Welcome to Abyssus Invocati!

[Marija]

This was one of the rarer occasions that Marija allowed herself to be really in the hands of her maids. They had her hair up - her raven tresses twined with pearls, framing her face in such a way to heighten the pretty shape of it. She wore rouge and color on her lips, and her ears had diamonds dangling from them. Her dress was of the finest cloth, pale peach in color, with the usual corset and the sweeping skirts. She still thought her gloves were a bit too long, but she could deal with it just for this evening.

Her father had arranged to meet with the nobility, and there was word that even the Queen Mother would be present. Truth be told Marija was a bit nervous; she knew the political currents and who to watch out for in Krelos, but Aspyre was new territory, not even her own. They were just going to test the waters for now, see if the Sultan could have allies in this pool of people.

She looked around at the Hall of Gathering, marveling at the lights and the decorations. It was grandeur in itself, though of course different from the way the Krelos court glittered in her eyes; the Sultan in the center of it, and his harem finally allowed out, to mingle with the crowd. She had once marveled at those beauties; the way they were dressed, the jewelry they wore. Some she found nicely enchanting, while others really looked like they were just badly dressed. Sometimes money could make an ugly person beautiful.

Her father was beside her. She had her arm hooked with his, and she looked up when he patted her hand and led her forward. Here goes. The first... Marija automatically flashed her charming smile.

[Haine vi Desjardin]

Haine and his mother went to the Hall of Gathering. Thibault was too sick, so he decided to let his son take his place. His father said this is an opportunity to meet up with the other nobles, made connections and interact with them. Elimere on the other hand, thinks that this is a good opportunity to find a well suiting bride for his youngest.He had no comment on what his mother's purpose on coming to the party. It was really...out of his league.

And if says something, probably he'll have a bloody nose.

The youth was dressed up in his finest. A white winged collared shirt was under a waist coat. Over it was a black swallow tailed coat that was buttoned. He also wore a pair of trousers and his leather shoes. The family's signet ring was snugged to his right ring-finger. He looked perfect, his mother complimented. Elimere also mentioned that he'll make the young ladies swoon on how he looks.

Yeah. Right.

The hall was adorned beautifully with flower arrangements. The lights were flickering like little fireflies up in the air. It was going to be a long night, with lots of dancing. Haine expects that his feet and legs will be sore soon. He's a good dancer, so his mother said. After all, he was trained since he was a child.

...

It was all or nothing at this point. Haine offered his hand to his mother. Elimere gladly took it as they leaned forward and walked down the steps.

[Thobari]

Thobari felt absolutely silly in his uptight uniform. It felt worse that his mother had been very critical on his looks. He absolutely stopped her from tinkering with his hair though. Though his butt did look good in this Aspyrian monstrosity, he felt hot underneath all the finery. You would too if it was in the middle of summer and you were wearing a black tailcoat with silk facings, black trousers with a single stripe of satin that HAD to be worn with suspenders, a white plain stiff-fronted cotton shirt with it's annoying winged collar. Thobari had forgone the usual bowtie with a black tie. He also made sure to deviate on the fact that his waistcoat was a stunning gray.

Hurhurhur. His leather shoes were new, another thing his mother had been critical of. It took him some time to get the oil just right to get them to stop squeaking.

Thobari had pulled out all the stops for this ball. True, it was a way of saying that 'KRELOS IS HERE. LOOKY', but also it was for Thobari to begin gauging the Aspyrian court.

As a way of reassuring his daughter, he patted her hand, and then gave a smile as they moved into the hall.

Well, it was showtime.

[Mordred Orethlain]

Well, the article did say that Mordred could come. It said it was a free for all. So Mordred being himself, he couldn't resist it. He was dressed on a different level now, the kind where you wore your clothes with grace and walked with pride. Mordred always had a good eye for color. He still wore his black tailcoat, but replaced the waistcoat with another of a deeper blood color. With black gloves, a black tie and a dark blue stiff collar ribbed shirt, Mordred looked every inch the nobleman that was not.

Of course, he also wore a top hat and a mask. It was something he was proud of. A vertical line split the mask in two parts. One was white, the other was black. Mordred Orethlain felt it very appropriate. He did cut the mask so that the lower half of his face could be seen though.

Mordred Orethlain was already out on the floor, a wine glass in hand.

Ah, parties.

How he loved to play with people.

[Seris Arcshot]

His father had forcefully called him out of duty just for a party. As much as Arcshot wanted to protest, he could not go against the man who has given him direction in his life. Besides, it was expected that he would go in the place of his elderly father. Oh the things he had to put up with since Gerath defected.

