↘ ғᴀᴛᴇғᴜʟ ᴀʟʟɪᴇs

[senna_]

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✫title: the artistxx✫wealth: ninexx✫kingdom: nearonxx✫tags: OPEN

Annalise's fingers tapped excitedly against the tops of her thighs as the Purcell's carriage rolled down a lit-up pathway that would take her to the Onryx. She was excited. Although Annie considered herself to be more of an introvert than anything else, she loved a good party. She practically grew up in one, for her parents seemed to throw one almost every weekend. They were notorious for their extravagant parties, but Annie eventually grew tired of them. The scenery was the same, and although her parents often changed up the theme, it became repetitive. However, that being said, her love for dress-up and beauty never faded. She loved getting new dresses and being fussed over, and tonight offered all of that. She had asked her sweet servant Vanessa to take extra care of her appearance that night, and she did a beautiful job. Her hair was braided into a pretty up-do, a few perfect curls brushing against her sides and her neck. She had woven in a jewel clip, too, one the same colour and style as the jewel that dripped down from the end of her masquerade mask. The silver of her mask matched the silver lining on the bottom of her peacock blue dress. Everything was perfect, and Annalise could not be more thrilled to explore what the night was about to reveal.

She was most excited to meet up with some of her old friends. Quite a handful of them happened to live in Arkley, and although that had raised some suspicion from her parents at first, they soon grew comfortable with the idea. Annalise knew her selected friends were not nearly as war-driven as their government was. Aretha, in fact, was also an artist. She was a pianist, a lover of the arts, much like Annalise was, but with the visual arts, rather than music. Theo was a gentle soul with a big heart; he was the complete opposite of the reputation Arkley carried with them. Annie knew she had been hesitant upon first meeting the both of them, but she didn't see either as anything more than the people they showed themselves as. She was contented to know her parents had approved of these friendships.

She wanted to meet more people tonight. That was what the party was all about, was it not? Annalise had begun to suspect the idea of a masquerade dance was to make it more difficult to scope out who was who and where they were from, and she believed it was for a good reason. After all, guiltily, Annalise knew she would be one of the ones to judge a book by its cover. She knew it was wrong, but she found herself doing it quite often anyway. Tonight would hopefully be different.

She gave her thanks to the driver as he helped her out, her bright green eyes fixated on the massive mansion before her. It was so tall that it seemed to pose a threat to the clouds that hung around in the sky. There were none that night, offering a spectacular view of the shimmery, sparkling stars. It was rather romantic. Annalise wished to paint it. But she could not do such a thing quite yet. She had a ball to attend, and she was going to make sure it was one to remain in her book of memories. With that in mind, she fixed the lacy white shawl that hung near her elbows, then took off down the short driveway.

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♚title: the ghost xx♚wealth: fourxx♚kingdom: arkleyxx♚tags: OPEN

Lauren's keen dark eyes stared intensely out the small window of his charcoal coloured carriage as the steel grey stallions pulled him down the crisp gravel road that would lead them to the Onryx. Lips pressed tightly together, the mysterious man made no sound as he turned to brush his fingertips across the top of his mask. It was not often where the two kingdoms, Arkley and Nearon, came together to put on something nice for their citizens. More often than not, their government was arguing about something, and it often took quite some time to solve whatever issue had sprouted. They hadn't been in agreement for long, and Lauren suspected they wouldn't be in the position they were currently in for much longer. He supposed they all had to take what they could get.

Balls were not his thing. Lauren hated dressing up, he hated the attention and the fussing, and dances like the one he was currently driving to led to vulnerable situations he did not want to put himself in. He had made a promise, a vow, and he always feared scenes like a ball would push his guards down enough to come dangerously close to stepping in the opposite direction of his spoken words. He had almost rejected the invitation, but Rhonda convinced him otherwise. If anything, Lauren Shaw was only attending the party at the Onryx because of the older lady. She had done so much to Lauren, it was only fair he returned the favour. He wasn't too sure attending a silly ball was the way to go about, but he did as she requested. And he was seriously regretting it.

His midnight-black mask was on his face before the carriage had even come to a complete halt. Lauren worked solo in his house, and didn't often make public appearances, especially not in attention-grabbing places like the Onryx. His goal was to avoid people as much as possible; perhaps he'd take a walk through the building and explore what else it had to offer, if he managed to get away with it. He supposed he could figure that out once he scoped out the layout of the house.

Nodding his thanks to the driver, Lauren stepped out of the carriage, giving his long coat a firm tug. His tall boots crunched the stones beneath him as he walked, his strides slow and controlled. The faster he could get this over with, the better.

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♢title: the anthuriumxx♢wealth: threexx♢kingdom: nearonxx♢tags: OPEN

Sitting within the walls of a carriage was beyond something Elliott had ever believed he would be able to experience. It was astonishing, absolutely mind-blowing. He had heard much talk of the government's planned masquerade ball, but never in a million years did he ever suspect that he would be one to receive an invite. Perhaps it had been an honest mistake, with a slight mess-up in letters when writing out his name. It was entirely possible there was an Elliott something-rather out in the world with higher status and more wealth that was meant to receive the letter. But it had been him who had been given it. Elliott had always admired the idea of a fancy ball, though he'd never believed he was properly cut out for one. After all, he was a young man living on a farm, teaching dozens of unwealthy children how to read and spell out the alphabet. That was it. Yes, in his small village in Arkley, his name was well-known by his peers, but it was nothing compared to some of the higher names. He didn't have much money for the fancy clothing required for a ball, anyway. His parents promised to make it work, though.

And they did. Elliott was about to attend the ball at the Onryx in his father's old suit. It was a tad bit big, and well-warn, but all with love. It wasn't dirty, and the small hole in the hip of the beige pants had been sewn up by his sister Ethel in no time. Elliott felt a bit uncomfortable wearing it, since he was not used to wearing such fancied-up clothing, but the others in his carriage hadn't said a word, so he took he was on the right track. There were three other men in the carriage, and they were all squished together like the way the stray cat family in his father's barn did when it was cold outside. Elliott kept his posture rigid and small, a strong attempt to keep as much distance from the other as possible, but their shoulders still occasionally brushed as the carriage rattled down the road. He supposed it could have been much worse.

