sit there and risk any trouble from his mind slipping to that side of himself, he hates himself, he made it to the roof of the guild hall and just listens to the music and people mumble and ramble on about things, love and glory of the beautiful people they are. Kai doesn’t see himself as any of those things but he sees them in Lani, but he is a monster, he isn’t a hero in the end he knows he will end up being slayed and it will probably happen for a good reason.

Revy keeps leading Renji around and keeps her eyes out for Kai who she can’t seem to find no mater how hard she looked, at this point she was at a state of panic and she doesn’t want to lose Kaito. Her grip on Renji’s hand gets tighter in her fear and she pulls harder than she had been doing in the time she had been walking with him she was unsure how this could have happened was it cause she lost sight of her partner, had she let him down by not being there to support him, was he gonna leave her so she can find happiness and not dragged into hell along with him. Her thoughts are racing with no real end in sight, she sees Yuurei and pulls Renji to Yuurei.

”Have you seen Kaito around? If you have where did he go ? ” There is slight panic in her voice as she was clearly starting to get a bit upset and her eyes are watering she is cursing Kai on the inside for why he has to worry her so bad, is there still a barrier between them as friends even if they are partners and have been working together for over two years, did it mean nothing was his heart that guarded, was his darkness that deep that he feared to take her down with her, did he just not see her strong enough to help him shoulder his burden even a little was their friendship just an illusion to comfort her?

(721)

At first Rima had declined the request for anther hint, to which Brone just replied with a grunt before taking another swig of his drink. When Rima asked for another martini, the dwarf downed the rest of his ale, passed the mug back to the bartender and asked for another, "Another for me as well".

As the masked man suggested, Brone was going to give up on the 'guess who' game and just continue to drinking streak, that is until Rima gave another hint; the dwarf couldn't resist. He thought about it for a moment; back to the float from earlier, the only time he was on a float. Then he thought about the blue horse costume. Just when he was about to figure it out, he realized "That blue horse is a pegasus!?" Brone was shocked. When he heard of the name 'Blue Pegasus' he didn't know what a pegasus was, then he started to realize the symbol of the guild looked just like a horse.

The gears were working in his head, all the horse jokes he heard concerning Blue Pegasus and why Amir won't that costume in the first place, "Wait a moment..." Brone stared at the masked man, thinking, "Rima..." the name sounded familiar in a certain way, he quickly flagged down the bartender who returned with their drinks. He asked the bartender for a pen and paper and when he received what he asked for, he had written down the name 'Rima', then he stared at the name for a moment.

After a while, Brone had written down different variations of the letters before him 'Imar', 'Mair', 'Mira', "Mira from the party two months ago!?" he turned to the masked person, feeling accomplished, "Sorry, lass, but as I said before, I'm not into humans, ye gonna have to move on, it was just one dance" Brone leaned against the counter, feeling bad for the girl who had hit on him back when he was at the suspicious party, however he did feel a sense of pride that such a beautiful woman had went through all the trouble just to locate him. "There are other fishes in the sea and gofers in the hills, trust me" though he tried to sound comforting, he just so happen to move himself in a way that showed off his frame through his suit, "You'll fine someone, don't give up" he reached out and patted the masked person's hand with his own before taking a big swig from his drink.

428 |1,608

Amir felt his left eyelid twitch and his heart skip a beat. The infinity wolf had a nagging desire to punt the dwarf, just from listening to his shamelessness. Amir did everything except take off the max and put on the costume from earlier. He had to remind himself that violence was not the answer at the moment. If it was Amir would be breaking his bones trying to punch Brone. Amir had a weak body and the dwarf looked even more sturdy with all that armor.

The interpretation gave Amir pause. He slurped down the other martini in his hand. He had half the mind to waste it. A shame it was a good drink. Amir decided it best to pull out from the conversation. He believed the best way to shake the dwarf and not be rude was to just go along with it.

“I know. Just who could ever be as amazing as you. I know it is not gonna happen often, I just cannot find myself able to stay away from you. I should go and get some fresh air. That way I can try to relieve the pain of my shattered heart. I am glad you were at least able to remember me.”

Amir started to walk away. He was glad that the mask hid a voice disguise function, happier that his outfit made him blend in. Amir would have to murderer-suicide the both of them if the dwarf ever accosted him about this moment. The throng of people soon covered his form. The room was crowded and those that wanted to blend in would have an easier time of it.

The young mage of the Nuit clan made his way to the portion of the ballroom with the least amount of light. The room was brightly lit and it would look the same to those without discerning eyes. Those in the know could figure out that a crowd in one section had a bit of an odd haze to it. That was the section Amir had to walk to. He had wasted enough time with Brone before and it was time for him to meet the members of his family. Showing up a few minutes earlier would give him the time to prepare his mental state.


[382 | 1789]

Renji would hear what Revy had said. He didn’t understand what she meant by it, but he wasn’t going to question it. Instead, he would walk with her as she was holding his hand. He would look around as he was trying to find Kaito, but it seemed like there was no sight of him. He kept looking around as he could feel his hand being squeezed harder. It seemed like Revy was worried that he might have left her, but he doubted that man did. Still, he kept moving with her until she pulled his arm to move in a different direction.

