The Dragons Masquerade begins tonight, after a month of preparation and looming.
Our carriage is to arrive tonight, sometime soon, I'm sure.
And I can't stop the nerves that steal my heart. No matter how much I try to quash the thoughts that race in my head, they scratch and bubble at the surface regardless.
I know why these feelings rise in me, but they should not. We will arrive, observe, leave. As simple as simplicity itself.
I pinch a page between thumb and finger, rubbing it with the both of them, feeling the creases in the paper. It's been a while since I've retained any information from it, words flowing past my mind like water over rocks.
I sigh and close the book shut, pushing it off to the side. I close my eyes, letting my head fall into an open palm.
The waiting is almost always the worst part of this. The lead up to the mission, the anticipation jumping in my guts that I can't whisk away with the thrill of battle.
I loathe it with every bone in my body.
I feel soft and warmth pressing onto my shoulders amidst my thoughts, snaking over my chest.
"Feeling stressed, dear Knight?" A soft, husky voice asks, tinged with amusement.
"No more than usual my Lady." I respond in turn, keeping my eyes shut for the moment. I hadn't heard her, never do, though I''m used to her antics by now. This seems to be a favourite as of late.
"Awh, not even a jolt this time about? Have I gotten so stale?"
"I wouldn't dare insinuate, Mistress." She huffs, heated breath brushing against the tip of my ears, forcing a twitch out of them.
"I'll find some other way to get a rise out of you, I do enjoy the challenge." She says with a giggle. She squeezes me tighter, familiar warmth pressing against my back. "Thought to do some reading before your mission, Knight?"
"Thought to distract my mind."
"Mm, and how did that go for you?"
"Poorly." She giggles once more, perhaps she finds my dryness amusing. I crack an eye open as I hear shifting before me, a purple wreath covering the book and bringing it closer, before being lifted off the table entirely.
"A book on the human-keidran war? She muses with a hum. I look up to see her open the book, flipping through the pages idly. "On one hand, I can see why it went poorly, history is hardly the most entertaining subject. On the other, I thought war would pique your interest."
"As did I." I'd be jotting down thoughts in my journal if I knew what to write, and assuming I could hold my quill still enough for it to be legible to myself. Reading something from the library was the next choice, I thought it'd fill my mind with something else to pass the time. I thought wrong. "What about you, do you care for either?"
"The logistics of war, maybe, as well as the happenings behind the scenes more so than the battles themselves. But history in general?" A chuckle and the release of her arms around me."I prefer to look for the future above all else."
She slides past me, my neck twisting to face her. She takes a seat, not on any of the chairs besides me, but upon the table instead. Her leg crosses over one another, elbow digging into her thigh and chin atop a palm.
"Though I do wish that I could've visited Morlin Castle, if only to sate my curiosity." She says with a wistful sounding sigh. "Alas, that was before my time, so Morlin Hall is what we have now."
"Morlin Hall? The Human capital?" I recall the name, but not the history, hearing about a castle is new to me. "Was Morlin Castle lost during the war?"
"Mhm, destroyed by keidran during the first war, as it were. Such is the way of things though. Morlin Hall itself is quite modest truthfully, one wouldn't think of it as the capital given how we act."
"What does it look like?" Hearing this from her captures my mind easier than the pages of a book, it almost seems interesting. She doesn't seem to mind my pushing, given her approving hum.
"A single castle built atop the largest hill among the plains, with fields of plains and forests surrounding it. There's a lot of farms that encompass the landscape, from what I recall, where food and supplies flow from, particularly the former. Other villages too, though they're far smaller than what we usually work in around here."
"It sounds like you've been there."
"I have, once, when I was much younger. I was more curious once upon a time, though far weaker, in all meanings of such a thing. With no other means of travel, I had to take it upon myself to go by foot. Twas a long but uneventful trip, though not too unpleasant for myself, the people I encountered were polite at the very least." She continues with a smile on her face, eyes unfocused and wandering. She shakes her head, reaching a hand over to place it on my head. "I should tell you about our culture myself. You've done the same for me, it's only fair."
"I wouldn't be opposed to it." I mutter in response, doing what I can to ignore the building burning in my cheeks. She takes to ruffling my hair often, like I'm a child, or a pet. I won't deny her it if she wishes to do so, even if it wasn't soothing.