Arcshot donned his usual formal wear, composing of a white long-sleeve shirt with a rather stiff collar with a black blazer coat, and his graduation-day slacks and leather shoes which were only worn once aside from tonight. He didn't bother wearing a hat; it would look bad on him and would greatly clash with his long red hair. Along with his clothes, Arcshot was told to bring his bow and his family sword as a sign as of his family's presence during the event. Hopefully no one would take this as a gesture of hostility since they were a military oriented family after all.

The summer heat had been evident even in the evening. Had it been morning, Arcshot would have forced his way inside without his coat and his sleeves rolled up. He wiped his head with a handkerchief as popped a few hors d'oeuvres into his mouth.

For one night only, he'd drop the moniker "Arcshot" and become Seris O'treal for the rest of the event.

[Jessica]

Jessica and her parents were invited to the Hall of Gathering, an embassy party it seems. Her mother had her hair curled, then pulled back somewhat loosely and arranged it in a large chignon wore low on the back of her head. Short, curly bangs in front. For jewelry, she wore a jeweled comb on top of her chignon, a pair of heart earrings and jeweled necklace with a sapphire centerpiece was wrapped around her neck

Sophie believed it would make her daughter attractive and more refined, though for Jessica, she found it completely unnecessary. For one, her natural pink hair color is already difficult to forget. She wasn't spared much from her choice of clothes either but she found nothing to complain about. Jessica wore a gown synthesized of ivory lace and golden satin, along with long white sleeves reaching her elbows. Her white mid heel shoes had cute ribbons at the ends.

Overall, she was a glamorous, golden beauty or so her parents said. Undoubtedly, Jessica knew her parent's real motives were trying to attract her a fine suitor. Fortunately, to her relief, the foreigner's child was said to be a daughter so there's at least little complications involving foreign affairs, or so she thought.

Reis was also invited but only as a translator. Regardless, she still kept her senses sharp despite her rather casual demeanor. She was not wearing her maid's dress, rather her mother offered to spare her one of her 'old' dresses and was garnered in a dark blue evening dress. Their carriage soon arrived at the Hall of Gathering, where a crowd has already been mustered.

Ushers greeted them and escorted her family (they even mistaken Reis for a noble) to the steps towards the hall, where everyone awaited.

[Amelia von Windsor]

Amelia's eyes seemed slightly irritated. She hated these gatherings, somewhat. The good part was that she was able to see Haine after a few days of not meeting, and maybe seeing the odd good noble or two--a certain pink Siren who she thought was quite interesting.

Dressed in a long, Grecian-inspired pearly white gown, with a golden sash. Her hair was long and flowing, and she had light make up--little to none, actually. Her whip was missing from her ensemble.

She looked about and sighed, looking bored. And she was.

[Anke de Schuldeif]

Damn Liv and her efficiency, sometimes. There was literally no work to be done for the next three days; Anke had no excuse to avoid the invitation, and she would rather not have to deal with the political repercussions if somehow the absence of the Schuldeif Head insulted these Krelos newcomers.

Plus... she was bored. Horribly so. Idle hands were never acceptable, and if this were a way to serve Aspyre (however small and finely dressed) then so be it. She would play this game.

For this event Anke wore a man's formal attire, tailored specifically for her build and tastes. The main pieces were pitch black, with molten gold strips twining into the Schuldeif emblem blazing at the suit's back. Two coattails hung low, sometimes flicking the back of her legs as she walked. Several white stripes ran down the suit in it's entirety; three perfectly symmetrical thin stripes in the front, two down the very back. Obligatory ruffles hung from her sleeves and folded neatly about her collar, rising out of the slit in her suit's neckline.

The four very small hoop earrings that Anke had piercing through her left earlobe gleamed under the lights; it was one of the few accessories she allowed herself. Other than her starkly contrasted duds and the shine of her matching thin leather boots (formal, yes, formal, they were stylish boots rather than the practical ones she usually wore), Anke did not bother to hide the mocking arch to her eyebrows and the tilt of her lips.

She would not dance. Anke had no idea how to go about it, and rather than publicly make herself a fool... well, perhaps she could entertain herself by toying with the noble ladies.

[Marija]

"Father, you look absolutely presentable AND noble, so quit fretting!" Marija whispered the words to her father's ear as she continued to clutch at his arm. She extended her free hand and fixed his collar, just in case he needed the gesture to reassure him.

And then the presence of the Houses were announced as the guests came one by one. Marija looked at each guest, curtsying beautifully where her father bowed when the newcomers came to them to exchange the first few customary greetings. Several inquired about the Sultan and Krelos in general, some inquired their address. Some looked at her appraisingly, then at her father, and Marija smiled them all away.

Smile. It makes people think you're having a good time.

