The Ballroom

Subject: Re: The Ballroom Tue Nov 16, 2010 7:30 pm

Raivis seated himself between the two and smiled pleasantly at Angelique. His face was still a bit tinted from the look she had given him earlier, and he felt himself glow with pride at her comment. His happiness was short-lived, though, replaced by slight anxiety that was creeping up on him slowly. He had tried to ignore it, but Peter’s behavior was still unsettling to him. Raivis knew the knight had good instincts, but he had trusted Angelique well enough before- enough to give out their names, even. What had happened so suddenly to make him look so wary?

I guess I could be imagining things, he thought, watching Angelique nibble on her meat. I mean, she does look pretty harmless, right? She wouldn’t look at him, but Raivis felt more disappointment from that than suspicion.

“All right, then. As long as you don’t mind,” the pilot said, hoping to lighten the mood. “It is a rather interesting story.” He took a sip of his drink and sat back comfortably, eyes darting between Peter and Angelique on each side of him. “This was only a few months after Peter and I first met. I was still feeling really lost at that time. The night I met him, I had been thrown off course during a bad storm, and I-”

He stopped awkwardly. Raivis realized that Angelique was going to get very confused if he didn’t reveal his ability to her. He decided he wouldn’t have to go into the details of his past and how he had escaped from his life of forced servitude. She just had to know that he could fly a plane- that was all.

“Well, first,” he continued, clearing his throat, “you should know that I’m a pilot. I have my own plane,” that I stole, “and I fly Peter and myself to different places. It’s how we get around. Anyways, neither of us really knew where we were when we ran into each other after the storm. We were both wandering; there was nowhere specific either of us we were headed, so we just picked a direction and went! We ended up in Egypt eventually. The only reason we even knew that was where we were was because I spotted the pyramids the next morning, but anyway, this story took place the night before.”

Raivis cringed and hoped his storytelling would go smoother. Since it was usually Peter who told the stories, the pilot had grown a bit rusty. He had the tendency to babble, jump ahead, backtrack when he forgot something…even now, he was worried he was talking too fast. He’d just have to do the best he could and hope it wasn’t too painful to listen to.

“It was a long day. We hadn’t been able to gather supplies for a while week, and we were broke to boot, so Peter and I wandered into this town in the middle of nowhere. It was kind of creepy because the place was mostly empty- there was barely anyone outside. Some of the shops we walked into were open, but there was nobody in them, and in one of them, the food was all spoiled. It was really gross and made both of us nervous. Peter said we should leave, but I checked the plane’s fuel gauge, and the tank was almost empty and there was nowhere to fill it up, so we were stuck. I wanted to find someone to ask which direction to go in so we could refuel somewhere close, but no one would talk to us. They all ran away and some even shouted at us, but we couldn’t understand what they were saying. It was all really confusing.

“We decided to sleep in the plane and try to find a map the next day. But then there was this old man who came up to us right before sunset. He spoke in our language and offered to share his map with us, but Peter didn’t want to go with him,” because he was afraid for some reason, “He tried to say no, but I didn’t see what the problem was, so I said I could go while Peter waited in the plane. When I said that, though, Peter decided he wanted to be the brave one and told me to wait for him instead. It didn’t matter to me who got the map, so I agreed, but when I got to the plane, I saw that Peter had forgotten his sword there. Ah! He never makes that mistake, so it must have just slipped his mind or something! He was wearing the scabbard and everything when we were walking around town, but even I didn’t notice there wasn’t anything in it. We were so distracted by the heat and hunger…Anyways,” Raivis continued, throwing the knight an apologetic look, “I was worried about him, so I went to go bring it to the house I had seen him and the old man walking to. Except they had never gone into the house. No one answered when I knocked on the door, so I went around the back, and there was Peter- back up against the wall with this monster creeping up on him! It was dark already, so it was hard to see, but there was also a full moon and I could make out the shape of a tall creature with a lot of hair. I was frozen in terror for a second until I saw it about to lunge at him. Then, without thinking, I threw myself in front of Peter with the sword held out. I had my eyes closed and everything! I thought we were dead for sure, but the stupid thing was so eager to eat us that it didn’t stop itself in time and impaled itself on the blade. There was so much blood…It let out a long, choked howl and then collapsed at my feet. I couldn’t believe it! I’d never killed a monster in my life, and that’s still the only one. It still kind of feels like an accident,” he added sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Peter told me later it was a werewolf, but we never found out where it had come from or what happened to the old man. Peter said he just disappeared before the werewolf attacked. I never even believed in monsters before I met him, but since we’ve been traveling together, I’ve seen more than I’d like.”

He shuddered. The expressions on his companions’ faces were hard to read, but Raivis frowned, wondering if the discomfort he detected was the result of his sloppy storytelling or if there was something else he was missing. Maybe it had been too gory for a polite conversation. Self-consciously, he slumped back in his seat and nibbled on a piece of bread from his plate.

Subject: Re: The Ballroom Wed Nov 17, 2010 7:41 pm

Peter listened as Raivis told the story, never allowing his eyes to linger to far from Angelique. Every now and then when Raivis mentioned something that Peter had a different take on he tended to look down, but he always kept her with in sight. The story itself was usually one that Peter didn't feel comfortable telling. There were many things involved that he just didn't like to get into. Things that he hadn't told Raivis about after the whole incident.

The minute Peter had stepped off the plane he knew there would be trouble. That all knowing paranoia - the same one he was currently wrestling - had grabbed him like a prowler in the night, and had refused to let go. At that point in time though, it had still been a constant emotion, one that clung to him unnaturally and rarely would leave his side. It had been getting better for a while, but when he had stepped off the plane the feeling had doubled in ferocity. He had really wanted to just stay in there, but the couldn't do that. They were running low on money, food, and of coarse gas. They needed to find something in the area, so Peter had ignored the nagging sensation and had accompanied Raivis.

As if his bad feeling on its own wasn't enough, the town they happened across was one of the creepiest places he had ever been (at the time), second only to his father basement (or kitchen depending on who you asked). All of the people there had avoided them like the plague, and that had bothered him. The people who had come forth and yelled at them didn't concern him as much as the people who remained in the shadows. Those people had acknowledged them, had tried to tell them something - a part of Peter heard their cries and shouts as a warning that his body was already alerting him to - the ones that ignored them just seemed like they couldn't be bothered with a few needy kids wandering around in search of help and much needed supplies. It unsettled him, but most things in this town unsettled him, so Peter had just added it to the list and went along, Raivis following on his heals, because even though Peter was paranoid, he was still the leader and the brawn of their group.

They'd spent the whole day in the town with no success in finding anything, and for various reasons, Peter was pleased with this outcome. He'd suggested as the sun sank that they return to the plane and sleep there for the evening with the intent of getting up in the morning and exploring more the next day. It would have been a wonderful plan, but it didn't work.

On their way out of the town a man had stopped them, but Peter knew then and there that it was no man. This person was a monster, and well past the threshold of sane by any standards. Though Peter knew this - knew this man was evil in every inch of his being- he couldn't prove it, and when the man offered to help them Raivis jumped at the chance. Raivis would have been the easiest target the monster had in a while, the pilot was willing to follow him in search of a map when Peter would not. To Raivis this was just a kind old man helping them find their way, not a flesh eating predator ready to consume his next tender meal.

It was Peter's first real experience with how gullible the pilot could be- it was a fact that to this day worried him. Before Peter had any real choice in the matter he had switched himself with Raivis and told the pilot to head back to the plane and wait for him there. He had hoped that the 'if I don't come back leave as quickly as you can' was implied.

The minute they were out of sight Peter was led into a small house, and upon entering the monster was there, no longer hidden by his human guise, the monster attacked. The beast had the advantage, but Peter had somehow been able to stun him for just a few moments. It was enough time for him to realize his sword was gone and to quickly change tactics. He remembered seeing weapons in a deserted shop not far from where they currently were, and ran from the small house as fast as his little legs could carry him. But it wasn't enough. What ever had temporarily disabled the monsters ability to move did not stay for long, and the thing quickly caught him. With one violent sweep it swept him up in its huge hands hairy hands and tossed him like a rag doll against the wall. Peter had managed to stay standing, but his stance was wavering and his vision was popping in and out.