She looks down to me, a warm smile on her face. I feel her fingers massage the top of my head, intertwining with my hair. The haze returns in full force, dammit.
"I know you wouldn't. What do you plan to do for now, Knight? I can't imagine you keeping yourself couped up in here, even if to distract yourself."
"I'm not sure." I answer her honestly, lips dipping into a frown. "I'll find something though."
She hums, a finger tapping against her chin.
"Perhaps you could go for a walk, dear Knight? I'm sure that'll help burn off that nervous energy you have."
"A walk?" I hum to myself, mulling it over as best I can in my dulled mind. "I wouldn't want to be late."
"Oh please, there's time aplenty! Besides, I could always collect you when the time is right." She gives me a beaming smile, delight and mischief both dancing in her eyes. "We could always brush up on your dancing-"
"A walk sounds brilliant." I interrupt her, my cheeks igniting and jaw clenching. She laughs, a lovely noise that echoes in my ears even as she raises a hand to cover it. The one on my head slides down to my cheek, her thumb rubbing into it.
"You're quite the cute thing, aren't you?" She says after a moment of silence, her tone sounds… off. Endearing, but sad, the smile on her face matches it.
"Are you okay, Mistress?" I ask her, a frown on my face, heart swelling with a mix of worry and pride.
"I'm as fine as I can be, dear Knight." She says with the shake of her head, smile replaced with a brighter looking one. A perfectly maintained smile, it feels fake. "There's quite a bit on my mind, particularly with this little event here."
I frown, eyes glued to that false smile of hers, a mask worn, maybe as an attempt to soothe myself. How long have these thoughts plagued her mind, I wonder, how many more will?
Do I not do enough for her to know more?
"I won't fail you." My hand curls into a fist, nails digging into my palm. "I'll do all I can for you."
Just tell me. Whatever you need to take from the weight on your shoulders. I'll take anything you need from whatever poor soul keeps it from you, I'll cut a bloody path towards the brighter future I know you want.
Just ask, please.
So many words linger on the tip of my tongue, which I drive into the roof of my mouth instead of speaking.
The mask slides from her face, the saddened smile returning, a clouded look on her green eyes. She leans down from above, hands raised to cup my cheeks.
"I know, my dear Knight." She says, her voice low and morose. Her breath brushes over my lips and thumbs over my cheeks, fingers clutching ever so lightly.
She brings herself ever closer, my eyes drawn into hers. I feel her lips graze mine.
She slides past it, planting a kiss onto my cheek.
"Thank you. I'll see you again in a few hours, dear." She whispers into my ear before letting go. Her smiling face dissipates into thick wisps of purple, which fade further still.
She leaves, taking her secrets and thoughts with her. All alone.
Cold rage directed towards myself stirs inside, I raised my clenched fist to drive it into the table.
I'll never ask if she doesn't tell, and she won't tell if I don't ask, if at all. What a cowardly little thing I am.
I push off from the table and onto my feet, walking towards the doors in haste.
A walk, then. I prefer anything over being alone with my thoughts.
…
Cold air squirms past my fur, nipping at the flesh beneath, shaky breaths fogging up before me. I squeeze my eyes shut, taking in another deep breath.
One, two, three.
I exhale, letting both rage and breath leave my body. It helps, though barely. I still feel it simmering beneath the surface. It's the best I'll get at the moment.
I open my eyes and begin to rise, wincing as I uncross my legs. It seems that I've been here for too long. I force myself to stand through straining muscles regardless, and continue to force it through some light stretches at least. No need to bring my body to the limit, especially before a mission.
Finishing doesn't up doesn't take long either, throwing my shirt back on, looking up to the moon. It still hangs low, even after wasting my time walking about.
Though dark thoughts still niggle at the back of my mind, a walk did help push it down. For that I'm grateful, and it's another thing to add to the growing list of things she's done for me. An ever growing list.
The snapping of branches and stomping steps brings me out of my thoughts, piercing the silence like shattered glass.
I enjoyed being alone for a moment there. Only one thing around here could be so lacking in subtlety.
"Do you have need of me, Beast?" I call into the woods, ears twitching as another sharp sound of snapping wood fills the air. He'll rip a tree from the roots at some point.
"Me here boss!" The thing calls back, his voice deep and hollow.
"Follow my voice, try not to break too many trees." I command, praying to the Masks above that he'll be able to remember where my voice is.
