Prompt #14: Mask
Shadow had never seen a celebration quite like what he was witnessing right now.
Okay, that was a bit of a lie. The dark mirror had allowed him to see celebrations Link had attended throughout most of his life. He had seen many masquerades and balls. And he did once sneak out and managed to get involved in some Gerudo rituals and dances – exhausting and intense compared the nature of Hylians festivities (he had told Vio as much when he asked – but Vio still wanted to experience it himself). So, Shadow wasn't completely unaware of how these things worked.
That didn't mean he was prepared for the actual in-person experience of the masquerade. The room was crowded. A feat Shadow had thought was impossible with how big it was. People were decked out in the costumes; some elegant, some terrifying, some probably offensive and some simple and plain. Music echoed through the room, muffling peoples chatter, and tables of food lined the back. It was almost overwhelming, and Shadow wasn't typically well-liked at parties. Attention drew to him quickly and there was too much judgment in everyone's eyes.
But the outfit and make he donned meant that no one could accurately tell who he was. His suit was plain and simple, a black, refined suit that the queen had tailored for him. His mask was what was really eye-catching, and the focal point of the ensemble. It was a wolf mask, one that had perfectly fit his face and left his mouth exposed so he could eat. For adding bonus, Shadow even had his eyes gold and left his fangs as pronounced as usual, just to add to the effect.
Except now he got a different kind of attention he very much didn't want. A couple of girls who made eye contact with him looked up and down before inviting him over. A few males even seemed to make their own gestures of invitation, with less subtle hints behind their true meaning. Since Shadow wasn't interested in talking – let alone anything else – with them, he decided to ignore them and look for those he recognized. Even Blue's company would have been preferable to being alone in this crowd. If only he could use his dark powers without getting caught, then he could chase away unwanted attention.
Still, a blood red glare of two managed to shake away the more persistent admirers.
When he felt someone jump up and hug him from behind, Shadow was ready to forget Zelda's request and unleash a whole heap of dark magic. He was not in the mood to put up with that kind of behavior. That was, until he heard a familiar giggle and relaxed.
"I found you, Shadow!" Red cheered, "Have you seen Vio yet? He's the only one I haven't found and I want to see what he's dressed as."
Shadow managed to escape the hug and turned around. Red's outfit matched his own, just different shades of red, with very minor differences. That helped a bit – it meant that he'd know what the others would look like and would be able to find it better. Red wore a rabbit mask – it was actually more of a hood that covered his eyes - and made him look kind of adorable.
"I haven't seen anyone. What masks are the others wearing, anyway?" Shadow asked.
Red grinned, "Blue has a tiger mask, Green has a cougar mask while Zel has a panther mask. At first, I thought everyone had a cat-themed mask and I was the odd one out. But now I guess it was just a coincidence."
"I think Zelda just chose outfits that she thought fit our personalities– leave that to someone as smart as her. I wouldn't be surprised if Vio helped her out with choosing some of them" Shadow shook his head in amusement, "Leave it to those two to do something so lame."
"You still love Vio, though" Shadow was certain Red winked under his hood when he said that "I'm going to go look for him now. I'll send him to you if I find him."
Shadow nodded, "Thanks Red."
Red bounced off to go search of the hero in purple, which made Shadow laughed. A rabbit was definitely a perfect fit for Red. And now that Shadow knew what most of the others were dressed as, he had people he could go to when he needed an escape. Which appeared to be rather soon, since eyes wandered back to him the second Red left him. Why did he have to be modeled after someone who was considered very attractive? It was so much easier when he was evil. No one bothered him back then.
Shadow decided to focus on the task at hand and look for Vio. He'd be in purple, which is something that should have stood out in the crowd, and his attire would be easy to spot style-wise as well. Yet it seemed like any glimpse of purple was just there to play mind games (unless Vio had decided to magically alter his appearance to be unrecognizable as well as wear an outfit that he didn't think Vio would be caught dead wearing).
Weaving through the crowd seemed to become more difficult as more guests arrived. Shadow kept trying to avoid bumping into people, but it just wasn't working. The music picked up, and people were dancing without a care for those around them. He started to make an attempt to get the tables of food, hoping that he'd end up with breathing room and a better vantage point. However, a body cut into his path, forcing him to slam into a chest the reeked of something alcoholic.
"Well, looks like I found a cute little wolf, huh?"
Shadow was already done with the conversation, "Back off."
The man in front of him wasn't really dressed up – he wore a plain mask, with a wealthy but plain suit, but it wasn't much of a costume. It seemed more like a way to make himself look good while showcasing the amount of money he had. No doubt this was probably a noble who had traveled to the castle just to attend the ball. And not because he respected his current monarch.
And if he didn't remove his hand from Shadow's arm, he was going to lose it – Shadow didn't care if Zelda got mad.
"Don't be that way, I just want to talk. I just figured you wouldn't want to be all alone" the man grinned.
Shadow couldn't stand his breath, "I'd rather be alone than listen to whatever you want to say."
"I bet I could change your mind."
"I bet you'd change yours after I rip out your throat" Shadow didn't stop at just changing his eyes, he allowed his claws to appear as well.
