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31_days2007-06-12 02:21 pm
seta-suzume.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2007-06-12 02:21 pm
[June 12, 2007][Original] Masquerade
Title: Masquerade
Day/Theme: June 12, 2007 "Heaven and earth shall pass away; but my words shall not pass away"
Series: Original
Character/Pairing: Hazama, Anabel, Rimzan, etc.
Rating: G
To be continued -possibly here.
"Whether I am recognized or not is of little consequence," I told myself as I stood before the mirror. I was always finding myself in this sort of circumstance, having to bolster my own courage with strange words whispered with false bravado. Honestly, one would think I should've lost this yellow belly by now! I stroked the emerald feathers of my mask as it lay upon the countertop. I sighed. Our independence had been hard fought and now had lasted three years. Every year we celebrated on the anniversary, but this was the first time any foreigners had been invited to celebrate with us.
Even Kojiro had not received an invitation until this year. Anabel was still afraid, though she would not admit it, and so she kept Rihaku at a careful distance. However, in the winter, Rimzan had stepped up the work on cautiously worded negotiations and treaties and we finally had found firm footing for our reestablished government.
The party was more for the sake of the visitors than for any amusement of our own. Anabel and I had grown used to a life of quiet frugality during the years spent underground and we kept the court simple. Even at this point, I would've opted for a straightforward banquet- short and polite. Anabel had other ideas about how to entertain her guests and I, as usual, gave in immediately. We would organize a masked ball.
Now neither of us had ever attended a masked ball, but I got in contact with Ethan and as usual, he knew (or said he knew) everything about them. Under his supervision, we hired a band, set the castle's cooks to work on the refreshments, and decorated sparsely. We made separate trips to purchase our masks, in a silly attempt to maintain the illusion of masqueraders being unable to recognize each other while masked. My mask was green, green, and more green, with feathers and glass replica jewels. It reminded me of a parrot.
I put the mask on and looked at myself in the mirror. I felt like a fool. Oh, if His Majesty King Sim-val had been around to see me do this... The mask matched my deep green tunic well enough, it was just the principle of the thing. I clenched my fists and took a deep breath to summon up the courage to head into the main hall.
I almost turned around immediately. The rainbow of colors presented to me was overwhelming. A silky-looking gray cat mask turned to face me. The man wearing it even had a tail pinned to the white sash around his waist. The mask did nothing to disguise him, actually, it accentuated his hair, outfit, and general aura. It could be no other than Rimzan Crimsonshaft. He spoke, it was a smooth, crinkling velvet of a voice, "Good evening, sir."
It was Rimzan. There was no doubt about it. And the butterfly in pink reached only to his shoulder. It was Rihaku's young queen, Millana, her identity betrayed by her company. "Hello," I said.
"Your step was quite determined," the gray-haired man said with what seemed to be an almost visible smile. "I'm sorry to interrupt your march to your goal. Please go to her, Hazama."
He recognized me too. I didn't expect otherwise, but I was still a bit chagrined. And how did he know where I was going, anyway? "Wish me luck," I muttered.
"Of course," was his reply, the softness in his tone muffled by the cat mask. "Whatever her response, your words will be of immense importance to her and will remain in her mind forever."
I did not respond to this as it was beyond my comprehension how he might know what I meant to say. Although there was always the possibility he did not really know, his feelings were so easily in line with mine, in my current state of mind it was impossible to believe otherwise. I bowed sharply and hurried on.
Day/Theme: June 12, 2007 "Heaven and earth shall pass away; but my words shall not pass away"
Series: Original
Character/Pairing: Hazama, Anabel, Rimzan, etc.
Rating: G
To be continued -possibly here.
"Whether I am recognized or not is of little consequence," I told myself as I stood before the mirror. I was always finding myself in this sort of circumstance, having to bolster my own courage with strange words whispered with false bravado. Honestly, one would think I should've lost this yellow belly by now! I stroked the emerald feathers of my mask as it lay upon the countertop. I sighed. Our independence had been hard fought and now had lasted three years. Every year we celebrated on the anniversary, but this was the first time any foreigners had been invited to celebrate with us.
Even Kojiro had not received an invitation until this year. Anabel was still afraid, though she would not admit it, and so she kept Rihaku at a careful distance. However, in the winter, Rimzan had stepped up the work on cautiously worded negotiations and treaties and we finally had found firm footing for our reestablished government.
The party was more for the sake of the visitors than for any amusement of our own. Anabel and I had grown used to a life of quiet frugality during the years spent underground and we kept the court simple. Even at this point, I would've opted for a straightforward banquet- short and polite. Anabel had other ideas about how to entertain her guests and I, as usual, gave in immediately. We would organize a masked ball.
Now neither of us had ever attended a masked ball, but I got in contact with Ethan and as usual, he knew (or said he knew) everything about them. Under his supervision, we hired a band, set the castle's cooks to work on the refreshments, and decorated sparsely. We made separate trips to purchase our masks, in a silly attempt to maintain the illusion of masqueraders being unable to recognize each other while masked. My mask was green, green, and more green, with feathers and glass replica jewels. It reminded me of a parrot.
I put the mask on and looked at myself in the mirror. I felt like a fool. Oh, if His Majesty King Sim-val had been around to see me do this... The mask matched my deep green tunic well enough, it was just the principle of the thing. I clenched my fists and took a deep breath to summon up the courage to head into the main hall.
I almost turned around immediately. The rainbow of colors presented to me was overwhelming. A silky-looking gray cat mask turned to face me. The man wearing it even had a tail pinned to the white sash around his waist. The mask did nothing to disguise him, actually, it accentuated his hair, outfit, and general aura. It could be no other than Rimzan Crimsonshaft. He spoke, it was a smooth, crinkling velvet of a voice, "Good evening, sir."
It was Rimzan. There was no doubt about it. And the butterfly in pink reached only to his shoulder. It was Rihaku's young queen, Millana, her identity betrayed by her company. "Hello," I said.
"Your step was quite determined," the gray-haired man said with what seemed to be an almost visible smile. "I'm sorry to interrupt your march to your goal. Please go to her, Hazama."
He recognized me too. I didn't expect otherwise, but I was still a bit chagrined. And how did he know where I was going, anyway? "Wish me luck," I muttered.
"Of course," was his reply, the softness in his tone muffled by the cat mask. "Whatever her response, your words will be of immense importance to her and will remain in her mind forever."
I did not respond to this as it was beyond my comprehension how he might know what I meant to say. Although there was always the possibility he did not really know, his feelings were so easily in line with mine, in my current state of mind it was impossible to believe otherwise. I bowed sharply and hurried on.