"Okay boss!" He calls again, with the snapping of wood following soon after. "Oops, sorry."
I sigh, rubbing a hand into my face. He doesn't mean to be aggravating, his apologies seem more genuine than most whenever he realizes a misdeed, as slow as that process may be. He is what he is.
The stomping grows louder and I see him far before he'd see me, the man's body breaking past the foliage with ease. As large as the tree he is, finding a shirt that doesn't break immediately is something we deemed as impossible as his body.
At least he has proper shorts nowadays.
"Hello!" He greets, looking down to me with a grand smile, hazy eyes shifting from myself and elsewhere.
"Hello, Beast." I stand upright, neck craning up to look at him. He, of course, continues to look at me, smile plastered on his face. My eye twitches. "Do you need something from me?"
"Oh! The Beast at least looks somewhat embarrassed, though the expression looks odd on his face. "Old Boss want talk to you."
"Why? Does he have need of me?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. Normally the man calls upon his pet, rarely he visits my Mistress, but me?
The Beast blinks slowly, very, very slowly. I can almost see the things mind twist in on itself. I sigh again.
"Don't worry about it. Thank you, Beast." I follow up, before the man breaks his own mind trying to remember the why behind it. I'm also choosing to ignore how he knows I'm here, perhaps he asked my Lady.
"Is okay Boss!" The contortion on his face fades away, replaced by that grin once more. Perhaps it'd be more appealing if he had more teeth. "You go mission soon, right?"
"That's correct." I say with a nod. As muddied as the mans mind is, his human is at least understandable. Though it's a surprise he doesn't know about tonight, maybe the Stranger didn't tell him, or maybe it's my fault. He's my problem now. "I'm going with the Partner."
"Oh, you go with pretty fox!" He clasps his hands together to clap, a happy expression, though I can feel the air buckle underneath the movement from here. "Pretty fox very nice."
My eyes twitch again. Neither are descriptions I'd use for it, though a correction would confuse him.
"Yes, that one." I swallow my pride in the end, it's the best option for now.
"Fight mission with pretty fox?"
"There's no fighting this time, this is a scouting mission."
"Oooh." He drones, lips morphing into a perfect circle. He sounds like he's come to a grand revelation, ich. "But you no good at scouting."
I close my eyes shut, slowly, taking in a deep breath. He means it as an observation, not an insult. While not incorrect, it still irks me.
"I'm aware." I say instead, hissing through clenched teeth. "Let's be off then. Follow me."
"Okay!" A jovial cheer, the grin on his face spreading from ear to ear. I move past the man and into the woods. Assuming he came from the mansion, then this way is likely the quickest way home. Quicker than my idle wandering only to happen upon a small field. I hear his steps from behind me, lagging behind.
I appreciate the distance.
It doesn't take long for me to stumble on an interesting sight, one that forces me to pause. The natural line of trees ends abruptly, for the space behind it seems to be of a straighter path instead. A path of trees forced out of the way, the more unfortunate ones half uprooted and the stomped remains of foliage littered about. It, oddly enough, looks to be a straight line, trees unfortunate enough to be in the way half uprooted.
"Beast, did you at any point try to move around the trees, rather than through them?" I ask slowly, calmly, looking over the clear path we now apparently have.
"Yeah, Boss said to."
"So only a short bit ago. What did Stranger tell you to do?"
"He say go get you, pointed this way!"
"...I see." The Beast, oh so devoted to follow an order, did so explicitly as stated. "At least we have a direct path to the mansion."
"I do good job?"
"Sure." Another delighted cheer comes from the beast. I let whatever emotion boils inside wash over me, continuing.
We walk in relative silence, though there's no chattering, which I'm thankful for, the sound of the mans stomping still echoes in the night.
I wonder how he grew so large. Magic, perhaps, I can't imagine he knows why either.
"Hey, Boss?" His voice interrupts my thoughts. I shake my head, those questions are best mulled over later.
"Yes?"
"You good at fighting, yes?"
"One of few things, yes." I answer, eyes looking ahead. It's… been a while since my last fight, though, now that I think about it. I've been practicing what I can, but that's not a genuine battle. It's not close.
"How you deal with enemy that, uh…" He trails off. I stop, turning around to face him with a raised brow. His brows are furrowed, lips twisting down into a frown. "Is far away? I use bow once, but it broke."