His eyes grew wide and child-like in total awe as the Onryx came into view. Elliott lived on the other side of Nearon and had only ever heard of such a place. It was God-like. The mansion was most likely three or four stories high, and he knew each floor had a different purpose. How many rooms were in the house, on each floor? It was absolutely stunning, and it took him an extra second to remember to close his parted lips. Straightening up in embarrassment, Elliott quickly slipped on his golden-brown mask, securing it a bit too tightly with shaky hands. He wasn't too sure he was ready for this, although he supposed he no longer had much of a choice.

[AlphaOfThePack21]

19||Female||Demisexual||Wealth: 2||Nearon||Paired: N/A||Tags: Open
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People had been talking non stop about this night all throughout the kingdom. So overpopulated, outdone ball for the two kingdoms not being at each other's throats. As if people needed to be rewarded for having common human decency towards each other... She thought to herself. Elizabeth was not one for parties, in fact, she would much rather be rolling around in a field of needles than put on a pretty face and a fake persona to please others. Her mother asked her to go, since Elizabeth didn't have much of what people would call "People skills." She really doesn't fit in and she never had a person to call a friend. So when the ball came and was announced her mother jumped to her going, while she would stay behind to do the last minute sewing for customers at the shop. But Elizabeth had no plan to be someone she is not, in fact, she refused to wear and big poofy dress that made her look like she was wearing a tent underneath that her mother had made from scratch. Sure it broke her mother's heart but swimming upstream was more of what she enjoyed. So she asked to use her mother's wedding dress, from way back in the day. An elegant cream/white dress with a corset that has intricate designs on the bottom and the sleeves. It was simple but very beautiful.
She wore her hair down, as it was her mother's wishes. She knew though that her mother hopes to bring home a well-off suitable man on her arm. But Liza didn't believe she needs a man in her life to go far, she knows she is smart and strong and even though it's a man's world, she believes she is better off without the bother of a man.

Aside from that before she would enter the Onryx, she pulled the mask up to her face and secured the ribbon into a knot before taking a deep breath and walked looking up at the tall gates that guarded the building, it was springtime so the air was filled with smells of flowers and had a gentle breeze, moments later she walked into the building. It had been so long since that last ball, and previously Elizabeth did not participate. She walked as the heels on her feet clacked lightly, if it wasn't for the dress you could see that she has not spent much time in heels, she prefers flats.

She walked as she looked around, the building filled with voices and pouring with music. It was quite overwhelming at first, but she continued through them. "Even though I enjoy dancing, I don't really find this at all pleasant..." she spoke out loud to herself. "It smells of sweat and disingenuousness in here....as if people go day to day looking or acting like this...tragic." She was making comments to herself, they weren't shielded by her breath, she didn't care who heard or if they even would try to make a rebuttal. If it came to that she would simply ignore them.

21||Male||Heterosexual||Wealth: 9||Arkley||Paired: N/A||Tags: Open
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He was already in the building and had been for a while. He was always one to show up early to events mostly because he enjoyed being able to walk around without touching arm to arm with others. He also usually gets stuck holding the doors for the mass amount of people coming through. It was a blessing and a curse to be so friendly and chivalrous, but he didn't mind it too much. He had a drink within his hand as he scanned the ocean of people who were talking amongst themselves, all broken off into small groups, laughing and catching up. Considering it has been some time since the kingdoms came together like this. Lost friendships had been renewed once again and the kingdoms no longer kept them distanced too much.

He himself was looking for a familiar face, a girl he has been friends with for what seemed like as long as he could remember. It had been some time since he last saw her. Not only was it because of the kingdoms and their differences but, Theo was very busy managing his late father's investments and money. Plus there had seemed to be some kind of thievery within his gun shops that he had to look into. Turns out the person stealing thought that because Theo was still so young that he wouldn't notice, but Theo knew better than that. But ultimately Theo wondered if he was paying his people enough to be able to live a life, not of luxury but comfort, he ended up not firing the guy who was stealing and instead gave all of his workers a raise to maybe help them live better. In Theo's eyes stealing is a cry for help, that they are struggling and what kind of person would he be to ignore that cry.

As he looked for Annie he drank out of the cup clenched in his hands, before placing it down and adjusting his sleeves, and making sure he looked presentable. He wasn't trying too hard to look for the girl and eventually merged within the crowd of people, figuring that if they were meant to see each other tonight that it would happen on its own. He spoke within a crowd of men who were talking about number and business from the other kingdom, he would use this as an opportunity to take in some information on what his next steps are to increase profits now that he gave his workers raises.

20||Female||Heterosexual||Wealth: 8||Arkley||Paired: N/A||Tags: Open [eventually Royce]
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A ball! A ball!...

She could just jump for joy. Her heart was pounding out of her chest making her a bit short of breath, but she ignored it and kept reminding herself of dancing, meeting people, having fun. This was her first ball. Previously she couldn't make the past ones due to her health, but now she was on her own two feet, alone. You could see the excitement in her eyes, she was raised not to go overboard with things like that and to remain elegant and well-mannered, but with being so giddy she couldn't feel the bright smile on her face. Her hands rested over one another gently at her front. She had been waiting weeks for this ball, and all the anxiety and excitement that had been building up in her chest finally was being released.

She walked easily in a rose gold set of heels, her mask matching, in a delicate and beautiful design. She had on a dress that was a light pink, it had ruffles at the bottle and in the front, going up to a corset with a ruffled collar. The sleeves on the dress going about midway down her bicep. This was one of the nicer dresses she owned, and she had gotten for such an occasion.