Well, she was still having a good time, seeing the royalty and nobility of Aspyre. Allies and foes, maybe both. Her curiosity was struck by the glimpse of a woman in a suit, though. Oh, how Marija wanted to have been dressed in more comfortable clothes. She would certainly like to be able to wear her usual short skirts in events like these, but even her father would not allow her that. She had to cope.

When she saw the King, though...

A faint giggle. Marija had to raise her fan to hide her face briefly at the sight of the King.

Well, His Highness is certainly more amiable in the market than being all so stiff and shiny here. Haha.

[Haine vi Desjardin]

And the other Houses came to the party as well. Amelia for once, looked simple and Lady Anke looked surprisingly like a man; thanks to her features and wardrobe. Most of the nobility of the city was here, trying to make connections or just being flashy because of the new clothes they have. Haine stayed still as guests approached them. He bowed, while his mother curtsied. They have the occasional conversations: How does it feel like?, What are your plans?, What do you think....and of course, god damn marriage.

His Highness confessed that marriage was the last thing on his mind. Though, the Queen Mother is probably planning something. Her eyes were fixated on some girl she had met earlier. A soft smile flashed to her face; she was really up to something...evil. Elimere's eyes turned to her son and whispered, "Relax, boy." Then she playfully struck Haine's arm with her fan. "You'll probably end up like your father. Grumpy and sour."

"I'll try." Haine mused, "But you know my feelings about parties, Mother."

His mother smiled, "I know." She mused. "But at least try to loosen up...we're meeting up with the representative from Krelos. We're trying to have at least a good impression with them."

"Shall we meet up with them?" He asked.

Elimere shook her head, "No. Maybe later." She said. "They're busy greeting the other guests. It's better to talk to them in private."

[Thobari]

Thobari nearly slipped on that last step. Curse these shoes. Mother PROMISED he would grow into them, dammit!

"Father, you look absolutely presentable AND noble, so quit fretting!" Marija whispered the words to her father's ear as she continued to clutch at his arm. She extended her free hand and fixed his collar.

djgshjskj thank you. @_@

And then the presence of the Houses were announced as the guests came one by one.

Thobari steeled himself. Well, it was time to make an impression. He delivered a wonderful respectful bow when the other nobles came forward. Thobari made a mental list of their names, their occupations, the lands they claimed as theirs. No doubt they were seeking favor with him, as they were mostly minor houses. The major houses, it seemed, expected him to come to them.

Lord Meron of Nablus, a very minor house, seemed like a puffed up little tyrant. Lord and Lady Everglot, owners of a horse farm that gave the very best horses, wonderful hair by the way. Thobari smiled with all due respect, making chitchat as required. He indulged their questions graciously, although when it came to statistics, he just replied with the numbers he had memorized back at Krelos.

Lord Warder Lytol, holding baby James as he bowed to him. Well, that was an unusual situation. Lytol was Lord Warder to a boy he wasn't even related to. Thobari made a mental note. Aspyre had a myriad of people, Thobari realized, when he saw a woman in a suit. No doubt that was the infamous Anke Bernat of Schuldeif.

No major house had approached him yet. Thobari smiled away at the various minor houses that came forward.

[Mordred Orethlain]

Mordred Orethlain was a man famed for his tact. Mordred Orethlain was also famed for observation. He knew that the Lord of Ibelin had tripped on his own feet a minute ago, knew how much of a simpleton he was when he ratted off numbers like he had memorized them as a good soldier should. It wasn't as if Mordred was antagonizing the man, but of course, the nobles should've noticed that the Lord of Ibelin was an unlearned fool.

They should've noticed, but they chose to ignore it. After all, a Lord was a Lord, and the Lord of Ibelin knew how to communicate with other people, despite his accent, and despite his simplistic words.

Mordred Orethlain sipped at his champagne. He saw his brother too, dressed in his finery, with the Queen Mother on his arm. He had heard rumors, you know, about the King and the Lord of Ibelin's daughter.

Mordred would like to very much rectify the situation.

But not now. He had a party to watch.

[Seris Arcshot]

It was like his graduation day celebration only with more guests. There were some nobles he had known for quite some time, and there were others who greeted him without even knowing who they were. His chatting was limited to "Which family are you from?", "How's you're father?" or the more typical "Aren't you the brother of the traitor lieutenant?" Gods, how he wanted to drag Gerath back into civilization from wherever he may be.

Seris set himself down on a chair in front of a small coffee table and took a good look of the surroundings. He had first spotted the foreigners from Krelos who had recently moved here. One female and an older male, daughter and father weaved across the stream of nobles waiting for a moment of their time. Hopefully, the foreigner Crest had no ties with these people; Seris didn't want to act irrationally this time like he did at the library investigation.

Looking around more, he spotted yet another crowd gathering up, but not one like the foreigners. When he looked closer, he found the Queen Mother, and the young King Haine. It was typical behavior for people to talk with the big people invited, and at the moment, Seris didn't want to get involved. He turned again and saw a figure that sent a small shiver up and down his spine.