Asking me for combat advice, hm? A surprise considering his station away from battle, but it's understandable. Not the first time he's asked me for advice, I can make time for this, it may prove useful in the future.
I hum to myself, looking him up and down. Were he a normal human, I'd be able to teach him the ways of the bow, or at least throw a crossbow over to him. The usual sort of both would crumble in his arms long before figures them out. Perhaps it could work, should one be made solely for him, but that's not likely at the moment.
Magic… no.
"Throw something at whoever's attacking you." I say with a shrug. It's a simple solution, but simple is what he'll need. "You surely have a good throwing arm."
Beast tilts his head inquisitively.
"How I throw arm?" He asks as he raises his hands to his face, eyes drifting from them to up his arms. I pinch the bridge of my nose, breathing in deep.
Stupid.
Dumb.
Dammit.
"No, Beast. That means you would be good at throwing things." I explain, nice and slowly. His lips morph into an 'o', a small understanding groan coming from him. Good, that's progress. "If it's needed, just pick up whatever's about and throw it at someone. Swords, equipment, anything heavy. Throw a rock at them if need be."
I let the information simmer in his brain for a moment, his face twisted in thought. Perhaps it's best to show him rather than tell him.
There's plenty of trees about, and the bark of one close by dangles off of the tree itself. It'll be a suitable target.
"Watch." I say, leaning over to pick up a nearby rock. More of a pebble, but it's enough. I pull my arm back, taking a step forward before letting it loose. It sails through the air befyote striking true, the dangling bark snapping back against the tree as its struck before splintering entirely. "It might not always be effective, but it's better than nothing."
"Ooh, okay!" Beast drawls and nods, a slow deliberate motion. "Can throw many things, you throw sword, too?"
"If I'm desperate." I stiffle an amused snort. Desperate or dumb, one would have to be either of those things to throw their blade. But, if needs must. "Throw a rock yourself, hit the same tree I did."
It doesn't take him long to find a rock, though larger than my own, it looks miniscule in his hand.
"This good rock?"
"Acceptable. Now throw."
He grunts, turning to face the tree. He pulls his arm back, much like myself, the very much visible cords of muscle in his arms tensimg.
I take a preemptive step back, trusting my gut.
He takes a step forward, mimicking my movements and grunting, swinging his arm forth. He muscles in his arms uncoils like a snake.
The rock, no more than a blur in the night, misses the tree entirely. It does, however, strike the tree beside it, shards of bark and wood exploding off of it. I squint and raise my hand to shield my eyes from the falling remains. There's a brief haze over the impact zone initially, though it falls away soon enough.
Beneath its wooden skin, dug deep within its trunk lies the stone. Were it something with any weight behind it, I've no doubt it'd have gone through the thing.
"I miss." Beast says, his voice a low, sad drawl.
"You did. Your strength is not in question, your aim is."
"I sorry." I take my eyes off of the tree to look over the Beast. Theres a sad expression on his face, eyes sent downcast. Not the first time I've seen him with that look, it comes rather often.
That of one who expects punishment.
"You already know how you can apologize, if you truly feel sorry." I say before turning away, resuming the walk. "Work on your precision."
"I do good soon boss, promise!"
"I expect nothing less."
The walk continues in relative silence once more, though the rumbling steps sounds a slight more energetic. A strange reaction, but I won't judge him if he improves.
Home finally comes into view, at long last. Not quite large enough to be considered a mansion by the usual sort that boasts of it, but larger than most other homes. A rather modest looking place given who owns it, though that makes it ever more fitting. On the dirt road before it sits a carriage, though no horses lay at the front yet, the Stranger himself atop the riders seat, looking up to the sky.
The carriage itself is also equally modest and unassuming, though sturdy at least. It seems as if there's enough space in the square looking wagon for four, ample space for what we require. A veil of cloth sits at the front, obscuring the driver from the inside, until one forces it up.
"Old Boss, me find Knight!" Beast calls out, the Strangers head quickly twisting to face us. He raises a hand in greeting as we approach, head slowly nodding.
"Good job Beast, well done indeed." He says with a slow clap of his hands, the man leaning back and kicking up his legs. "Everything looks to have gone smoothly."
"Aside from the light destruction?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. "Was it really necessary?"
He raises his hands up in surrender.