It would have been the end of him if Raivis had not shown up Peter could have easily died. Instead the boy flung himself in the way, impaling the beast by accident. Once Peter was himself again he tried to console Raivis, but the boy was a blubbering mess at this point. He'd just witnessed the most gory scene of his life and lived to tell the tale. Somehow Peter didn't have the heart to tell Raivis that the monster had in fact been the old man. In Raivis's eyes, it had just been a regular person who had lent them a helping hand. The pilot had cried enough as far as Peter was concerned, so he lied, and said that the man had left.

That night they had slept in the plane curled around one another because Raivis was scared and quite frankly Peter was more grateful to have his friend than ever before. That morning there had been supplies and gas waiting outside of the plane for them. Someone in the village had appreciated their deed and gone so far as to thank them.

Thinking back on the story sparked something though. It was a very similar situation. Peter was being paranoid, and Raivis was completely oblivious to any potential danger. He turned his gaze completely back to Angelique and studied her. There was no question that he didn't trust her, but why had his instincts not taken hold to begin with? It was strange, and had only happened a few times. They tended to be incidents Peter didn't want to remember. He hoped that this would not be one of those events, especially with Raivis in such close proximity.

He continued to gaze at her as she continued to gaze at him. It struck him then, she had the most beautiful eyes....

Subject: Re: The Ballroom Thu Nov 18, 2010 8:17 pm

While Raivis started the story, she started to eat. Keeping her pace slow, and forcing herself to look as interested as she would have been under other circumstances. She paused and smiled a bit, when he started to babble. It was quite cute, really.

His story, however, was anything but cute. In fact, it made her even more nervous about sitting with them.

They'd taken down a werewolf?

Most likely, an older, more experience werewolf. If that had been their first time fighting something, they had to be much better now. Could she even hope to stand a chance?

Kill them now. The wolf told her, sounding anxious now, Do it now, before they kill us.

Shut up, Angelique responded, equally anxious, They won't kill me. I'll get away from them as soon as it's possible. Please, please don't do anything rash.

The Wolf snorted in response, but fell silence. Angelique couldn't begin to describe how happy she was as the story came to an end, and the wolf had quieted down. She was relieved to say the least, but it didn't show on her face. Not really.

As the story ended, she noticed she had eaten most of the food on her plate. She wasn't full, but there was less chance of her losing control when she wasn't so hungry. Even so, the wolf was still a constant presence in her mind, which bothered her just as much. It should have faded a bit.

She decided it had to be the story and the threat these two posed, that kept the wolf from fading into the back of her mind. Swallowing a piece meat that suddenly felt dry and heavy in her mouth, she spoke in a soft, slightly nervous voice. “So.. You've ran into a lot of monsters then?”

She tried to ignore the way that Peter was staring at her. She could feel his eyes, boring into her, and turned her gaze to him. She was scared of him. Much more so than Raivis. “You both must have been really frightened, it's amazing you lived through that.”

She knew, from personal experience, that werewolves were had to deal with. She had just barely lived when the one that had attacked her, was finished with her. Most of the time, she wished she hadn't. It would have saved the lives of her Mother and beloved Grandfather.

For a moment, fleetingly, she thought, it would might be best if she just came out to them. They could kill her, she could surely hold the wolf back long enough for them to do so. If she was dead, that meant no one else would get hurt. Right? She opened her mouth to say something, but fear wrapped around her, forcing her to close her mouth, and eyes, as the wolf rallied against telling them, and her own desire to live made itself known.

Subject: Re: The Ballroom Mon Nov 22, 2010 6:12 am

“Yeah, I don’t know how, but they always seem to find us somehow,” Raivis responded, biting into a piece of fruit. “It really was frightening. I felt so paranoid after that, but it’s almost as if I’ve gotten used to it by now. I didn’t realize there were so many monsters out there before Peter and I started traveling together.” He glanced at his friend, who was still disturbingly quiet. He hoped he wasn’t feeling left out at all. The pilot had never meant to steal the attention. He was usually the one who didn’t talk much. Quiet. Invisible. He didn’t want Peter to be ignored in his place, but he couldn’t help but feel a slight tinge of annoyance as the other two sitting at the table locked eyes with each other silently. What was this…jealousy? He shook his head. He wasn’t going to be bothered by something so silly. “But I’m lucky to have a knight like him on my side,” he added with a small smirk. “I don’t have to worry much about the monsters as long as he’s around. I’m the wings, and he’s the blade.”

He looked back at Angelique, who had nearly finished all her food. Judging by her reaction, it wasn’t likely the story had bored her, at the very least. She still looked rather uncomfortable, but Raivis wondered if maybe giving her the chance to be the center of attention would make her more confident or just more nervous. He shuffled in his seat restlessly. What should he do? He was a people-pleaser by nature –his former master had emphasized the importance of making those around him happy by backing this ideal up with plenty of lashes from his belt– but for whatever reason, he found the drive was stronger around this girl. He had never wanted someone to like him so badly.

“Enough about us,” he laughed timidly. “Do you have a good story to share? Somewhere interesting you’ve been?”

He smiled at her encouragingly, hoping he wasn’t making things too awkward by putting her on the spot. He only wanted to learn something about her, to get to know her better. There was nothing wrong with that, right?

Subject: Re: The Ballroom Mon Nov 22, 2010 7:40 pm

No matter how many times Raivis did it, Peter was always flattered when Raivis complimented his monster hunting abilities. It was not of importance now - because a threat was important and things didn't quite go to his head as much when he was overly concerned - but it still sparked a very deep seeded fondness for his best, and only friend. They were a team, they worked together, relied on one another, and had grown attached. It was nice. Raivis wasn't someone he could rely on in a fight per say, but he was still dependable and caring. As Raivis went on Peter found himself glaring harder at Angelique, daring her to act, to disbelieve his dedication and his prowess. She would be the fool this night if she took the chance, Peter would make sure of it, had to.

But when Raivis changed the subject, flashing the spotlight to the young girl Peter felt a mix of emotions flutter to life. He wanted to hear her speak, to tell her stories and information, but at the same time it was often better not to know. This was a woman of potential threat, any mitigating factors, such as a sick mother to take care of would only get in the way. It wouldn't stop him from getting a job done -never had- but it was something Raivis didn't need to know. If she was to die, the young pilot would not take it well, and though Peter would have wanted nothing less but to avoid such an instance, it might be his only choice.

"You don't have to, unless you'd like to." Peter enunciated his sentence, making sure the meaning was loud and clear for the young woman listening.

Subject: Re: The Ballroom Thu Dec 09, 2010 9:19 pm

She couldn't help but feel a bit panicked when the attention was so immediately turned to her. She needed a way to get away from these two, but more importantly, she needed a way to get Peter to think she was completely normal. From the looks he gave her, and the tone of his voice, she doubted that would be an easy task.

She wracked her mind, her memory, for anything that would be safe. She didn't like to think about her life before the attack. That was sure to make her cry, and possibly lose control. But her methods of travel since then, were less then normal. Slinking around, hitchhiking and sneaking onto boats or planes.

"I don't really have much of interest to talk about, sadly. Certainly nothing as interesting as your story." She told them, giving Raivis a small smile. "I've traveled quite a bit, but it's all been a bit of blur, nothing really stands out."

Except for the nights of the full moon, and the hunt, and cold heat of the change, Her mind, and the wolf said, speaking as one.

She turned her eyes to her plate, staring at it for a moment, before looking back up and smiling, "I'm really very boring, to tell you the truth."

Subject: Re: The Ballroom Tue Dec 14, 2010 3:41 pm

Raivis frowned at Peter when he presented Angelique with the option to pass. At first, it was mild annoyance, dissatisfaction with the idea that his friend was giving her the opportunity to get out of sharing her experiences and turning her away from his question. Then, instead, the pilot just started to feel guilty. Maybe he shouldn’t have put so much pressure on her when she was already nervous enough as it was. He gave her an apologetic glance, but his heart sunk in further disappointment when she refrained from telling them anything about herself. She must have still been intimidated by them, and Raivis wondered if telling her his story really hadn’t been such a great idea. He didn’t care if her own didn’t involve the same level of danger or adventurousness; he just really wanted to know something about her past- where she had been and what she had done. The way things were going, though, he thought better of forcing her to talk more about it. He also thought the looks Peter was giving her were a bit strange, but Raivis tried to ignore them and reattempt to make Angelique feel more comfortable.