The de Schuldeif house head was here. His hands immediately went to check on his family sword and his bow. In this light, he'd definitely be seen and suspected for hostility from someone of her caliber. Seris had heard the tales from his unit, and he didn't want to end up like the people or the animals at the end of each tale. Might as well act naturally then... if acting naturally included profusely sweating.

He wiped his forehead and his face once more and reached for a glass of wine from a nearby waiter. For now, he decided to wait another moment before striking a conversation himself unless someone talks to him first.

[Jessica]

The usual formalities occurred and Jessica simply followed what she was trained to do being a refined woman. They spoke and asked common questions about her family and well-being. She simply answered back with polite and mannerly gestures while she let her maid speak for her hand signs. Most were polite, some were nice but there were those that were snobbish. Nevertheless, she put up with it all, at least she wasn't so much alone here.

Strangely, she can't help but feel like there was someone watching her or even everyone. Jessica hoped this was just a passing feeling and nothing more.

As expected, the three main houses were also there, she smiled at sight of Lady Amelia who seemed so surprisingly had a beautiful gown worn but that was not all. Lord Haine was there as well and despite her distaste in the idea of marriage with him, he was certainly stunning in his gentleman's attire. Of course, one can't forget Lady Anke, whose respect comes from both her authority and intimidation. She was perhaps the only woman who didn't wore anything feminine and likely to sway away prying suitor's eyes.

Jessica then turned her attention to the newcomers hailing from Krelos. Curiously, the new foreign arrivals weren't that really foreign to her, specifically the young daughter of Lord Thobari of Ibelin. There was no doubt in her mind she remembered that face but what concerned her more was if she remembered her which could raise some hairs.

Yet another interesting thing in the tabloids her father will tease her about every waking hour in the morning.

Jessica was so not ready for that yet. She still had some complications with Farlis that needed to be resolved. So far, she hadn't spotted her parents anywhere yet; they were probably confident with Reis being around. However, she could likely guess they would first approach either Lord Haine and pester him about marriage again or take to greet the foreigners to which will be introducing her along with them. Well before either, she made her first approach to Lady Amelia as she was perhaps her only solace at the moment.

Reis noticed her odd behavior; Jessica usually doesn't go to greet someone without her parents but regardless, the maid followed her along. She still had duty as translator after all. When Jessica finally met her, she greeted her with a curtsy.

"Please to meet you Lady Amelia." Reis spoke for her, already reading through her gestures toward the head of the Windsor house. Hearing her maid was already present, she switched to hand signs, Reis read each rapidly like as if it were simple book instructions.

"How are you this evening?" Jessica asked but more intimacy and meaning compared to her monotonous greetings with the others, her sincere smile and her glad face reflected those well..

[Crest Du Feu Noir]

Crest had slithered in through the doors of the large Hall of Gathering. The event was for everyone after all, and posing as a citizen of Krelos, it would be integral to staying incognito. Besides, the innkeepers would have wondered why he didn't attend an embassy party like this one, damned meddlers that they were.

He wore his finest clothes that he had been provided with along with a few more accessories like his new bejeweled cuff links and a white and black porcelain half-mask. He held himself in casual ease. Nothing like a party to observe the delicate political balance in between nobles and other nobles. He hoped to see how things would play out.

Crest played with his ruby cuff link with his free hand as his other swirled his champagne.

A "How are you this evening?" were the first coherent words that he heard. He heard it because the voice was familiar. It was The mute Lady Jessica all dressed up for the occasion along with the voice's owner, her feral maid, Lady Reis. The pair had approached an unfamiliar noblewoman. Socializing was not his role here but he might have to regardless. Besides, the military would no doubt act if anything were to come up.

Observe only. And mingle.

He adjusted the long and ornate length that was Dendrobium, and made sure of the reassuring and poisonous presence of Lachrymal near his heart.

In a corner alone was the army private that had accosted him in the great Alperin Library. Curious would be a second meeting. Not to mention strange. Maybe even a little interesting. He wondered if his would-be host was present but informants told him that the Lady von Krieger was never fond of parties. Strange for a woman of such wealth. Eccentric by all accounts.

He gave his champagne flute a second swirl and walked up to the sweating bowman. Clearly feeling awkward, this man who he knew had the mettle to kill another human being, was ill at ease in this soiree.

His startlingly red lips parted in a smile, one half obscured by his mask. He paused just before the man's senses could register his presence an sipped a mouthful of the fine vintage.

"Why, good evening Private O'Treal, fancy meeting you here" he whispered over the din. If the man's senses were honed correctly as an archer, he was sure to hear this greeting.

Crest's smile persisted.