"Hey, I just said you were over there, I didn't think he'd walk through the trees to you, honest!" He says, lowering a hand over where his heart. He lingers there before his arms droop to his side's. "Anyways, move along now Beast, your business here is finished."
"Okay!" Dismissed, I see him move past the carriage out of the corner of my eye.
"Before you leave, Beast." I begin, looking over to him. I see him poke his head out from behind it. "I'll see you soon, to see if you improve. I'll give you a week at most."
"Hng?" He grunts, blinking slowly, before a look of realisation washes over his face. "Oh! I do good new boss, promise."
His dopey smile and eager nodding disappears behind the carriage whenhe finishes, likely to get back whatever task he has on hand.. I run a hand through my hair, sighing soon after. Its a hassle to remind him so often, hopefully it doesn't drop out of his skull.
"What was that about?" The Stranger questions, I turn and look upwards to him. He looks down to me, leaning into a fist with the tilt of a head.
"Nothing important." I brush it off. It truly isn't, though I might as well sate bits of his curiosity. "He asked for help, I've given it to him. That's all."
He hums to himself, gloved fingers tapping against darkened face.
"What?" I say, lips dipping into a frown. "If you have something to say then say it, don't waste my time."
"No need to be so aggressive, Knight, I don't mean to offend. Just lost in thought is all." He replies, relaxing into the seat. "I'm curious, why do you help him so much?"
"I help others more than him, you especially" Did he forget about that, or did he believe I rested on laurels when he's not badgering me for assistance?
"With tasks, yes, but only specifically those! This? This is you actively going out of your way to help someone, to teach them to do things, it baffles me." He continues, bringing up a free hand, a finger pointed upwards. "Just a quick count, there's- I don't know what you're doing right now actually, but that's one thing you're helping him with."
"Which is hardly important." It's throwing rocks, not exactly a high brow occasion.
"You've helped him speak properly." Another finger goes up.
"In some meaning of the word 'properly', sure."
"Helped him read." A third. My eye twitches.
"I'll not let him have lower reading skills than a keidran."
"Taught him how to bathe properly." A fourth. If he puts up another, I'll use his own fist to beat him.
"Don't remind me." I both shiver and grimace, brows furrowing. What a hassle that was, too, but he's wasting my time here. "Again, get to the point or I'm going to start beating you."
"All of this, without him asking you to, while actively hating it."
"I don't hate it."
"But you don't like it, so why bother? Why go out of your way to help?"
"Because he bothers to try." I say, irritation and anger squashed into a venomous whisper. I take a deep, slow breath, unclenching shaking fists. Accursed inquisitive bastard. "His mind is as dull as stone and as slow as a cadaver, but he tries. Even when his mind is muddled, he makes the attempt and learns what little he can from failures. He uses those failures to improve himself when he pushes himself later."
I exhale, pushing the rage out of me. I'll force my body to relax if need be, striking him would only harm her plans.
"I do not begrudge him for trying and failing, nor for looking for advice. I would if he gave up entirely. Does that satiate your curiosity, Stranger?" I finish, keeping my voice level. I keep my sight directed to where his eyes ought to be. He's silent for a while, fingers tapping against his chin.
"Huh, would you look at that." He says with a hum, a chuckle following after it. "Not quite what I expected from you, what a pleasant surprise!"
"You don't know me that well, I'm sure plenty would be a surprise to you."
"Perhaps so, perhaps so." Another hum. "I'm interested in seeing those surprises. Let's move on from that for now."
"Let's. Why have you called for me?"
"Just filling you in on the plan is all. First things first, you and my dear Partner will be put through a portal, quite a bit aways from the event itself. We hope you'll draw less attention that way, at least initially?"
"You can manage a portal from that distance?" I raise an eyebrow. Perhaps he's more competent than I thought
"God's no, we've portal keys for a reason! Delightful things, they are." He says with a scoff. Ah, that's believable. "We- well, your Lady has others nearby to let you two through, one to hold onto the key, one to be your rider. They will both be your entrance and exit."
I nod. Understandable so far. If this is all I've been called for, I'll be rather irked.
"Second, you are not to interfere with anything that occurs, anything at all. Protect yourselves if need be, join in on activities presented should you wish to, but if something happens, you're to allow it. No matter what it may be." He continues with a nervous sounding laugh, though it's covered up with a cough. "Your Lady was very, very adamant about that."