“W-well, I don’t think you’re boring at all!” he burst out suddenly. “Just because you’ve never had a near-death experience, doesn’t mean I– we– don’t want to hear your stories! Anyone who’s traveled as much as you say you have must have something interesting to talk about. Just coming here tonight was an adventure for us in a way! Of course, if you don’t want to share anything, there’s no pressure. I was just curious about you since you seem like such a kind and intriguing person!”

It wasn’t until the words had left his mouth that the pilot began processing what he had said. His eyes went wide for a moment, and he felt the heat rush to his face. He hadn't meant to be so openly honest! It was an old habit of his, one he usually repressed successfully, but found a way out when he was nervous or flustered. Raivis averted his gaze quickly, looking anywhere but at Angelique, or at Peter for that matter. He didn’t want to see his best friend’s reaction to his embarrassing slip of tongue. Why couldn’t I just keep my mouth shut? This always happens to me! What’ll she think of me now? I must look like such an idiot. Slowly, he began to sink down into his seat, trying to think of something to say to cover up his blunder and secretly hoping someone else would do it for him.

Subject: Re: The Ballroom Thu Dec 23, 2010 12:01 pm

That response, that blundering of the mouth, was a dead giveaway that Raivis was nervous. Why exactly he was nervous was an important issue, but one that Peter couldn't quite develop at the moment. It could be that Angelique was a beautiful wo- It couldn't be that. Well, it could, but Peter refused to entertain that thought. This was a woman he was going to have to take care of, the more unimposing she tried to be the more his paranoia grew. He hadn't been wrong before, so he seriously doubted he was now. Hopefully Raivis wouldn't be around when things went sour, but there was no guarantee. As soon as Raivis realized that his beautiful woman was a monster he would surely thank Peter for saving him. Right? Ya, that had to be the case. Surely Raivis wouldn't abandon him if he was forced to kill her. When he did kill her, cause it was his job. He hunted monsters that preyed on humans, he hadn't met one yet that didn't. Despite how weak the initial sense had been, Peter was sure Angelique was no different. The intent had been there, he'd felt it as thick as fog not fifteen minutes ago.

But what about Raivis? What if he liked this woman? What would he do if Raivis left him because of it? The familiar paranoia refused to let the idea leave his head, and he chanced a look in Raivis's direction, hoping to see him looking scared and shaking. What he did see struck him. Raivis was cowering, but he looked embarrassed, not scared. Not frightened or terrified or like he wanted to hide under the table. He looked like Alfred had when he'd broken something of Arthur's, not scared, but sheepish and sorry. It perhaps wasn't a perfect comparison, but it was the only thing Peter could think of to compare it to. It unnerved him.

He fixed his eyes back to Angelique, positive that he wanted nothing to do with her. She was causing unnecessary trouble, and he would take care of her, one way or another.

"You definitely don't have to say anything." Peter emphasized every word, hoping that he would make himself clear to both Angelique and Raivis, but his best friend hadn't been picking up his signs yet, and they were obviously defensive. Even Angelique herself knew something was wrong, she refused to look away from him. Peter just hoped that his best friend would understand when the time came.

Subject: Re: The Ballroom Fri Jan 14, 2011 10:55 pm

Her eyes had widened at Raivis' words, a bit shocked, and rather flattered. No one had ever called her 'intriguing', even back home in Seychelles, she was just some simple village girl, hardly worth taking note of.

Her expression shifted, a genuinely warm smile taking the place of her earlier nervous one. He looked so embarrassed now, and it was really just cute. She thought of opening her mouth, saying something to calm him down, but before she could, Peter spoke.

His voice had a cold edge to it, that made her blood boil. The way he spoke his sentence, made it feel far too much like a direct order, and the wolf had never taken well to orders. It wouldn't deal with it now.

Her gaze flitted back to Peter's for a moment, and she knew, as she looked him in the eye, that he was the threat. A direct threat, with no questions asked, and no chance a redemption.

See? He won't let you get away. Kill him. Do it. Teach him a lesson.

The look she gave Peter was one of annoyance, anger. Her eyes narrowed for a moment, and the gold became more pronounced, before she looked back to Raivis, expression instantly returning to the soft smile, and warm brown eyes. He wasn't the problem, and she wouldn't take her anger out on him.

“I have traveled a lot, oui... but, I don't stay in any one place for very long. So, I don't meet a lot of people, or really do much of interest, unless I need to make money.” She explained, smoothly.

The wolf remained closer to the surface now. Some of her nervousness melting away into the wolf's confidence. It waited, ready to pounce, even as she tried to push it back, tried to remind it that they weren't going to fight here.

He'll have to wander away at some point, the wolf snickered, and Angelique tried to pay it no mind. She planned to leave before hand, and despite her anger bubbling up, still didn't want to give in and transform.

Subject: Re: The Ballroom Wed Jan 19, 2011 5:30 am

Still slumping in his seat, Raivis watched for Angelique’ reaction to his stupid stream of babbling. He winced at the shock on her face, but then, felt a warm feeling bubbling in his chest when her lips curved into a smile. His face must have been so red by now. Stupid, stupid, stupid… She was so pretty when she smiled at him like that, and he could feel his heart start to beat faster the longer she looked at him.

She seemed like she was about to say something, but before she could, Peter spoke, insisting again that she didn’t have to reply. The way he said it…and the fact that he was once again discouraging Angelique from talking to him about herself sparked a new reaction in Raivis. He frowned at his best friend and cast him a glare, more of a distressed, disappointed look, but with a hint of anger that Raivis very rarely directed at the other boy. Just let her speak! he wanted to say, but the pilot had been too strictly raised to say it outright, especially to someone he was so close to. It was out of his nature to snap at people anyway. He settled for crossing his arms and furrowing his brows for a moment before softening his face to give Angelique another apologetic look.

The girl wasn’t looking at him, though. She had her eyes locked on Peter and seemed to be glaring at him, but Raivis blinked once and it was gone- replaced by that warm smile that made his insides feel like a bit like gelatin. He smiled back at her, hoping she wouldn’t pay attention to his friend’s rudeness. The knight sure was acting strange tonight, but Raivis was too distracted by Angelique to try to figure out exactly why that was. He listened to what she said with interest; though it was short, it made him think. She doesn’t sound all that different from us.

“We really are alike then,” the pilot said, managing a weak laugh. “It’s great to see so many places even if you don’t get to stay long.” Because you’re on the run. He surprised himself with the thought, and the idea bothered Raivis. What could such a pretty girl have to run from? Maybe someone was after her too. He felt a sting of worry and a sympathetic look flashed across his face, but the pilot tried his best to lift the mood again. Someone had to do it. “If you don’t mind me asking…” he continued, “what do you do for a living? Peter brings in most of our money, but now and then I can get a job delivering something if it’s on our way.”

He hoped she’d keep talking to him. If she clammed up now, he was going to be very annoyed with Peter, at least until he got a good explanation about why the knight was behaving like this.

Subject: Re: The Ballroom Sun Jan 30, 2011 8:25 pm

The implication he got from Raivis rang loud and clear in Peters mind: Back off. The thought floored him. That his best friend, the person he provided for in more ways than one was shoving off his obvious concerns in favor of a pretty face, and one that could rip him to shreds within seconds. Bitterness flooded his system, and melded with the paranoia that never truly left his system.

Staying with Raivis had been a mistake. Putting his life on the line to protect Raivis from whatever he was running from, had obviously been the wrong choice. Trusting people, who got close to you then left you for the next best thing, was a stupid waste of time. Peter had sat through his fathers abandonment and abuse, hoping that things would get better when they never did. His father hadn't been able to stand him, and getting away from him had been the best decision, made on impulse as it had been, Peter had ever made. It had been silly to think that Raivis was any different. Raivis had a use for him, a need to have him around, there was nothing else to it. The minute something better came around Peter would be old news. The pain and betrayal that was undeniably there was something Peter shoved down, familiar emotions that he didn't need in his life, now or ever.