Even though Fleur was excited as ever just to be out and participating and having fun. She was even more excited just to meet people and possibly make friends. Even more so she hopes to fall in love. Though she is a dreamer in that aspect she knows that love doesn't happen that quickly, but a part of her believes in love at first sight. Her heart flutters at the thought of being wanted. She closes her eyes for a moment and takes a quick breather to calm her nerves, she has never been in the Onyrx before. It was a large building and to her, it was so beautiful. She opened her ocean blue eyes before walking through the doors, that bright smile still on her face. Some find it contagious.

But within minutes of walking through the door, she could hear whispers."Isn't that a Disraeli?", "Do you think she was the one who was ill?", "That family is cruel and monstrous...I would stay away from her.." She could feel her jaw clenching slightly, and her hands wanted to ball into fists, she wanted to scream at them, but what would that do? Prove them right. So she bit her tongue and held her head high, keeping her eyes forwards and paying them no attention. She was bigger than them, she wouldn't let mindless rumors control her, or become her. Surely there were people here who were not so....sheep-like. Right?

With that she continued along, feeling herself starting to shrink a little. There was only one person she knew and she wasn't even sure if he was here. Royce Cunningham. But with the people around her and the masks, it would be quite difficult to find him.

[senna_]

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✫title: the artistxx✫wealth: ninexx✫kingdom: nearonxx✫tags: theodore

Annalise had yet to enter the cobblestone mansion, yet her ears were already filled with delightful laughter and excited chatter. She had little idea as to how many guests had been invited, but she supposed she would find that out soon enough. Annie had always been quite pleased with her house and its size, but this house was too elegant to even come close to comparing. At least three stories high, it was, with large, impressive windows that seemingly dotted every inch of the building. It contained a beautiful wrap-around porch that was decorated with blooming flowers of all breeds and shades. If its purpose wasn't so professionally intimidating, Annalise would have visited it more often. Although, admiring from a distance wasn't often the way to satisfy her desires.

Her hand slid gracefully against the stair railing as she took dainty steps up onto the porch. Her eyes, although mostly covered by her mask unless spotted from a certain angle, skimmed over the two men at the large barn-like doors. Given their stance and the rigid expressions on their face, Annalise took they had some sort of immediate connection to one of the Kings. Perhaps one of each. She was unsure of whether or not she was to address them, so her pink lips simply twitched into a friendly tight-lipped smile before she entered the building. Nature's air was warm, but it was delightfully cozier inside. It often became rather uncomfortable near the end of the night, for sweat lingered in the air and the room's temperature increased by at least ten degrees, but it was pleasant right now. She kept her shawl draped gently across her mid-arms, making note of a spot to place it within the next few hours.

Annalise had written to Aretha almost the moment after she had accepted her invitation to the Onryx, but she hadn't heard back. Whether or not that was because the returning letter simply had not yet made its arrival in the Purcell territory or not was beyond Annie, but she hoped Aretha had landed herself a spot at the ball, too. Theo, as well. It was almost ironic, how two of her grandest friends happened to be from the opposite kingdom. Come to think of it, Annalise could not help but wonder if the two potentially knew one another. Neither happened to mention the other name whilst in Annalise's presence, but it was entirely possible. They were as successful as her own family was, so surely their names were well-known. Fingers crossed that both were able to attend tonight's celebration, Annalise carried onward with a new skip in her step. She was no stranger to a ballroom, and the way she glided along through the clutter of people proved it. She had learned a technique whilst within a strange room like so, and that was how to observe her surroundings without appearing to look lost. She always found it amusing, watching first-timers in utter awe, yet found it rather embarrassing. Annie refused to end up looking like them.

The masks were something unusual, and it had taken Annalise a moment to adjust to it. However, once comfortable, she found herself smiling at the beauty. A masquerade ball had always carried mystery and delight with it. The room oozed with it.
Despite the difficulties of scoping out a person with the mask across their face, Annie was able to place a finger on a particular figure in a heartbeat. The way they carried themselves, the ever-so-slight stiffness in their wrist as they held their crystal goblet; it was undoubtedly Theodore Lefeuvret. Eyes lighting up in an "ah-ha!" way, Annalise drifted closer to the figure. She was cautious at first, in case her suspicions were painfully off, but she was very confident once within a five-meter distance. His peanut-brown eyes were hard to mistake.

"Theodore Lefeuvret," she greeted, propping one leg back to sink into a flourishing curtsy. A playful grin was plastered on her face, for she knew as well as he did that if she wasn't in such a proper place, she wouldn't have greeted him the way that was considered proper for a lady. "It's been quite some time, hasn't it?"

[poppyxoxo]

ARETHA

Aretha spun around gently in a circle, her dark eyes settling over the lovely tailored fabric that complimented her curved in a perfectly fitted dress. Aretha would definitely have to pay her father her respects before she left as this dress truly was just perfect for the occasion. Of course Aretha had checked that Annie would be attending, and why wouldn’t she be attending the party of the century? Having come from a rich family, Aretha new what it meant to fit in amongst all the chatter, but this particular party would be flavourful.

This meant both kingdoms were invited, which entailed more gossip from Annie which Aretha never missed out on. Although Aretha would have to be on her best behaviour, it never hurt anyone to a little bit interesting. However, this night didn’t seem to need any more of Aretha’s antics. At least for now, Aretha would have to focus on keeping her identity hidden behind her mask.

Aretha had been dropped off by her own respective cart and was now making her way towards the sounds of the party, her already lit up with excitement. By the sounds of it, a few had arrived before her and were chattering amongst themselves. Everyone was dressed exquisitely, the clothing seemingly made just for them. All she had to do was find Annalise and her night would be almost perfect.

Unless she was approached by another, but for now she would wait and see. Her eyes casually passed around the room, taking in the structure and the lovely decoration.