I frown. She's stressed that plenty over the past month, it borders on paranoia. Why does it dwell on her mind so heavily?
"Understood." It doesn't matter in the end, it will be done. "I'll keep the Partner out of trouble."
"I'm more worried about you two dragging each other around personally. Anyways, thirdly. Lady Nora." He clicks his tongue and shrugs. "We have nothing for her, just try to be so dull that you don't get her attention."
"And if we do?"
"Then pray that you're so dull she gets bored and leaves, at best we could attempt to revert what she does to you, but we can't do anything to her directly." He hums to himself, finger tapping against his chin. "Unless you're curious about how you'd look as a woman, that's something she has a penchant for. I wouldn't be against seeing that myself, actually."
I can't kill him, not yet. I must resist the urge.
"...I see. Keep your fantasies to yourself." I furrow my brow, glaring at him. He laughs, waving his hand dismissively. It almost sounds like a joke, but given the potential of a dragons strength, I won't chance it. Resistance isn't immunity, after all. "Is that all?"
"One more thing, and it's truly the most terrifying thing of all!" He raises one hand to his forehead, the other over his heart, leaning back dramatically. "I'm to help you dress for the occasion."
My Lady would understand. Surely. A little stabbing.
"Absolutely not, I can dress myself."
"I'm not happy with it either, I'd rather be helping out my lovely Partner with her dress, but your Misstress is helping her with that." He sighs dejectedly. I can't help but agree, it seems like an odd decision.
"Do you know why?"
"Something about having some 'girl time' together for once, didn't say much else even when I pressed."
…Hm, perhaps it's a bit less odd than I thought. She did mention building a connection between the four of us before. She may well be using it as an excuse to talk to her, just the two of them, without the Stranger hovering about. But now I have to deal with him, tch. Accursed woman.
Another sigh brings me from my thoughts, sounding resigned as his body lazing against the seat.
"You could always ask the woman yourself, you know. Though that'd be you questioning her orders, no? There's also the chance of you walking in on them mid dress-"
"You're insufferable tonight, come then." I interrupt his inane babbling, moving away from the carriage. "If you peek, I will gut you like a fish."
"You lack the features I desire." His quip is immediate, as is the spike of irritation in my chest. I hear him move about behind me, feet beating against dirt to catch up, throwing his arms around my shoulders. "Worry not little Knight, I know how to make a man look good."
"I'll beat you to death with your own arm if you don't remove it from me." The threat falls on uncaring ears, the Strangers laughter rattles in my ears.
I take in a deep, deep breath, pinching the bridge of my nose.
Damn them both for this. Please, let this night go smoothly.
…
The carriage jerks and shakes upon uneven roads, its wheels striking something beneath, a brief sense of weightlessness before striking earth once more.
"S-sorry!" The driver calls out from the front. Though obscured, I see the shadows of his head from the torch flame that flickers in the wind. He's silent for a moment, likely expecting a response.
The fox says nothing, its face buried into a hand. Tch.
"We're fine back here, worry not."
"A-ah, alright! The roads are a little bumpy for now." His voice wavers. He sounds nervous, not unexpected.
Bumpy, he says, it's an apt enough term for this, I suppose. Another would be… awkward, yes. Bumpy and awkward.
Other than hushed words to its master before we set off, the fox has said nothing. It kept its eyes looking out the windows and muzzle shut, buried into a hand. It's kept to the opposite side of me too. Were this any other mission I'd be grateful for the silence.
But it isn't. Not anymore. I've not a single idea on how to start to be friendly with this thing, to build a 'connection', but I'll find my way. I won't fail my Mistress.
This type of mission is the fox's forte, so perhaps asking it for advice might help. Yes, I'm sure that it'll be fine, stroke its perceived fine points and build on from there.
"Partner." I begin, speaking slowly. No need to spook the animal. An ear twitches, eye flicking from the window to me.
"Knight." It replies, voice terse and clipped.
"You have experience in these situations, correct?"
"Dealing with nobility and observation? Yes, I do."
"Any advice?"
"Act like anyone but yourself." It says, expression a mix between smug and sneering. Irksome little thing.
"I'm attempting to be polite."
"Don't bother, it's beyond your capabilities."
"I want this mission to go well, Fox."
"As do I, alas, we're stuck together." I squeeze my eyes shut, pinching my nose.