He felt his posture correcting itself to one that demanded respect, his gaze hardening and his demeanor turning colder and colder. He was Peter Kirkland, not someone who was going to be looked down upon by anyone, and his now almost regal baring made that perfectly clear.

Peter said nothing, just waited and watched. He would deal with Angelique when the time came, but as far as he was concerned, Raivis had made his choice.

Subject: Re: The Ballroom Sun Feb 06, 2011 7:05 am

She sensed the shift in Peter's demeanor, but didn't give him a second glance. She wouldn't now, allow him a visible reaction. Instead, she felt the wolf clamor around inside her, pressing closer to the surface, turning her eyes a vibrant gold, and sharpening her senses. She would have panicked, but the creature seemed content to stay where it was, lurking just below the surface, waiting. She didn't even feel the familiar itch that would irritate her skin when the change was close.

She blinked twice, to adjust to the sudden shift in her vision. As a wolf, or when closer to the wolf, she couldn't see the color green, and her vision was often focused on the things closer to her, everything else becoming blurry. Every movement though, was so much more defined, the subtle little things that humans didn't notice, were so eye-catching now. The way candle flickered on the tables, and Raivis' shift in breathing patterns. She could tell he was a bit annoyed, before she wouldn't have noticed, but she did now.

Her hearing also picked up things a normal human wouldn't be able to hear. She could hear the difference in the two boys breathing, and their heartbeats if she focused. Her attention, just for a second, moved and she could hear footsteps coming their way, people. Good. If more people came in, she could slip out more easily. Disappear for the night.

From the corner of her eyes, in sharp detail, she could see the younger blond. See his cold expression, and stiff posture. Every move he made would catch her attention now, but sadly, she thought, even Raivis couldn't ignore the brightness of her eyes, right? She lowered her eyelids, looking at him through her lashes, with that soft smile still in place.

“Oh, I do a lot of things. Mostly fortune telling, sometimes I repeat stories I've heard, or pick up odd jobs here and there.” She explained, remembering a lot of jobs with under the table pay, which usually got her wherever she planned on going next. “The fortune telling is my favorite.”

Subject: Re: The Ballroom Thu Feb 17, 2011 1:06 am

Raivis glanced at Peter out of the corner of his eye, noticing that he sat up straighter and seemed to be getting more serious. He didn’t like it. Peter could be scary when he put on that face, and even in his distraction, Raivis knew it wasn’t a good sign. Did Peter really feel that threatened by this girl? What had she done to deserve it? The pilot glanced back at Angelique, and automatically, his breath hitched. The was she was looking at him, so shyly through her lashes with that smile on her lips made his cheeks burn red. He returned the smile, feeling the increased thumping in his chest as he lost himself in the sound of her voice. She was so infatuating…Raivis forgot about the knight almost instantly. He was so mesmerized that it took him a moment to snap back and form a response to what Angelique had said.

“Really? A fortune teller? That’s amazing!”

And it was true- Raivis really was impressed. He was rather superstitious by nature, so he found fortune tellers bother interesting and intimidating. He was tempted to ask her to tell his fortune; the pilot was extremely curious to hear what she would have to say about his future- but at the same time, he was too afraid to ask. What if she told him something he didn’t want to hear? A multitude of possibilities flowed through his head: you’ll die prematurely, your captors will find you, you’ll never find true love…They all sounded so horrible to the pilot. At the same time, he knew he couldn’t let the conversation die. He had to think of something.

Then he remembered the knight. Surely Peter was destined for great things. He had proved his worth over and over again, and though Raivis knew his line of work was dangerous, he couldn’t imagine fate dealing him as foul a hand as he could easily envision for himself. No, it should be safe…Besides, if he convinced Angelique to tell Peter’s fortune, it might ease some of the tension between them a bit. Or make it worse, he realized. But maybe it was worth a try. The pilot really didn’t want to see Peter making that face anymore. If he turned the attention back to him for a moment, maybe he’d stop being so…jealous? Was that what it was?

Raivis turned to his friend, wincing a bit at the knight’s expression, but still hoping to lighten the mood. He gave a nervous laugh and reached over to smack his hand lightly on the other boy’s shoulder, though it ended up being more of a light pat. The pilot’s blue eyes glinted as he looked back at Angelique, eyebrows furrowed hopefully.

“Maybe you should tell Peter’s fortune, then! I mean if you two both want to…I’m sure it would be fun. His future is probably a lot more interesting than mine.”

At least he wasn’t stammering anymore, but as soon as the words had left his mouth, Raivis started to wonder if it really had been a good idea to suggest that after all.

Subject: Re: The Ballroom Wed Mar 02, 2011 10:17 pm

It took her a long moment to ponder over the request. Telling someone's fortune was a bit of an intimate thing when not lying about what the fortune is. Most people just wanted to hear about romance or careers, as long as you put on a good show and told them what they wanted to hear, you got a good bit of cash for it. It was rare that she ever let herself pay attention to the readings she gave, she just glanced at the cards, and came up with what the person she was reading for would like to hear.

If she read Peter's fortune, she knew she'd be unable to do the same. She knew that any form of fortune telling she chose, would require her to actually tell the truth, there was too big of a chance her own immediate future would be interwoven with his.

Maybe a palm reading, or tea leaves?

She lifted her head, keeping her smile fixed into place, “I could, if he's interested.”

Her eyes were already locked on the younger blond, “I could read your palm, or maybe the cards? I'm best with the cards, if you're interested.”

Guest

A black headed boy with very dark brown eyes, walks into the ball room as he was escorted in. He didn't know why he came but he knew that his Uncle begged him to come and so he did. Hopefully his father Alfred didn't see the invitation in his room since his father usually loves to dig through EVERYONES stuff all the time.

As he looked around, he wore a black mask with red intricted details on it, it made him look mysterious like any other mask but most of the others had flashy masks. As the women looked at him and whispered to each other he only grinned slightly at them and kept on walking.

Subject: Re: The Ballroom Mon Mar 21, 2011 8:23 am

Peters mind froze as something entered the area. This, was something substantial. Something that shrieked in his head to run and hide and Get The Hell Out Now. This was not Angelique, or anything else in the room. This was something much more dangerous, something familiar that made him curl in on himself instinctual to stop some sort of blow from hitting him. But despite the signals, Peter couldn't move. The world was still, and nothing was happening. He could see Angelique and Raivis exchanging words, but he couldn't hear them. He wasn't there any more, something much more important was coming, and in an attempt to relegate tasks to deal with the situation, his brain had somehow malfunctioned. All of his survival instincts were screaming but the mechanisms had stopped taking orders.

He felt vulnerable, weak, and stupid. For once the one instinct that had kept him alive so far was not working. It struck Peter at that instant that he couldn't deal with what was coming. His mind raced back to right after he'd run away from home. How a Vampire had tried to eat him, and how even then, he'd been able to run for his life. His brain had told him that it was dangerous, and that he had to move to survive. But somehow, it wasn't translating now. This had never happened before, and it filled him with dread. He was going to die here.

Peter was sinking into absolute despair when a small ray of light came to his mind. He had experienced this before. How when his brain told him to run he always stayed. How fleeing had only been an option of momentary release when harsh green eyes hadn't been watching, and how he'd always came back even though he knew what was going to happen. How could he have forgotten!?! This feeling, this sinking rotting stinking mess of emotions that were confusing and frightening all at once did have a definition in his brain.

Father was here.

And with that thought, one spell was broken. He could speak again, interact with the world once more. But he could not leave. He was stuck, and Peter would have to figure out how exactly to deal with this situation on his own.

He looked up at Angelique, the venom he once held for her now gone, and shrugged dismissively. She, was no longer an issue.

"Cards, please."

Subject: Re: The Ballroom Mon Mar 28, 2011 10:30 pm

She nodded, taking special note in the shift in his personality. It was so extreme that it was impossible not to notice. For a moment, there even looked to be a bit of fear in his gaze. The way he spoke to her now, making his decision and responding to her almost calmly, felt different then every other thing he'd said to her so far. It was almost dismissive, as if she suddenly wasn't a threat, like there was no longer any desire to attack or evade.