The man must have been a lot more drunk than Shadow thought, "Hey, you're the queen's pet demon, right? I've heard a lot about you."
"I'm not her pet" Shadow growled.
"You're dressed up like a little dog, so I'd say you are. Why don't leave this party and" his gaze moved behind Shadow, "Can I help you?"
"Yes. You can start by removing your hand from my boyfriend."
So, he had finally found Vio. The man looked like he wanted to pick a fight, so Shadow made his choices a lot simpler. He enveloped his entire arm in dark flames. The man yelped loudly, jumping back in pain. Shadow returned his arm to normal, just as people turned their attention to them. Looks like he made a scene. He frowned at the damage he had done to his outfit and hoped Zelda would forgive him this once.
However, all those thoughts abandoned Shadow when he felt Vio place an arm around his waist and pull him to his side. Shadow reacted instantly, placing a hand on Vio's back – but he was still reeling from Vio's actions. Vio wasn't shy about their relationship, but he wasn't the most physically affectionate person. He usually responded to physical contact while it was Shadow who initiated it. So Vio deciding to do something as possessive as that was a rare occurrence. Of course, Shadow had very little problem with it, smirking the whole time as the man retreated.
"Are you alright? I know you could have handled it, but I figured that our queen wouldn't want to deal with the mess" Vio started to lead them to the food table, "You look nice, by the way."
Shadow just grinned, "I'm fine – and I think you look better."
In Shadow's opinion, not many people could pull off the color purple. That probably was because of Vio, though. He looked as regal as the queen he served. His mask wasn't what Shadow had expected, but he did think it fit Vio perfectly. A raven mask rested on his face, obscuring much more of Vio than Shadow would have liked. He could still clearly see Vio's smile, so that was a plus.
As they approached the food, Shadow could see two figured approach them – Blue and Green, based on the masks and attire – with purpose, no hesitation in their strides. They must have noticed the commotion and figured out what was the most likely cause behind it. Vio still didn't remove his hand, though, so Shadow decided that it didn't matter what these two wanted to say.
Green noticed his sleeve, "Did you light someone on fire?"
"I wish I did" Shadow replied.
"You should have removed his hands" Vio added.
Shadow shrugged, "Thought about it – I thought you came along to avoid me making a mess."
Blue scowled, "What happened?"
"It appears there are still people in this kingdom who don't understand the word 'no'" Vio answered.
"I bet I could teach 'em a thing or two" Blue replied.
Shadow shrugged, "If you can find him, have fun. I don't think he's as interested though."
"We should probably check on him anyway, to make sure that he doesn't plan to get even" Green stated.
They listed what they could about the man's appearance before Green and Blue left. It seemed that even when they weren't on duty, those two could never stop being the heroes they were. With them out of the way, Shadow felt himself relax once more. It was a lot better now that he didn't have to worry about strangers – it was very clear that he only wanted one person's attention. So, he merely selected something to drink, picking what Vio chose as he did not feel like anything alcoholic after the incident.
Vio pulled away for a moment before he extended a hand, "May I have this dance?"
"You are so lame. You know that, right?" Shadow laughed while placing his hand in Vio's, "And I haven't even started with the masks."
"I have no idea what you referring to" Vio teased, leading him through the crowd.
"Right. The smartest hero in the land wouldn't have noticed that wolves and ravens tend to have a strong relationship – that they hunt for food together and play together in the wild. No way you could possibly know about that" Shadow raised an eyebrow.
Vio laughed little himself, before he pulled Shadow close to dance. Shadow rolled his eyes at his partner, and started to lead the dance himself. It was very slow, completely different from the energetic and face-passed music that played in the background. Really, while other couples danced to the music, they danced their own song. It was nice, and Vio continued the conversation immediately.
"I wasn't the one who decided on the masks. I can see why Zelda selected them, though" Vio's breath tickled Shadow's ear, "Wolves can symbolize facing the end of one's cycle with dignity and courage. Taking advantage of change. It is a symbol of rebirth, loyalty, perseverance. I think that fits you perfectly."
Shadow nodded, "And the raven?"
"The raven is sometimes used to represent a connection to other worldly forces and can symbolize being able to find light within darkness. It is also a cunning trickster. It represents self-reflection, wisdom, courage and the power of thought" Vio answered.
"Fits you very well" Shadow agreed.
Vio smiled, "The relationship they have is a bonus. And so is the fact that both wolves and ravens are animals who have negative and positive connotations, depending on the view. They both can represent good and evil."
Shadow smiled, "Again, you are incredibly lame."
Vio didn't respond. Instead, he just placed a quick, gentle kiss to Shadow's hand. Shadow smiled (a little bit upset that their masks would get in the way of another type of kiss that he wanted) and decided to just focus on their dance. Slow, calm and at their own pace. It was easy to ignore the world around them.
Then, Vio started to hum.
The song was a slow, haunting melody that sent shivers down Shadow's spine. He could feel himself being affected – even though Vio wasn't utilizing a magical instrument. The Nocturne of Shadow was a powerful song, and he never got tired of hearing Vio play or hum it. He leaned in closer, closed his eyes and lost himself in the music Vio had created.
He didn't notice their feet leaving the floor as they danced.