Breathe in, one, two, three. Breathe out.
"We've had a month to come to terms with this, Partner. A month to prepare for the inevitable." I say slowly, forcing an even, calm voice. "I am willing to put aside the past to complete the mission, I ask of you to do the same. Ask, mind you, not demand."
I let my hand fall to my lap and force my eyes to open, looking over the fox. The smug look on its face replaced with an almost tormented one, muzzle and lips twisted into grimace and frown both. It holds for a moment longer before slumping, looking resigned.
"Ugh, I can't believe you're acting like the adult here over me, this is awful. Fine, fine, I'll give you some advice then." It says with a huff, leaning back into its seat. "Do you have any experience with this type of setting?"
"None that would help."
"Wonderful, I suppose it can't be helped. Just follow me, let me take the lead with getting us in and talking to nobles, you can just act the stoic wallflower when we're together and let the attention fall on me."
"Understood. What if we're separated?"
"I'd rather avoid that at all costs, but if it were to happen…" It trails off with a hum, eyes squinting. "Attempt to take up as little space as possible, but at least pretend to mingle with a crowd. Blend in."
"I thought it'd be best to continue being a 'stoic wallflower' as you've said, to not attract attention."
"As a pair that's fine, I'll drag all of it to me if need be, but on your own? When people's attention will only be on you specifically? Less so. There'll be human and keidran both aplenty, but how many basitins will there be?"
I blink. Ah, I forgot about that.
"Mhm, exactly. Being somewhat engaged with others at least limits some of the mystique." It hums, hands palming down the crinkling of the dress. "I wonder if anyone would proposition you."
"What?" I frown, leaning away from the fox. It giggles, rolling its eyes. "Why would they, is this not a formal event?"
"Come on now, you really think people wouldn't take the chance to flirt and feel up someone they find attractive? The taboo of being caught here would only incentivise some. Besides, you do clean yourself up well, you'd catch a few eyes from looks alone, and you'll be seen as exotic." It giggles again, a polite smile sitting on it's face. It looks fake. "Until they talk to you and realize how dull you are, anyways. But that's to our benefit tonight."
"I see." I ignore the insult despite the twitching of my eye. "I can play being dull, especially if we catch the attention of a certain other."
"God's, don't remind me." It says with a sigh, wind taken out it's sails. "I don't know what to do if she notices us."
"Let me take the lead, then."
"Eh? You?"
"Yes. If she wants entertainment, then I'll give her none. I'll take the attention just to bore her, and pray that she leaves early." An adaptation of the Strangers suggestion, it'll depend on how quickly she loses patience. The fox looks like it's considering it, humming in thought.
"You know what? Sure, I'd love to see you handle her." It says with a bark of laughter, as flat as it sounds. "I'll handle nobles, and you the dragon that can ruin us instantly, no pressure."
It sounds almost mocking, but I nod along with it anyways. I still remember how it looked when we first learnt that nugget of information, the utter horror and fear in its body. That fear seeps through to its actions even now, despite the bravado, I see how it's pupils shrink, the shaking of its body and bearing of its teeth.
Fear is fine, I can work with that.
"H-hey, we're just about there!" The coachman calls out, nervous laughter following soon after. It doesn't take long for the carriage to slow to a stop.
"Let's get to it." I swing the door open and step out into the cool air, unfurling and stretching my limbs. It's a pleasant feeling after being cooped up for so long.
I look up and around the area. We've taken up space at the front entrance of the mansion, it seems. It looks to be made of smooth stone, light from inside shining through the tall glass windows that sit within them. The door itself seems to be made of glass too, the stone head of a dragon watching down from the top of it, the pillars on either side of it carry the symbol of a dragon etched into the stone, too. There's two floors to it so far, though the area directly above the front door looks to be a balcony, a fox keidran leaning against the railings. There's a few that linger at the front entrance itself too, human and keidran both, though they talk amongst themselves.
The door itself is flanked by two guards, one a wolf, the other a human donning a wolf mask. I assume they're the guards, at least, given where they're stationed and the swords at their hips. They look alert, but not aggressive for now. Let's hope they keep that way, keep things going smooth
"Can't delay any longer it seems." The fox brushes past my, arms stretching behind her head. It stretches, the sound of joints popping and a pleased sigh coming from it. "Anh, that feels good. Good thing we're early, I wouldn't want to rush."