DANIEL

Daniel fretted over his suit, worrying if he appeared sophisticated enough for this kind of fancy get together with all of the kingdoms eligible rich and poor. Daniel brushed off the red fabric, straightening out wrinkles that he knew were not even there. His mind was complex like that sometimes, forcing him to do things that weren’t even necessary. The oncoming countless conversations did not make Daniel falter from him one track mind.

The air held a sort of strange excitement that Daniel wasn’t use to. This get together was meant to help strengthen the bond between the kingdoms, which truly warmed Daniel slightly. It would also be a welcome change to his boring lifestyle and a good opportunity for him to get to know his peers.

He was now in the room, standing off to the side while observing some of the people who stood around, seemingly waiting for something or someone.

AMBROSE

Ambrose applied the finishing touches to his suit which collected him together nicely and complimented his shape nicely despite his nonexistent wealth. He made sure that his hair was perfect and his shoes were spotless before he stepped into the cart that took him on his way to the party. Ambrose was quite surprised that he got invited, but it would be good for the two kingdoms in terms of making sure its people got along. And what better way than through a masquerade ball.

He quite liked the idea and of course had never been to one himself, but was excited about what he should be expecting. Once his cart had come to a stop, he jumped out and made his way with a handful of other people to wherever the ball was to be held. He buzzed with excitement.

[AlphaOfThePack21]

21||Male||Heterosexual||Wealth: 9||Arkley||Paired: N/A||Tags: Annie
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He continued to talk amongst the men, though he never was one to really say anything or add anything. This wasn't his crowd, they were the power-hungry type, the kind would kick the little guy down when they were trying to stand up. He pretended to enjoy their company. But really surrounding himself with their kind disgusted him. But this was how he would be able to keep having money to not only ensure his lifestyle but the lives of his workers as well, if he messes up a few hundred lose what they have for a source of income. His eyes followed the conversation, flicking to each person as they spoke before he started to find himself finding the conversation rather dull and boring. He wasn't all about business. If you knew him well you could see the boredom that sat on hidden on his face. He took a sip of the drink in hand.

To his delight, he heard his name being spoken. You could see his face light up. "Excuse me gentleman..." he spoke to the men and pushed through them basically. Anything to get away from their chatter. He looked to Annie, there was a playful smirk on his face. He offered a bow back. "Miss Purcell. Always a pleasure to see you." he knew being formal was the way they needed to act amongst the crowd. They might be looked down upon if they act too foolish. Plus there were always those wandering eyes that still could have a problem with two people from the different kingdoms being so friendly with each other. Not everyone here was happy about the kingdoms coming together, some still hate each other and some wish war.

He had a bright grin on his face, it was nice to see a good friend again. The feeling of the room had changed for him, he felt more comfortable and not so serious. "That it has, How does your family fare?" he paused for just a moment. "What have you been doing with your time of the late?" He had this childlike giddiness in his chest, excitement to be able to catch up with her. Grabbing a drink off one of the platters that waltzed past them and offering it to her. Of course, being the gentleman he is.

He found himself looking her up and down, not in anything more than just to admire her dress. She looked great, beautiful even. One wouldn't know that she could tear you apart with her words if she wanted to. The blue dress made her skin look even fairer. Making it seem like that her complexion was flawless in a way, and with that, it made her emerald green eyes stand out more with the help of the mask of course. It was like looking at royalty almost, well to him she was, he trusted and respected her greatly he would never think little of her in any way, she honestly inspired him too much for that to happen. He found himself zoning off into thought before he snapped back to meet her eyes, a way he showed he is listening.

[senna_]

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✫title: the artistxx✫wealth: ninexx✫kingdom: nearonxx✫tags: theodore

Perhaps if Annalise hadn't been given so much to her in her quick twenty years of life she would have felt a bit more guilty upon realizing that she had broken Theodore's conversation with a rather distinguished group of men. She knew her friend was not one to settle contentedly into a crowd like so, for, given their appearances, they were most likely businessmen with an unhealthy desire for power and control; the type Annalise harmlessly flirted with for the sake of messing with them. She could not stand those types, truth be told. If one believed her confidence was enough to take in, they would not last two minutes in a conversation with the men Theodore had just excused himself from. A chicken in a batch of foxes, they would be, and they would be devoured in seconds. Annie pitied the people who had the courage to try, really. She knew too much about that breed of men to know that their confidence was nothing more than stupidity.

"Miss Purcell," she echoed, speaking the words slowly as if in deep consideration. "I suppose it's rather lucky that I just so happen to be the only Purcell in this room tonight, hm? I'd little idea as to whom you were addressing otherwise." A small roll of the eyes followed that. Why her mother would openly want that many children was beyond Annalise. Although she knew as a woman it was her duty to bear children, she couldn't yet bring herself to do it. The idea of marriage and a family was an economic wreck and Annalise was not yet ready to test those waters, much to her parents' dismay. It simply was not her cup of tea.

It was nice to be able to have a lighthearted conversation with the young man. Although during their younger days Annie did not care so much about what others thought, as she grew over, speaking with those from Arkley felt more like a crime than anything else. The way people's eyes lingered, the way their mouths moved as soft yet bitter words emerged from their lips, was horrid. Annalise supposed to reason why she had taken a step back from Aretha and Theo was so she did not have to risk ruining her family's reputation. Things seemed as though they were on the verge of turning, though.

"Well, mother has been hot on our heels to get ourselves wed," Annalise told him, albeit reluctantly, for he knew as well as she did how much she hated the subject. "Colin has begun to court a naive ballet dancer and Irina seems interested in John Frett, the King of Lumber out west." Her head tilted ever-so-slightly at the quick flash of her two other siblings in her mind before continuing, "As for the rest of us, we have been rightfully informed that we are little more than lost causes. However-" her eyes lit up as her mind finished its recap, settling safely on one positive thing that had happened between their visit now and their last- "Father has opened a spot in our main hall for a painting of mine. I've yet to commence on it, for I cannot dare to make a single mistake, but I believe 'tis small progress." Her father was strict, the definition of old-time. Although he had told her countless times that as a lady her artwork would take her nowhere, something instead of him had turned enough to welcome her passion a bit more warmly. Annalise hadn't dared to ask what exactly that something was. She was given something delightful, she was not about to have that taken away from her.