Part of her was grateful, because in truth, Angelique herself did not wish to fight with him. It was the furthest thing from her mind. However, the wolf in her rejoiced at what seemed like a victory. As if she had won the game of dominance. Angelique knew that couldn't be what it was, it was too simple and humans were not that simple; but she wasn't about to tell the Wolf that and risk agitating it again.

She thought for a moment that the Wolf, thinking it won, would calm down and fall away from the surface, go back to that space in the back of her mind, and take with it all the heightened senses. She was wrong, though, it stayed where it was. This put her on edge.

Are you waiting for something? She thought towards the wolf, but no response came.

“Okay, cards then.” She reached into the small bag she kept with her at all times, it holding all the possessions she had that actually meant anything to her. Her fingers brushed over the deck of cards she used when putting on a show for tourists or people looking for their romance lives to be told, and hesitated. She wasn't even sure if that deck could be used to really tell a fortune, and from the looks of Peter, she wouldn't be able to read him as easily.

Her hand moved further into the bag, until it reached the familiar velvety fabric she kept her real cards wrapped in.

Angelique carried with her three decks of cards. The cards she used for show, that was new but made to look old, wrapped in a theatrical white clothe with silver stars printed on, and made up of images knights and maidens and things of the like. A deck she used for real fortunes, wrapped up in a less flashy pale blue piece of fabric, and the images depicted people like King Arthur and Cleopatra, places like Atlantis or Avalon. And the last deck, the deck she pulled from her bag, and set carefully on the table.

This deck was old, hand painted and given to her by her Grandfather, before she'd killed him. It was wrapped in deep green velvet, and she only ever used it when she was looking for something important. This deck had never given anything but accurate predictions, both good and bad, and had been the one she'd disregarded the night she was attacked, as well as the night of her first transformation.

As soon as she set it on the table, she was tempted to put it back in her bag, and bring out one of the others. She wasn't sure she much liked the idea of using this deck to possibly foretell a future she didn't want to know. But her hands wouldn't let her, they were too quick to unwrap the deck, and make room on the table, pushing away the plates.

She lifted the old cards, worn and soft in her hands, and locked her eyes on Peter. Focusing on him, and hoping that there was nothing in this reading that could possibly lead to herself. She shuffled the deck three times, hoping to put it off a bit longer then needed, then set the deck down carefully. Not sure which spread to use, she decided to use the most well known, and most general spread.

The Celtic Cross spread looked more complicated then it really was. Ten cards used in all, it told your present, past and future, giving warning and hope for what was to come. She used this spread the most, because it was flashy enough to look impressive, but simple enough to make the reading quick and accurate.

She placed the cards quickly, one after the other, hardly having to think as she did so, and was almost annoyed when she'd placed the tenth and final card down. A nervous tremor ran through her, making her hand shake a bit as it reached out and rested on the second card she'd placed on the table.

The wolf scoffed at her weakness, and she bit her tongue to force her focus. This was hardly the time to be so nervous! Or to pick a fight with her more violent half.

Reminding herself that it was a simple reading, she'd done similar ones all the time. The deck wouldn't make a difference, it was just a deck of cards, right? Of course. It would be the same as any reading she did that she got paid for, just with different images. Just glance at the cards, and read Peter's expression, and tell him exactly what she'd tell any of her customers. Something dramatic, and interesting.

With that in mind, she rested her hand on the second card she'd placed down, and flipped it up, ready to give it a quick look and come up with some theatrical explanation for it, only to have her breath catch in her throat, and that horrid sense of worry hit her.

The card that stared up at her was the two of swords. The image of a woman standing against the backdrop of a red sea, with two swords, and a blind fold, a foreboding crescent moon over head in a dark sky always gave Angelique the chills. She'd gotten this card before herself, and it hadn't been a pleasant experience.

The card beneath it was the first she had placed, and when flipped it showed the image of a heart with three swords piercing it. An equally sad card. Together, they weren't what she called a good combination, and she didn't much fancy having to tell what they meant. Nervously, she pushed the Two of Swords a little, as though to get a better look at the card it covered, while trying to figure out a way to phrase this.

Any hope of doing this like a normal false-fortune had gone out the window.

“The Three Of Swords often stands for a partnership that has been broken. Either a lover, or a friendship. The third sword,” She motioned to the one in the center, piercing the middle of the heart, “is representation of that which has interfered.” Or the person, she thought sadly, suddenly feeling guilty, even as she prayed it didn't stand for her, though she had a sinking feeling it did.

“The Two of Swords,” She tapped her finger on the red of the sea, “Means that a choice must be made. It won't be an easy choice, and you may be blind to all of the options.”

She didn't look at either boy, just kept her eyes on the cards, as she flipped the third card, the one on the right of the first two. A reverse card often meant a negative force, The Emperor stared at her from his upside down position. Eyes steely cold, and his form strong, gaze knowing. “In the past you had to deal with a situation where someone else was in control, and you may have felt pressured into having responsibilities or taking part in something that you didn't want anything to do with.”

Something about The Emperor card unnerved her, much more then the Three of Swords or Two of Swords had. She was tempted to flip the card back over so she wouldn't have to look at it. She'd never gotten that vibe from this card before. As if it was trying to tell her more, but she just couldn't decipher it. It's placement put it in the past, but she felt like this card would have chosen two spots in the spread if it had been able too.

Tearing her gaze away from it, and forcing herself forward, she flipped over the bottom card, and was met with the Chariot. The image of a warrior with a sword in one hand, and the reins in his other, stood proud and strong in this card.

“You made a hard decision and had to fight your way through, but you succeeded.” She said, feeling a little better since that seemed like a good reading, and she quickly flipped the next card, a card for telling the immediate future, and found her hope dashed. The Hangman looked at her, upright when he should have been upside down. The smile she had let slip onto her face fell a bit, though she tried her best to keep it. “However, more choices are coming your way, you'll have to make a big decision, and it will be hard to do, since it seems something is holding you back, keeping you from doing so.”

As her hands moved to the last card in the circle, she swore she'd never read with this deck again. The best outcome was what this card stood for, and it was a rather good one, even if most wouldn't think so. Though she couldn't say she much liked it given the rest of the reading so far, it was still a very cheerful, if silly, looking card when put against the rest of the cards.

The Fool. The first card in a deck, the 0 card. The man on it always held a rather goofy appearance. Dressed in a bright mish-mash of clothes, with a dog following after him, as he walked almost blindly towards the edge of a cliff, a smile on his face, a rose in one hand and a stick and bag in his other.

“It's time to let go of what's keeping you from moving forward, to close your eyes and take that leap of faith you need.” She said, her voice rather soft, as she avoided trying to think of what the Fool might be trying to say here. If that 'leap of faith' would be a good thing or a bad one.

She was hesitant to move on to the last four cards. She thought of just putting the cards away, or saying that the cards were clearly faulty tonight (The Full Moon often made it much harder for her to get predictions that could be considered good), and that he shouldn't take it seriously...

But when she tried to pull her gaze away from the cards, to tell him just that, she found she couldn't bring herself to look at Peter. Or at Raivis. She looked calm on the outside, but the nervousness that boiled beneath the surface seemed extreme.

The seventh card, set at the bottom of the last four, set in a straight line on the right of the main cards turned out to be another Sword. The Nine Of Swords. She wondered if maybe it really was a faulty reading and if she'd done something wrong, it seemed odd to have a reading of only Major Arcana and Swords. Not a single Cup, Wand, or Pentacle card.

The Nine of Swords always made Angelique's heart ache. The image of a woman sitting, with her hands on her face, obviously distraught, and nine swords in the background. She really just didn't like this suit.

“This card... has a similar meaning to The Hangman in this...” She started, voice still soft, forced calm. “It says that you are afraid, frightened of something, and that fear is causing self doubt.”

The card above it depicted a Wheel with eight spokes, there were animals in the corners, and intricate designs woven into the background, a Sphinx sitting atop the wheel. “The Wheel Of Fortune is to tell you that the changes coming are inevitable. You can't avoid them, they're what destiny has chosen for you.”