The Partner swivels around to face be, planting a hand on it's hip.
"So, how do I look?" It asks, teeth flashing with a smug grin. A sleeveless black dress that lacks notable adornments, hanging down to its shins and made of what looks like silk. Straps rest comfortably on its shoulders, leading to a surprisingly shallow v cut towards its chest. There's a cut in the side, leg and thigh poking out from underneath it, fox tail swishing behind the body. I assume there's a hole for the tail.
"You look fine." I say with a shrug. I'm not one to swoon for clothes on a body, truthfully I'm surprised that it's covering up so much. Surprised, but thankful. The fox rolls its eyes and scoffs. "What? A dress is a dress."
"Ugh, not sure what I expected." It looks over itself, running it's hands down the dress. "Pretty comfortable for a dress, they're usually pretty restrictive."
I do the same, looking over my clothes. White shirt with a black overcoat that stops at my hip, black pants that stop at my ankle, my bandage wrappings pulled taut. There's no frilly poof on my chest like most noble shirts, no insignia or inscriptions emblazoned on any part of the outfit.
"I'm pleased with the look of this outfit, I expected worse." I twist and turn, gauging the capabilities of it. Despite looking like it clings to my body, it certainly feels as if there's enough slack to move about in it freely. I suspect some minute alterations, or perhaps magic enchantment. There's a hole in the back of my pants for my tail to stick through.
It's simple, comfortable, and effective. It's perfect. As is anything gifted by her.
"H-hey, you two! Just before you go." The coachmens voice interrupts my thoughts, turning to face him. There's an awkward, nervous smile on his face, two small sacks in either hand. "Don't forget your masks! It's a Masquerade, you know,"
Mn? I wasn't aware we'd be getting masks, too. I furrow my brow as I walk over to the man, nervous smile cracking further. I wonder what troubles him.
"Gifts from our lord and lady, I assume?" The fox asks as it bounces up beside me.
"Y-yeah! Nearly forgot about it myself, somehow." He answers, his laugh sounding brittle. He lifts one hand over to the fox. "Here you go Miss Fox!"
"Calling me Miss? That's a new experience." There's an impish smile on its face as it takes the sack off of him, his face flushing a soft pink in turn. I resist the urge to grimace, ich. He shakes his head before handing the other to me.
"Here's yours Sir, uh, not sure what you are actually."
"Basitin." I take the sack off of his hands, giving him a nod. "Thank you."
"Any time!" The smile on his face does strengthen, though not by much.
"Ugh," An irked grunt from beside me brings my attention to the fox. An animal mask dangles from the string strap, held lazily in a hand. It's coloured a deep brown, the two eye holes in it rimmed with deep blue that trails down to its muzzle, ending in what looks like a smile. Two fox ears rest on top of it, the insides of it sharing the same blue. "A fox mask for a fox, must've been Masters idea."
Hm. I can see my Mistress doing this to me if I was a fox, or any other type of keidran for that matter. Thankfully I'm anything else.
"I dunno, maybe he likes you for who you are."
"I think you're giving him a bit too much credit, dear." I ignore the chattering and run my hand into the sack, gripping the first thing that comes into contact with it, yanking it out.
It's a tad heavier than I expected, but it feels as if it's made of wood, with the same light brown colour to it. It's large enough to cover the top half of my face, ending in a muzzle like the foxes, though slightly broader in some aspects. Two eye holes are cut into where they ought to be, though the ears at the top look rather large, one of it leaning forward as if drooping. Black rims around the edges of the ears though, looking like ink, especially around the tip of it.
It's otherwise very plain, which I appreciate. I don't think I should be wearing this now, but I ought to keep it on me until the time is right.
"Huh, a bunny mask huh? I wonder what she means by that." The fox's voice beside me takes on a teasing tone, one that I ignore.
"Are you ready fox?" I ask instead, placing the mask on top of my head. I tuck the string behind my ears to keep it steady. I feel it sliding downwards initially before stopping. It seems to be holding just fine there, though bits of the muzzle stick into my vision if I look upwards. Good enough.
"As I'll ever be." It says with a sigh, twirling the mask in its hand. It doesn't move to put it anywhere for now.
"Let's get to it. Look out for yourself until it ends, coachman." If he says anything in return, I don't hear it, turning away to begin the mission.
Let the Masquerade begin.