Grasping her shawl, Annie swung it lightly, its end gently smacking his elbow before accepting the glass with a thankful smile. "But I wish to hear more about the Lefeuvret welfare. How has life in Arkley been treating you? Swell, I hope?"

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♚title: the ghost xx♚wealth: fourxx♚kingdom: arkleyxx♚tags: louise

Every step that was taken towards the Onryx caused a deeper hole of regret and dismay for Lauren Shaw. He was on autopilot, unable to stop his feet from taking him further into the mouth of the monster. He was ever-so-thankful for his mask. He supposed if he hadn't known that it was a masquerade party, he most likely would have turned it down more easily, for it made it much more unchallenging to put a name to a face. His face. He did not wish to do that. Lauren was not here for trouble, nor was he here to run into someone his father owed money to. It seemed as though half of Europe was enriched with those types of people. Lauren, by all means, was not at the ball to have fun, but the last thing he wished to do was get himself into an unnecessary fight over money that was needed because of his father's careless stupidity. It was becoming rather tiresome, truth be told. Lauren did wish to submerge from the shadows and live his life as Lauren Shaw and not The Man Who Has the Shaw Money. In all honestly, though, Lauren did not have the money his father lived with. He did not run the family business, which sparked around lawyers and law cases, and he had his father to blame. His father, who had claimed his disability to be stupid and enough to ruin a career, and triple-locked any potential doors Lauren could drift through to take hold of the job. Unfortunately, that cost him quite a bit. Lauren was unable to see over the endless piles of debt.

He could not say he was living uncomfortably. He had a decent amount of money, though what he spent on himself was farther than few. He sensed Rhonda knew about his various struggles, though she was an intelligent woman, and Lauren knew that if he needed to talk, he could always go to her. He never did, though. He supposed his pride was far too stubborn to sit down and spill his problems, but it seemed suiting. His father had always drilled "be a man" into his head, so why would he act against that? Subconsciously, he feared his father was still after him, despite his passing. Lauren was never truly free. And that led to his dread that particular night. Lauren was not oblivious to romance. He did not despise it, nor did he not believe in it. But he had made a promise, a vow, and he was far too worried about breaking it to even remotely appreciate a setting like so. Rhonda knew that too. Lauren knew she was not impressed with his tactics, his mindset, but she had yet to say a word on that matter, too. Lauren was determined to avoid that talk for as long as he could.

He had little ideas as to why exactly this invite was sent out. He sensed there was more to it than a simple celebration, for why would two people with such high power invite near nobody's to their guarded mansion? He did not know what exactly to think of it, but to say he was skeptical was to say the least. He had a good feeling his friend Royce would be at the ball, though; the Cunninghams did not bathe in their earnings, but Lauren knew they were comfortable with what they were given. Surely he would be around. However, it would be immensely difficult to find that out, given the masks, and Lauren was not about to play detective. He wanted to stay in the shadows for as long as possible, and scoping out a friend would give him away with ease. He kept quiet.

It was obvious that his person had caught the attention of some. King Alexander had rightfully married a coloured woman, which made diversity much more normalized, but he still knew that the Caucasian type was always going to overpower the coloured. Furthermore, few black men and women with money lived in Arkley, he knew that well. His family was large, it was often joked about during his younger age that all were related to some somehow. Unfortunately, as Lauren grew older, that joke was more of a reality than he thought. He was apparently the spitting image of his father, and it didn't usually take more than ten seconds for one to realize Lauren was related to Winston Shaw. Every time that was said it fed his burning fiery in the pit of his stomach, but Lauren rarely burst. However, he was here to enjoy himself, and he wasn't sure how much of it he could take. He thanked his mask yet again for the same reason.

He was curious to note that a petite woman with raven coloured hair seemed to share a similar mindset to his own, given the way she was pressed back from the overall crowd. Lauren didn't like getting attached, but that did not at all mean he avoided people at all costs. Hands behind his back, he took a few steps closer to her, though, apart from a quick blink in her direction, focused on the shadowy figures as they weaved in and out of one another's paths. "I presume you too have better duties to attend to than a party like so?"

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♢title: the anthuriumxx♢wealth: threexx♢kingdom: nearonxx♢tags: daniel

Goosebumps trickled up and down Elliott's fair skin, and he was relieved that his body was covered by the thick fabric of his jacket, for it was most certainly nowhere near cold enough to catch a chill. He was evidently nervous, and he wished not to let others know. He was no stranger to his emotions, nor was he one to shy from them, and knew he was nervous, but that was much too large to toss onto another man's shoulders. Besides, every single face around was nothing more than a complete stranger to him. Of course, it was rather difficult to tell, given the use of the masquerade masks, but Elliott was nearly convinced that nobody from his particular village would be at such a party like this one. The fact that he was here, standing outside the Onryx, was hard enough to believe.

A shiver raced down his spine, enough to cause him to physically jolt, and a warm blush surfaced through his freckled cheeks. Thankfully, his off-gold mask covered most of his face, and although the moon cast a dim gleam against their beings, it was dark enough to safely hide a well-developed blush. Elliott stood off to the side, his sea-green eyes watching as figures dressed in every shade imaginable waltzed past him. It was difficult to tell right off the bat who came from a wealthier family than others. Perhaps they all emerged from wealth, and Elliott was the odd one out. That made his stomach twist. Of course he wished to become acquainted with some of the people here, for he was to be staying with them, but he and his parents had come to a nice agreement that Elliott would at least attempt to find a suitable bride for himself. Elliott had dreamt of marriage and having children from a young age, for he adored the idea of a happy family, but he was beginning to worry. If everyone here was wealthy, he wouldn't be able to support his wife the way he wished to. He could not think about that now. He was here simply to enjoy himself. How that was going to happen, given his lack of experience in a place like so, Elliott had yet to figure out, but he was a quick learner. He was sure he would catch on quickly.