Here, she did shoot a glance at Peter. The wolf surged forth, causing her eyes to light up an unnatural golden color, her expression soft, caught somewhere between her concern, and the Wolf's amusement.

She easily saw Peter as a threat, the Wolf already was clamoring for his blood, kill him, before he kills us.

But she didn't much like the idea of such a horrible reading for someone so young. It seemed unfair that the cards gave so much strife to someone who may not deserve it. However, they were as unforgiving as Fate itself, that she knew, and she knew even better they were best not ignored.

She lifted the ninth card, telling herself that after it, there was only one more to go. The ninth card was a very good one. A calm card, all pale tans and soft reds, it showed the image of a maiden sitting with a Lion, peaceful. Like the other cards the name was carefully written below the image, “Strength”.

“Despite everything that is coming, and that has happened, you will find the strength to make it through.” She said, voice actually a bit cheerful.

The final card felt almost freeing, as she rested her hand on it. It flipped as easily as the others, and she was almost glad to see it. The image was not one that would set anyone else at ease, and it certainly wasn't one that anyone wanted in their tarot reading, unless they actually had some previous knowledge of the art of Tarot. It was a card she often left out of her deck when working with tourists.

The Death card. A knight in black armor sitting astride an ebony stallion, a spear in hand, and a white rose sitting in stark contrast to the rest of the image.

“After everything, all your decisions are made, and your path chosen, this chapter of your life will come to it's closing, and new one will begin.” She stated, ending the reading.

Quickly, not leaving either of the boys any more time to look at the cards, she shuffled them back into the deck, willing them somewhere far away, and wrapped the deck back up, slipping it into her bag, and hoping it would fall down to the bottom forgotten for a long time.

She didn't know what else to say, if she should tell Peter not to take the reading seriously, or if she should warn him to just that. Should she say something to Raivis? He seemed to be the more easily bothered of the two, and she worried he might be shaken by this, she certainly was. Still, she couldn't bring herself to look at either.

((For those who don't know anything about tarot cards...
The Spread Angelique used here can be seen here.
And the meanings of all the cards can be seen here.
And for the reverse cards meanings, look here.))

Guest

[The Brazilian, not one for fancy entrances, just sat down somewhere where he can see almost all the guests that would be arriving. There was a little group to his right with yet another pretty face. He shook his head, he must remain focused. He got this far, which was a good sign. And his mom said he wouldn’t last a second when it came down to the real thing. He snorted, ‘Well, Mamã it has been 7200 seconds more or less’ he thought to himself. ]

[Raimundo was beginning to get a little proud of his little achievement but quickly reminded himself that this was nothing to celebrate and over confidence makes you a vulnerable target. He inconspicuously listened to their little chitchat, a little trait hunters must possess.’ Hmm, a little fortune-telling huh? Cool.’ He tried not to look at the cute fortune-teller of sorts too much in fear that she’d catch on with what he was doing. She seemed to focused on her cards and he had to take note on the fact that she was refusing eye-contact. There was something about the girl that interested him though, kind of inhuman, very familiar somehow. He observed the little group even more, wouldn’t want to jump to conclusions. ‘8100 seconds and counting.’ He grinned. ]

Subject: Re: The Ballroom Fri Apr 15, 2011 5:11 pm

The pilot watched quietly as the girl laid down her cards and did the reading. His eyes widened in wonder, and upon hearing her words, his stomach twisted in nervousness. This wasn’t even his reading and he was still letting himself get worked up! Raivis couldn’t help it. His more superstitious side make him take everything she said very seriously, and it made him shuffle in his seat restlessly as he listened to her tell his best friend’s fortune. The pilot couldn’t help but feel like some of what she said had to do with him somehow, especially with the way she kept avoiding his gaze, but maybe he was just jumping to conclusions. Raivis didn’t know much about the knight’s life before he had met him- though the boys were close, the past was something neither of them enjoyed discussing, and Raivis preferred to keep it that way. After all, one never knew when the past could come back to haunt them…The pilot refused to think about it.

As he watched Peter’s face for a reaction to Angelique’s reading, he barely noticed another man entering the room. It seemed like people were finally starting to drift in. He turned his head at the movement and locked his eyes on the newcomer, staring at him curiously. A slim man, dark hair, hardened eyes- Raivis felt like he had looked at him a moment too long. His eyes snapped back to those at his table and he shivered suddenly. He didn’t recognize the man behind them, but there was just something about him…something that gave the runaway pilot a very bad feeling. Raivis tried to make himself look smaller, slouching down into his seat a bit and choosing to focus on his best friend’s face instead of the mysterious man near their table. He could tell the knight was thinking hard about something too, and Raivis sensed a change in him- a calmness that should have comforted him, but only made him feel more distressed. What was it that was making his friend change moods back and forth? Raivis had been hopeful that Peter’s agreement to the reading had meant that he was finally trying to get along, but something was still wrong. Raivis really just wanted to be able to relax for once tonight, but the possibility of that seemed to be growing slimmer and slimmer.

Guest

The brunette girl was surely distracting, that was for sure. He had seriously forgotten why he was there in the first place. Curse his attention span and soft spot for pretty women. Now what was it he was asked to do again? Something about a slave and a missing plane. He thought about it for a bit. Raimundo was not the brightest of the bright but he was definitely skilled. And he usually just accepted tasks that would not involve too much thinking. That was just not his style. But the owner put up a pretty good bargain so he had no other choice but to accept.

Here’s what he has so far. He’s looking for a male Latvian slave named Raivis Galante, which he had to take note that he didn’t see in the guest book. He was given a picture but it was taken a long time ago. Given habits, jittery and doesn’t talk much, stutters a lot too. He had a copy of the tattoo placed on the kid’s back. Poor little guy, branded like some sort of property. He shook his head. But work was work, nothing too personal.

His mind started to wander off again and drifted towards the small group before him. The girl was still pretty, slightly suspicious and tense but still very charming. The two boys seemed normal enough. But then again, NEVER jump to conclusions. The other kid seemed to be British. And if he wasn’t mistaken, he was the one named Peter Kirkland. Judging by his name and accent he wasn’t the one he was looking for. There is still the option that the kid had changed his name and tried to inculcate the English culture into him. That would prove to be a difficult task though, considering the boy’s nature and the span of time that he was gone. He nodded to himself. Plus, the other Brit guy also happens to be a Kirkland. Stolen glances from the elder were given to the much more outgoing European. Which proves that they probably know each other, he doesn’t plan to totally erase the Peter from his list of probable suspects though. He may prove important somehow.

The hunter then shifted his line of sight towards the curly haired blond. ‘Hmm, ’ He thought to himself, the picture given to him flashed in his mind. ‘same style. What of the color?’ The Brazilian unconsciously bit his thumb, a habit his mother highly disapproved of. He may be on to something. He looked around the room and thought for a bit, wouldn’t want to be caught looking. Damned spooky lighting effect was messing with the hues. He had to brighten up the room somehow or get the kid somewhere with better lighting. Yes, the latter option seems better and would catch little to no attention. But how? He can’t just stroll there and be all friendly. At least one of them must have already caught him staring, especially towards the girl’s direction. He wasn’t going to push his luck, not yet. ‘Come to think of it, he didn’t write his name either. Now why would he do that?’ Raimundo was having his suspicions but he has to just sit there and watch. He has to look for the right opportunity before making a move. Part of the hunter’s code that has proved useful. So for now, the shadows are his friends.

Subject: Re: The Ballroom Fri Apr 22, 2011 8:17 pm

Stuffing his hands into his back pockets, Gilbert followed Arthur into the main room. He recognized the look on Arthur's face, and couldn't help but wonder just what the Brit was thinking, or up too. Try as he did, Gilbert couldn't really sense anything out of the ordinary from where he was. If he closed his eyes and really, really, focused, he could tell you how many living people were in the building, but what made them different from one another, if they were human or not, he'd have to get closer for that.