This would lead them to Yuurei and when they got there Revy was quick to ask him questions. Yuurei would look at the two Exceeds with his drink in his hand and he would put it down on the counter as he would pick Revy and Renji up.

“Yes I have seen Kaito, but he was being weird. He tried to act like it wasn’t him when we all know he wears that same mask. I don’t know where he went through, but I’m pretty sure he’ll come to get you. So don’t worry, he probably went to get some air and didn’t want to bother you because you were having fun.” He said to her with a smile on his face.

“When he does show up, tell him I want to talk to him in my room after all of this is over, but we will wait here with you Revy, so no worries” He said as he relaxed a bit as he stood at the bar enjoying the rest of his time there.

278
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[exit]

Revy looks at them and she is unsure if maybe Kaito went to die or not she knows Kaito hasn't been looking good lately but she selfishly wanted him to do this event for Blue Pegasus she didn't stop to think about him, and she got lucky that Kailani called him out for it, but she knows Kaito had just been pushing himself so he didn't let her and the others down even though he was pretty much at his limit for it all as she just mindlessly enjoyed it, she figures he might hate her now.

Kaito stays on the roof he isn't sure what to do right now he can hear and see things from other places and other versions of himself, some of them good others evil. He also knows there is another him actively seeking himself that is a god slayer, but he was far better trained then he is currently. He hopes it never comes to here and hurts someone he cares about right now but he wants to keep everyone safe but he knows staying close to people it will just end up hurting or threatening them. He figures he has to get back to the party before Revy misses him too much or starts worrying about him too much.

He is not aiming to make her cry he needs to stop being so floaty and just be here in the moment before the trouble starts he just has to make sure he is ready to keep those close to him safe from it if he can. He portals himself back into the party and he can see he is too late and she is already worried and he opens a portal under her and she comes out on his shoulder and he smiles at he and she punches him on his head and hugs into his shoulder. He waves good bye to yuurei and Renji then he leaves with Revy through a portal going to show up for this late night meeting.

(339) (Exit) (2384)

There was a moment of quiet between the two and because of that, Brone was concerned. 'Mira' downed her martini and in that moment, the dwarf thought he would see tears streaming from the bottom of the mask which wasn't his intention, so he held his breath, trying to think of something to say, but them 'Mira' spoke. At first it seemed it was just compliments towards Brone, but the 'shattered heart' is what hit the dwarf. He wanted to say something, to clear the air and try and make the conversation better, but it was too late, 'Mira' stood up and left... vanishing into the crowd. That moment, Brone felt a small pain in his heart. Everything went quiet for him. This was quite odd, when they had last met, Mira was a joyful person, even after the declined offer, they still danced together, both smiling, but he could now see that he had caused harm and that is when he realized that there was a lot of effort put in for the expression of romance... Mira made it all the way there, doing who-knows-what in order to track down the dwarf.

"The pain is normal" the bartender broke the silence in Brone's head, "A denial is better than being let-on" Even though the bartender was right, Brone's regret didn't lessen.

"I'll have another" the dwarf didn't even look the bartender in the eyes, though he knew he was right. But Brone didn't enjoy hurting people, he always prided himself in trying to put a smile on anyone that would call him a friend. If he wanted to hurt someone, it would be with a fist or an axe and they would deserve it. But Mira didn't deserve the pain she felt for the love she had.

"As you had said, there are many fishes and I guess gofers out there, there's always a chance for romance" the bartender filled up the mug of ale and passed it. Brone took a swig from his refilled drink and though he was listening and understanding, his sadden expression didn't lessen. He wanted to try and make it better, maybe taking her out on a date, but it would be as the bartender said, leading her on, it would only make things worse in the end.

"Keep the drinks coming, I may be here for a while"

397 | 2,005

[Exit]

Amir cracked his neck and loosened his bones. He was not only mentaly getting ready but physically as well. His family could be a shit show and it would require all the ability he had to put up with them. The vampires were a selfish race with pride deep in their bones. Amir may be related through bloodlines in the clan. They still thought of him as lesser. Kind of like how people would see primates as lesser humans. Only big difference being that humans did not eat primates, normally.

“It seems you have made it. An impressive feat for a half breed dog.” Amir turned to the sound of the voice. A pale skinned greasy looking bastard was speaking to him. The man with the unbridled charisma of white rice. He should have been shocked to see the homeless looking good-for-nothing in an expensive suite, his second cousin Hugo. “I did not think a helpless sand rat could make it.”

Amir gave the man a friendly smile. His reply in Minstreli was the epitome of class. “Content de te voir aussi. Espèce de merde de toilettes rance. Je vois que tu ressembles encore à de la mayonnaise gâtée. Je suis peut-être un rat des sables, mais au moins mes parents me voulaient. Au lieu de la vôtre, ils ont regardé votre naissance et ont commencé à se battre pour un avortement.” This being the first meeting Amir could already tell the contents of it was going to go south. Hugo was the type that loathed Amir, he viewed him as a lesser, Amir did not care for him in return. In fact if it was not for the family rules to prevent outward infighting, one of them would have already been underground. Amir did poison him, in return Hugo did have his room burn to ashes. Still as family they were civil to each other on the surface.

“Stop wasting time and come on. The elders and the family do not wish to wait longer.” Amir followed his ass hat of a cousin, desperate to end the night with them as soon as possible.

[Exit]

[355 | 2144]