His doubts seemed to overpower him as he stepped into the mansion. He felt like a stick in the mud, an abnormal leaf fluttering against a bunch of perfectly symmetrical forest green leaves. His hands twiddled with one another as he watched, eyes doe-like as he took in the sights. Few were dancing, which was understandable, for the musicians had just begun to set up. His eyes lingered in their direction. Elliott had always adored singing, and music, and anything related to the arts. Yes, occasionally there would be a musician playing on the streets, desperate for a coin or two, but this was something that was in the complete opposite step of direction. It was magnificent, the way their instruments gleamed and shimmered; Elliott wouldn't doubt he'd be able to see his reflection if he looked into one of them. He knew they would never, ever let someone like him near their precious instruments, though.

Stepping closer to the walls, feeling as though its gentle shadow would swallow up enough of Elliott's figure to make him disappear, he'd remembered to keep a safe distance away from those who evidently owned the room. He found himself unintentionally close to another man who seemed to have similar intentions. Though his mask was a simple white, his suit was undoubtedly expensive; anyone who owned a proper dress coat had some sort of money. Elliott fiddled with the sleeves of his shirt. He was one of the only ones so far without a jacket like what this man was wearing, surely he'd be noticeably different. Still, he couldn't really hide from this man now. So he plastered a small smile, "My apologies if I am intruding your space, sir. I got a bit carried away."

[AlphaOfThePack21]

21||Male||Heterosexual||Wealth: 9||Arkley||Paired: N/A||Tags: Annie
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He had taken no mind to the men he was previously talking to who seemed to have an issue with excusing himself. Because moments later they shot him a look before walking away. Power hungry dogs... he thought to himself as he eyed them as they walked away. It takes a lot for Theo to even think of glancing at someone that way, people like his father were one of them. He looked back to Annie as she spoke. A slight grin came to his face as she repeated his words. "I suppose you are right. Though if you were surrounded by any of your family I would've simply called you by your name." he explained. Though that might bring up the question as to why he didn't just call her by name in the first place. But it was simple, he thought it would be more formal to call her by her last name rather than her full.

He chuckled lightly to the whole getting wed idea. He knew that she was not for it, at least not right now. "That sounds right up your alley, I could definitely see you on the arm of a man." his words were a playful sarcasm, as he exaggerated the word 'definitely'. He put his hand to his chin slightly as she spoke, as if to think over the conversation about her siblings. "It sounds to me you do not fancy this ballet dancer too much? Is she much like you, or quite the opposite?" He knew that she is an opinionated and independent woman, someone who doesn't need a man to tell her what to do, she is fully capable of taking care of her self and making her own decisions, that's one of the many traits he admires about her. She doesn't follow all of how everyone else acts just because it's approved by society. This is a man's world, one where women get silenced and looked at as just some object to give children and clean the home. Theo doesn't believe in that, he's seen how women are magical beings, not literally, but they really are something special.

He brushed his hair back slightly at the questions. "Sometimes I wish father dearest had another child. I find this work for something that's not even my legacy to be rather tiresome. Arkley is as business ridden as ever, maybe even more so in the past few years. It seems the kingdom grows duller and duller and colorless as the days continue. It seems most have lost their humanity to the devil's currency. It seems there is no originality in this place, most people don't talk about anything other than money and business. I do have to say seeing you is a breath of fresh air, at least I can have a conversation that has more depth than the rest." He sighs and rubs his hand on the back of his neck. "Sorry I suppose I was rambling. Aside from all that, things have been well for me here. Though I did find some thievery among one of my shops. But I didn't have the heart to fire him...with wife and kids at home how could one be so heartless?" He didn't like talking business all the time and since the whole issues between Arkley and Nearon that seemed to be the only conversation anyone would hold with him. It always started off with 'Hi how are you.' and then continued on to his buisness and money.


[[I was feeling good so I ended up writing a response pfffft ]]

[fruitbat]

𝑹𝑶𝒀𝑪𝑬 𝑪𝑼𝑵𝑵𝑰𝑵𝑮𝑯𝑨𝑴
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Kingdom Arkley. Wealth five. Title the virtuoso. Mentions Fleur, Lauren. Tags n/a.
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It was 5am when Royce's eyes fluttered open this morning, thanks to the beautiful yet burning bright sunlight that passed over his eyelids. It just so happened that the rays peaked through the curtains that should've been completely shut, but clearly Royce was either too lazy or clumsy last night to notice. Once Royce is awake, there is no going back to bed. It's always been a silly, yet slightly convenient attribute of his, which could be a problem in retirement. However, there was no use thinking about retirement now when Royce was supposed to be taking over his fathers business. The family had always dealt with metal or wood, or both, in some regard. His father was a respected blacksmith, and his uncle was a talented woodworker. Royce, however, was neither. Instead, he could persuade both materials to do as he desired, and was therefore considered some sort of "prodigy" amongst the family. Because of this, Royce could usually get away with being late to work, often greeted with a headlock and hair ruffle with the words "you're lucky you're my son" passing his fathers lips shortly after.

Today was different, because work started in two hours, so the young man could take it slow. Which was actually much needed because all Royce could think about was the ball he was going to tonight. He was sure his good friend Lauren Shaw was going to be there, and perhaps even Fleur, the young girl he met a while ago while she was "sneaking out". He chuckled at the thought, rubbing his tired eyes as he imagined the both of them all dress up. The he remembered... he had to dress up too. Although the Cunningham income wasn't incredible, it was comfortable enough that the family could afford a decent outfit for Royce to parade in at the ball. The excitement started to kick in when he realised that he also had a half-day at work because his father wanted him to be in tip-top shape.