Not being able to pinpoint whatever it was that had Arthur looking so pleased, Gilbert's expression was one of mixed boredom, and curiosity. As they entered the ball room, his head tilted, and his face scrunched up. Now that he was in the room, he could sense the other beings there, two humans, a magic user (who's energy had an eerie familiarity to the Wizard next to Gilbert), a ghost, and...

“What smells like wet dog??”

The words came out before he could stop himself, and they were loud enough to ring throughout the room. They weren't what he'd meant to say, but it was far to late to worry about it now.

Subject: Re: The Ballroom Tue Apr 26, 2011 2:42 am

Arthur wasn’t terribly interested in most of what this room had to offer. The tables spread with food and drink failed to impress him and while the room was certainly expansive, it had the same creepy feel of disuse as the rest of the house and as such was nothing new. Off to the side, the wizard spied a ghost, nearly as clear to his eyes as the rest of the being in the room. Ghosts were not new to him; he’d been able to see them all his life, though he typically ignored them and the sad, pathetic baggage they carried with them. Though he briefly wondered if this ghost was a usual haunter of the house or one of the many guests. There was another young man lurking in the room as well. A mortal human and therefor unimportant. Arthur dismissed him for the time being.

His attention was on one of the tables and the three people seated there. His eyes traveled over each of them. First the pale-haired, browned eyed boy. Human. Non-magical. Boring. Then the girl, distinctly unhuman and therefore of slightly greater interest. The wizard to sense the auror of an animal around her, wild and bloodthirsty, lurking just below the surface of her innocent exterior. She was a shapeshifter, a Were, likely a wolf. She could be troublesome if she decided to unleash the beast within her, but right now she was no threat at all.

Finally his eyes fell on the third young person at the table. The familiar blue eyes and the prominent brows and a face so like a younger version of his own. The small inner voice was glad to see him well, to see that he seemed to have survived well on his own, but the wizard silenced the voice once more. It was bothersome and he didn’t care to listen to it. His lips quirked in the subtle hint of a smile, one that was amused but far from pleasant.

He gave a small snort and a shake of the head at Gilbert’s crude statement, the amusement not leaving his face. He gave another brush of his hand against the vampire’s arms, gesturing for him to follow as the wizard stepped closer to the group, his eyes set on his youngest son. “It’s the girl,” he replied, his voice not as loud as Gilbert’s had been, but nor was he trying to keep from being heard. He took the vampire’s comment to mean that he was right when he had guessed werewolf. Gilbert's keen sense of smell was telling. He halted a few feet from the table, gazing down at boy he’s once counted as family.

“Hello, Peter. Fancy running into you here.” The wizard let his eyes wander from the boy to the table, a judgmental frown flickering momentarily to his face at the sight of the tarot cards. Fortune-telling…How droll. He could recognize the formation of the cards enough to know that the pigtailed-girl had been the one reading the fortune, though he doubted very much that she was anything of a real seer. What she did was a parlor trick at best.

He put on a dismissive expression as he looked away from the cards and his cold eyes returned to Peter, the amused smile returning. “Interesting company you keep these days, Peter. Simple humans and fortune-telling werewolves. Though I suppose I am not much different, as you can see.” He gave an easy gesture to the vampire at his side. “This is Gilbert,” he said in a tone of mock formality and politeness. “He has been my companion for some time now.” He gave the same easy gesture in the boys direction. “Gilbert. This is my son…”

Subject: Re: The Ballroom Sun May 01, 2011 7:48 pm

The way Angelique looked at him, appraised his new behavior and warily retrieved her cards would have put Peter on edge in other circumstances. But this was not normal circumstances at all. Peter was on full alert, but not because of anything she could do. She was an illustration to him now. In the face of something that reeked and oozed negativity, she was a saint. Now that he could compare her to something like that, Peter realized she wasn't a violent and cruel thing by nature. She probably had killed less than Peter himself had - though he killed unholy monsters that pillaged and murdered innocents, so it didn't count.

What exactly she was, Peter still was not sure, but her feel was a familiar one, so it didn't worry Peter any more. He had dealt with her kind before, and even though Peter couldn't exactly pin point her true shape, this was not unfamiliar territory and thus, she was no longer a concern.

But she was still wary of him, which was to be expected. Because of Raivis's running mouth and his eye for her, she knew what Peter did for a living, and if he was in her situation - maybe their situations weren't actually that different - he would relate to her. Peter had never met a monster that wasn't worth killing, but there was always a first time for everything. If she could be of use in the future, there was no reason to dispose of her. There would come a day when she wouldn't be herself - it happened with most monsters - but that day was a long distance in the future. Peter hadn't realized what she was because Angelique had such a small blood lust, and the blood on her hands was quite small. When she started to reek of death, then it would be the time to take care of her, but not now. No, now it would be to easy, and the kill would break Raivis's heart, Peter was sure of it.

No, Angelique could be useful, and without his sword Peter needed all of the useful pieces he could get. She would do, and if she performed well, he would reward her greatly. Peter liked to think he was a man - a boy - of his word, and that he would be able to at least offer her protection, and a peaceful end when her madness finally took her.

Yes, Peter was sure he could promise her that with absolute certainty.

Angelique shuffled the cards, and seemed to fold in around them. He studied her, and she looked nervously at the items. Peter could also feel Raivis leaning in ever so slightly. These things did not surprise Peter in the least, because the deck Angelique held was very much an enchanted thing. Invisible to the naked eye, Peter could see the cards energy, their malice. It laughed at him, and as she shuffled them and looked dead center at Peter, the cards energy, the black swirling fog that made up the items aura flowed around him. It entered his pores and his eyes and made him want to squirm, but Peter sat stone still. These cards were appraising him, seeing him in a way that Peter had never experienced before. It was maddening and euphoric, calming and nerve wracking. These cards, these unmovable objects, were seeing his true self, pealing away the layers the defined him more than his core, and they were judging him. Rending him worthless and priceless, treasure and rubbish.

Peter wanted to fold in on himself and shove the slimy feeling away from himself. But he was a Kirkland, a person made of stiff stuff, as he liked to think, and he refused to waver. When the aura finally pulled itself from him, Peter felt dirty, and violated in some way that the normal human would never understand. His next breath was shallow, soft and with a tiny hint of tremble, but his face never changed. It remained the stony exterior that had served him well all these years.

The aura pooled around the cards, and almost quickly Angelique produced ten cards. She seemed perturbed at how quickly they had flown out of her hands, but the speed of it didn't surprise Peter in the least. These cards were a confident entity. They had already made up their minds about him, his future and his past, and Angelique was simply the vessel in which they would convey their knowledge, their research, their conclusion.

Peter stole a glance at her, and noticed she was scared. This card, this reading was something she didn't feel comfortable with. These cards had cursed many fates before, probably had an affinity for showing the dirty ugly truth of the matter, and that frightened her. She couldn't see these cards as he could. She was their master, but she could only see them as evil, but that was because these cards didn't lie. Having the feel of these cards inside of him, Peter knew that they would judge him in all truth, and all the things he wanted to hid from, or wouldn't want to face would be there, starring him in the face.

These cards were a treasure, but one that not many would truly understand. Peter doubted Angelique would ever understand them entirely, and doubted that he ever would either, even though they had been a part of him not five seconds ago.

Angelique went about her reading, flipping card after card and explaining them as she went. It was nice of her, but the feel of each card told Peter all he needed to know without uttering a single word. Each card had a personality, a self that whispered like the wind into his ear about what it thought of him. Ten seats on a jury were deciding his fate, appraising his worth, and when the reading was done, it seemed despite everything, they had judged him favorably. There would be trail, and there would be strife and hurt and pain, but it wouldn't destroy him, it wouldn't be his end, and Peter could accept that.

The dark skinned woman quickly reined in the cards, and shuffled them back into her bag, as if the feeling it gave her would go away with such a simple gesture. She looked troubled, as if the words on her tongue would not be enough to say what she could mean. Language failed her, and she shifted her gaze around the room, her eyes couldn't find a home, for they were unable to look at either of them.

Peter could feel Raivis trembling beside him, and he reached down under that table to lightly grasp his best friend's - how had he forgotten that? - hand. He squeezed it for a moment, and offered Raivis a soft, reassuring smile. Things would work out, they had a way of doing so, and Peter had no doubt that they would come out of this unscathed.