Waking up at 5am might've been a curse this time, because Royce fell asleep in the carriage as it pulled up to the Onryx. He was in a deep sleep too, Head cocked to the right, mouth slightly open, and a little bit of dribble creeping from the side that had dried up from the crisp night air. He woke with a shock when the horses halted to an abrupt stop, sending Royce's limp body flying forwards. He woke just in time to catch himself before others could see what an absolute fool he was. Breath heavy with shock, Royce froze for a moment before realising how sore his neck was. He rubbed it, and in doing so he discovered the dry dribble running down his chin. He wiped the crusty bits away, ran his fingers through his dirty blonde hair and stepped out of the carriage as the doors were opened for him. He thanked the men for the escort and made his way into the building with a skip in his step. Nerves started to overrule excitement as the young man came closer to the most extravagant place he had ever laid his gaze upon. Royce wasn't aware of it, but the wonder in his eyes was paired with the biggest grin- he looked like a 5 year old at the candy store. He wondered if he would see any of his friends, or even be able to pick them out amongst the plethora of masked people.

𝑳𝑶𝑼𝑰𝑺𝑬 𝑪𝑶𝑾𝑬𝑵
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Kingdom Nearon. Wealth eight. Title the concerned. Mentions Lauren. Tags Lauren.
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Louise sat in the back of the carriage with her arms crossed over her chest and a slightly sour look painted upon her face. She was not pleased about the invite, and even more so about actually attending. Although Louise was used to being dolled up and acting like she had any remote interest in being "rich", she hated it with a burning passion. Why did there have to be such a divide? Why could no one else in her family see the problem with it? For as long as she can remember, there has been a strong determination to try and break the chains that held down the "lower class" and unite them with those of more wealth. Everyone could then live in peace and harmony without fear of being prosecuted. Theoretically, there would be less crime because the starving wouldn't steal, the kingdoms would have an economical increase, and the average death toll would be reduce. How were those statistics not appealing to the kingdoms leaders? It was something Louise would never know.

The carriage contained herself and both parents, who were also invited to the ball. Secretly Louise believes it was because they wanted to make sure she behaved herself and didn't start a protest or riot at the Onryx, or maybe they wanted to keep tabs on her interactions in case she met "the one". At 22, Louise has already been subjected to thousands of marriage proposals by men near and far, but has declined every one. Her parents wish to marry her off to a man of more or equal wealth, purely for their own advantage. Lucky for her she is stubborn with a fiery temperament, strategically turning off all the men who think she's just a pretty face. Louise doesn't want anyone who cannot align themselves with her own morals, because they are the most important to her.

Once inside the magnificent building called the Onryx, Louise found herself meeting all the wealthy families who were acquaintances of her parents. She acted sweet, put on a friendly smile and curtsied to everyone she was forced to interact with. Once the formalities were over and her parents set her off on her own, Louise surfed the outskirts of the crowd. Interaction was not her strong suit, especially when she was in a room full of people who defined the great divide. At times she felt guilty for being born into wealth, but other times she was deeply grateful because she had a much higher chance of actually changing the world. Louise scanned the room to observe the facial expressions and communicating techniques of other people, mentally noting who may and may not be worthy of talking to. Her judgement was interrupted by another figure that had approached her, though she wasn't aware of how long he had been there. Perhaps he had been there a while and her cynical self didn't notice, so he had to say "I presume you too have better duties to attend to than a party like so?" in order to break the ice. Louise's head snapped in his direction, giving an instinctive, small curtsy to the man as she replied. "Yes, I do. How about yourself?"

[senna_]

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✫title: the artistxx✫wealth: ninexx✫kingdom: nearonxx✫tags: theodore

Annalise gave a slight dip of her head at his explanation. She wasn't angered, especially because she knew that while Theodore understood he did not have to be nearly as formal with her as he did with most of the group around them, his manners were far too obedient to slip right away. She found it rather amusing, truth be told. In all fairness, too, it wasn't often that a Purcell was seen straying from the pack. With nine children, a banker who seemed to have relations to three-quarters of Nearon, and Nearon's long-time sweetheart, it was difficult for one to get some time without another. Annalise supposed she had lucked out in that segment, for although quite a good handful of her siblings were involved in the arts, she was currently the only one with a deep passion for the visual arts. She supposed part of that reason could have been due to the recent shift in the way the arts were viewed. The paintings were much more free and open to various perspectives and mindsets than ever before, but Annalise sensed some people still subconsciously felt hesitant with the swap-over, especially those who were devoted to faith and religion. It was all the better for her, though. If only the rights for women could catch onto the changes a bit quicker...

Tuning back into the conversation, Annie gave an unattractive snort of a laugh at his comment on a husband, raising the crystal flute to her lips to avoid saying anything too out there. A roll of the eyes- if he could see that- allowed him to pick up on her sarcastic amusement. She couldn't really say he had the same mindset. They were younger the last time they had gotten together, during a time where significant others and marriage weren't yet a situation they would have to face anytime soon. Annalise sensed Theo would make a fine husband, though. He was soft-spoken and gentle, and enthusiastic about equality. Though many of the more wealthy men would tear any possible right away from their lady, Annalise knew Theodore would be different. His wife would be blessed with never-ending luck. Not that she would ever say that aloud. He was sincere, but Annie knew he would eat that right up; it wasn't often they shared ardent compliments.

Her mouth dropped ever-so-slightly as he continued, and she sucked back a gasp in fake horror. Inwardly, Annalise had a good feeling her mother would be screaming at her lack of womanly manners if she had been watching the scene from above, but she was not there to scold Annalise and put her back in her place. Besides, Theo hadn't ever seemed to mind. "Mr. Lefeuvret, how dare you think so lowly of me!" Her eyes twinkled with laughter, however, and she tilted her head back up as a wave of genuity fell upon her. "I believe she's rather nice. Quite different from Colin's usual woman, but I believe she will put him in his place. Someone 'ought to." The last sentence trailed off into more of a grumble. Colin Purcell was older than the both of them and hadn't said much to Theo, but anyone who knew the name knew about Colin's reputation. A flirt with no sense of how romance worked, he was. He'd most certainly gone against the law with women, Annalise was merely sure of it.