Peter turned back to Angelique - his face stone once more - and demanded her eyes to him. He didn't give her a smile, or any reassurance, he didn't think she deserved it just yet, but he had a feeling that time would come. When he spoke to her, it was soft and warm, because she deserved something for the trouble, and the ailing she was obviously in.

"Thank you, that was a very good reading. You must be exhausted."

Now that the reading was over, Peter was back to his surroundings. He could feel the new comer, the human as he appraised them. He was older than Peter, but he didn't gaze on them with contempt or malice. Peter expected nothing from this one, and discarded him without much thought.

There were larger problems sauntering seamlessly towards them. The vampire - oh he could tell that one a mile away, vampires always felt the same, they only varied in their mental state slightly, but there was no mistaking it - made a rather derogatory comment and as Peter gazed at Angelique it fit. A Were, yes that was it. Probably a werewolf. That made sense, she was obviously not familiar with her new skin, and didn't hunger for blood and flesh and ripping just yet. Peter discarded the thought.

His father, his real flesh and blood kin, was so close now that the energies surrounding them seemed to spark and meld before Peter dragged them back and away from his father. That taint, that darkness that surrounded him, had that always been there? Had it always made his skin peal and his blood curdle and his senses cry and wail? No, certainly that hadn't always been the case, it couldn't be...

It had to be the vampire, it had to be - though deep down, Peter knew - that thing had to go, but there would be time for that...later.

Peter still hadn't turned to his father, he still wanted to deny him being there. Peter could have gone his entire life without seeing his father again, and he could have been happy wit that. But now that they were so close Peter felt like Judas, the betrayer, the useless piece of trash he was, the unfavored, unwanted, and worthless son that he was. He'd only realized these feelings when he was away from his father, because before he'd left they'd become such a deep seeded part of his being - he hadn't been able to see his own reflection, his own self. Only through leaving, had he gained true confidence and self worth again, this rush of negativity, of self loathing and disgust nauseated him. Had he really believed all of this? Of himself? It all flooded his system and drowned him.

He held onto Raivis's hand, probably harder than was comfortable for Raivis, but he had to, because it was his life line, the only think keeping him from sinking. How had he ever thought of leaving him? Abandoning his best friend...

"Hello Arthur." Peter responded, with ice in his voice. He still hadn't looked, but now that he could feel Raivis right there next to him, his hand locked with his best friend, Peter could find the strength to.

Peter turned to his father, and mirrored the smile on Arthur's face. "I would agree, your choice in company is rather deplorable." He let go of Raivis's hand and motioned towards Angelique. "This is Miss Angelique, we've only just met, but it would be rude to not introduce you." He then motioned towards Raivis. "And this my good friend, Raivis. We've been companions for some time. Raivis, this is my father."

Subject: Re: The Ballroom Sat May 07, 2011 8:34 am

Angelique met the boys eyes head on. She couldn't help it, part of her was deeply aggravated by his sudden command, and the other was glad for the soft tone he took. The wolf was furious, and growled angrily, but Angelique felt oddly much calmer after the reading, less panicky.

She was just about to open her mouth and say something to him, when the smell of something foul hit her. Her nose scrunched up, and it took everything she had not to gag. The stench came from the doorway, and she tried hard to force her senses far away, to lessen the smell, but it was no use.

The words that outed her, seemed to ring through out the room.

Angelique paled, all the blood in her body seeming to disappear, and it felt like everyone was looking at her. She fought the urge to hide under the table, or run from the room, clutching her bag close, and eyes dropping down to her lap. She couldn't bring herself to look up when the two that had entered came closer.

In her mind, the wolf went wild. It wanted blood, to kill the thing that should be dead. It raged, and tried furiously to push at the walls she pushed against it. Let me out! Kill it! Kill it now, before it kills us, and it will! Those damned leeches, you have to kill it now.

Urging the wolf to be silent, trying to remind it that she had no desire to kill, and no plan to do so. When she was introduced, she lifted her head to give a shaky, very small smile. She fought to keep it in place, to keep from looking at the foul-smelling creature next to the green-eyed man that made her skin crawl, and bowed her head as quickly as was acceptable.

The wolf howled in anger at her submissive display. Her body was tense, hands clutching the bag so tightly, that her nails ripped into the fabric, and even as she sat there, she could feel her skin start to tingle, like the change was coming. Closing her eyes, now a vibrant golden color, she forced herself calm, and stayed where she was, tense, and ready to strike, but fighting with herself.

Subject: Re: The Ballroom Thu May 26, 2011 5:41 pm

It was all so frightening…There was too much he didn’t understand, and he felt like he was the only one left in the dark. Peter was still acting weird, and Raivis didn’t like it at all. Maybe this card reading had been a bad idea, but it was done with now, and whatever truth would come from Angelique’s words couldn’t be changed. He started trembling slightly; it was a habit he couldn’t seem to cure, but when he felt the warmth of Peter’s hand close around his, he finally started to calm down a bit. His friend was here, and whatever they had to face, they would face together, like they always had…right?

Once again, it was starting to bother him that he didn’t know much about who Peter had been before he had met him. It was their unspoken agreement to ignore the past and move forward with the new lives they had created for themselves, but Raivis still felt like he was missing something in his friendship with the knight. Was his trust incomplete? He didn’t know. Maybe it shouldn’t have mattered. A person’s past might shape them, but you always had a chance to start over, right? The burdens might slow you down, but they weren’t binding. He reached up to rub his neck, slipping his free hand back over his shoulder blade just above the spot where the brand still marked him as someone else’s property. He couldn’t see it, but he knew it was there, following him like a ghost of his past that would never fully disappear even as he aged.

Raivis had just been thinking quietly to himself when two more men suddenly entered the room. The boy tensed as they came close to the table, wondering what they wanted. He had ignored whatever the pale-haired man had been shouting earlier- something weird about a dog -and had been thinking harder about Peter’s fortune right before the blonde man with eyebrows and a face remarkably like his best friend’s started talking to them. His mind lingered on the words “simple human” for no more than a second before the next part of the sentence really clicked. Werewolf? Here?! His eyes widened, and he stared at Angelique speechlessly, wondering if it was true. No…

And it was just one thing after another. The blonde man revealed himself to be Peter’s father, and Raivis’ mouth literally dropped open in shock. Peter’s family was here? At least one person…The knight had never mentioned them to him before; Raivis had always assumed he was an orphan like himself or had run away from people not worth mentioning. He watched the other boy for his reaction. Peter was clutching his hand harder now. As he looked down, he could see his fingers turning a bit purple, but he didn’t protest or pull away. Instead, he squeezed his friend’s hand back, trying to reassure him. He only wished he could have put on a braver face himself. Peter’s voice was cold, but it didn’t sound scared. The knight finally turned to face his father, and Raivis stared at the man wordlessly as he was introduced. What was he supposed to say? “Nice to meet you?” He was still too nervous and confused to even open his mouth, so he settled for a slight nod. He dipped his head in the direction of the pale-haired man too, just to be polite, but there was something about the pair of them that was really creeping him out, and he was trying very hard not to let it show on his face.

Raivis started to shake again and glanced at Angelique out of the corner of his eye. The girl…the werewolf was closing her eyes. Was there something wrong with her? Was she going to attack them? Now that Raivis knew the truth about her, he wasn’t sure how he felt. He had always feared werewolves, and he knew that Peter had taken down plenty of them, but he had never gotten to know one this well, never talked to one for this long, never…been attracted to one. Was the past repeating itself? Was he letting himself walk into a trap? He didn’t want Peter to have to put himself in danger again because of a stupid mistaken he had made. Raivis knew he shouldn’t trust the wrong people, but this girl…she didn’t deserve to die, right? She hadn’t done anything to them. The pilot gave her a look that was half fear, half pity, and turned his gaze back to Peter’s father again. What would happen now? Raivis didn’t know what he’d do if Peter had to go back with this man. He couldn’t bear the thought of being alone again, no destination, no purpose. True, he never had much of either of those anyway, but at least with his best friend by his side, the lack of them really had never seemed that important at all.