She fell quiet as the spotlight shifted to him, eyes lingering on his person, her attention genuine. From the blind eye, from the way Annalise talked, it was entirely possible that people who did not know her could believe she wasn't the type to thoroughly hear out her conversed partner's words, but that was far from the truth. Annalise was picky with whom she spoke to, but she genuinely enjoyed hearing from the other when it was someone she truly appreciated being around. A profound smile twitched at her lips to show her commiseration, and she gently placed the tips of her fingertips against her wrist with a small shake of her head. "It's always better to get things off your chest, hm? I'm truly sorry to hear that, Theo." She took in a deep breath, gloved pinky finger swirling around the rim of her glass as she pondered over her words. "I suppose all we can do is hope that the alliance between the two countries will bring forth new changes. I know King Alexander is much more economically driven than King Rupel, but perhaps this agreement will allow him to open his eyes to the changes Nearon has welcomed?" It seemed far-fetched, a weak amount of hope that would blow off into the distance with one wrong step, but it did seem that was what quite a few wished the outcome of this alliance would bring to them all. The two kingdoms were heavily divided, so much so that it almost seemed surreal. Annalise knew Theodore's mindset was much more alike to those in Nearon than Arkley, but she figured moving anywhere else would be extremely difficult for him, given his father's business. "The borders will not nearly be as guarded, so I suppose that means you have all the opportunity in the world to take a break from Arkley if you please." A small, guilty look cast a shadow upon her face, and she glanced down at the hem of her dress momentarily. "I am afraid I cannot offer much more than that. As much as I wish to know more about what the future will hold, I am no time traveler." She was quiet for a second, but a soft smile slowly returned to her lips and she resumed her talking, "You have always had a kind heart, Theodore. I cannot say many men would do as you did, with that thief. That was a generous act to do."

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♚title: the ghost xx♚wealth: fivexx♚kingdom: arkleyxx♚tags: louise

The way the guests danced was enough distasteful nostalgia for Lauren to handle. Although his father was a glum and cold man who refused to let many guests into his household, a cousin of Rhonda's had a never-ending thirst for balls. Rhonda, an outgoing woman with a love for livelihood and excitement, often attended these balls, and since she was responsible for looking after Lauren, he often came, too. In fact, he spent quite a lot of time in her cousin's house. Though he had only attended two or three of their parties in his lifetime, he spent quite a bit of time upstairs, attempting to read and write, and it was nearly impossible to block out the overpowering musical delight that filled the entire building. The music here had only just begun, and barely at that, for the musicians were simply testing out their strings and chords. However, despite all of that, it still managed to tie a knot within Lauren's stomach. Still, despite his wavering emotions, he plastered on a monotonous expression. With a mask that covered up a good portion of his face, one could see little more than his pressed lips and set jaw. Lauren was not angry, nor was he completely unimpressed with the situation, but he was far from overjoyed. A noble, knowing look was what he was aiming to achieve. Not too eager, yet not the type to express his antipathy in a way where he would scare off anyone who came his way.

He felt he was doing alright, for, although it took a second, the young woman he had addressed had finally looked his way. She had been evidently observing the crowd before them. Although from the angle Lauren had placed himself at, it was difficult to get a good glimpse of her face- particularly her eyes- without physically bending forward and peering around at her, he simply had a good feeling she was doing just that. Women typically seemed to eat a party like so right up, and no crumbs were ever left. He supposed they had a good enough reason for it; beautiful gowns and extravagant up-dos did seem to be the appealing thing to do for ladies. This one, though, appeared different. Her answer was short, though not curt, noticeably suggesting she did indeed have better things to do. He hadn't met many who would have given a similar answer.

"I suppose to a degree, yes," he murmured in response, returning her quick curtsy with a slight dip of his head. "I cannot say a party would be on the top of my agenda, though, I suppose if it is on any person's, it proves where they truly fit economically-wise. It is much too..." He pressed his lips together as he raked through his mind for a semi-suiting word. "...Prodigious. Far too many people for my taste, that is." His dark eyes settled on her covered face. Her voice was unfamiliar to his ears, though Lauren had suspected there would be a healthy amount of people he had yet to meet. "Might I aquire a name, miss?"

[poppyxoxo]

Daniel - tagging: Elliott

The elegantly decorated room was lit up well, its twinkle catching on the material of everyone’s clothes. Daniel had to admit, this type of environment was intoxicating coming from someone who stood to the outside. This put his mind at ease; the thought of the two kingdoms coming together in a peaceful unity. Daniel swiftly made his way around the growing group of minglers to get to the bar that was handing out drinks to all the ladies and gentlemen. He himself accepted one in a stout crystal glass before walking back to his original place. Daniel allowed his arms to cross while gently lifting his glass to his lips, taking a small sip of his drink. Although everyone seemed particularly chatty given the circumstances, Daniel had to admit this was slightly daunting. Never in his life would Daniel have imagined ever venturing outside of his modest lifestyle.

Although he was wearing a perfectly kept hand me down outfit, this rich lifestyle was definitely something he could get use to very quickly. He hadn’t even noticed when someone stepped into close proximity of himself, uttering an apology. He turned around and was now looking at a man of similar height, probably similar wealth given his lack of overcoat. He offered a smile and lifted a hand gently. “That is perfectly fine. I too get slightly lost in the life of things” he reassured the man who seemed just as nervous as what Daniel was. He quickly turned into a more inclusive stance so that he wasn’t directly starring at his seemingly new companion, but so that he could still engage in conversation. “What is your name, good sir?” He asked, his words formal in case his guesses of the man where completely wrong.