Welcome to Gaia! ::

Shanuh continued to watch the party with his typical cool interest. The ballroom was decorated appropriately, and the people who entered seem to be enjoying himself. Part of the gold and silver masked man was pleased when not one, but two of his beloved's entered.

Though recognizing them by face was difficult, there was no fooling Shanuh. Gamviel and Riycan - the turkey and the green jay. The prodigal sons had returned, and it did Shanuh's heart good. Now, if only they could enjoy themselves! He made a note to approach the pair, to greet them, to see if they remembered him. Though it would break his heart if they didn't, such was the way of things. They all couldn't be loyal like Iamel. . .

Despite studying the people of the room, he didn't entirely ignore the approaching woman. So he wouldn't get out of being social this evenig - it was his party. For shame that his simple attire and mask could't hide him from the world. But such was life - he knew how to be polite, he did.

A glance at the woman, one pink, one yellow eye landing upon her. Fox years, fox tail, a dress. . . Let her continue to pretend. Many that walked the room weren't human, so he feigned no surprise at the sight. This was a gathering of the most ecclectic kind - dreams and nightmares meeting reality and logic.

A moment of silence, as if Shanuh hadn't the slightest intention of responding. Strange draw. . .? That was one way to sum up the event, certainly. Though he wasn't at all interested in speaking with her, he surely wouldn't let those flickering feelings dictate his actions. He'd be expected to play host tonight, along with his contemporaries. Being social came along with the territory.

"It's not your typical party, no," Shanuh agreed, voice laced with bored interest. "But then, this party was made with only a select few in mind."

It was true. This party wasn't for the guests and visitors and curious minds - this party was for his wards and beloveds. This party was for the Birds who had once so desired life, and who were finally getting that chance. For those spirits of death who had wanted so badly to be given the blessings of life, to learn about those whom they destroyed. . . This party was for them. To ring out their last phase of 'life', to give them happy moments to remember.

This event was for Riycan, Iamel, Xaxis, Gamviel - this event was for all the ducks, and swans, and geese, and thrushes, all the avians that were so dear and special to Shanuh. This was for them, and Shanuh wasn't going to hide that fact.

Speaking of beloveds . . . The entire nature of the well groomed shopkeep changed as Iamel approached. There was his most loyal, his most faithful. The black and white wings, the gangly height, the velvet vest and frills.

How fantastic did he look - did they all look.

From ice-cold disinterest to almost a sensual sort of warmth, the masked shopkeep's attention was purely on his ward. "My, my, aren't we looking elegant tonight." He approved of the Mad Hatter look, the fairytale being dressed as a fairytale story.

Of course, his fond greeting was cut short with the arrival of Diaycn. Ah yes - the aggressive raptor, the one whom had always held Iamel's wild interest. Shanuh looked from one, to the other, the slight smile never fading from his lips.

And thus announced the arrival of two . . . Explosions and Hypothermia, fire and ice . . . Shanuh was ever curious to see how that would play out.

The fox tilted her head to the side at his response. A select few? She doubted she even ranged in that selection. "Then I hope I'm still welcome..." She glanced over at the winged boy for a moment. The way the unnamed man looked at that teenager, it was absolute pride. So he did have a reason for life. Was that his son?

D.S. shook off the notion and the presence of the strange creature beside her. With a bit of her gathered resolve she held out her clawed hand. There was music and she was sure a few people dancing. D.S. couldn't help focusing on what her mind had already made up. Physical contact normally appalled the fox demon but this man had a secret.

If you dance with a man you can learn all of his secrets... he'll be caught up in the moment and you can see a shimmer of his soul.

Her mother always believed dancing to be the only joy in life. One that the fox herself had taken away when she'd... No matter... it was in the past now. Just ask. For her. Her expression thankfully hidden by the mask, the words left the woman's throat.

"Hn, want to dance?"

Said woman, with the duck,soon had her attentions turned away from the seemingly innocent spread and towards one she recognized only by a very loose medical tie that bound them. Color flushed her cheeks as she watched him for a moment, but if he were to only come into reach of her voice, he might hear the soft, slightly nervous, yet jovial tone she held towards his attire. "Hey, you get kicked out of the party to? Those guys at Garrison really are jerks..."

Of course - she knew not of what he was. She knew not those feathers were all too real and that this boy was no wayward intern of her medical physility. No, Amber only assumed that he to had fallen victim to a similar prank of mistakenly on purpose identity lapse.

Well, she wasn't fond of oysters - but Amber really hadn't any reason to distrust the judgement of a duck. The oysters would be her first agenda once the conversation either drifted off or it seemed an appropriate sort of time to munch. Now she was far more interested in the one dressed as she normally was, although attentions were not fully his, for the owner (from what she'd guessed) had just come to claim his duck. A faint smile was spared towards him.

Shanuh had no intention of further communicating with the woman. Whomever she was, it mattered little to the man. Let her find a more suitable partner for conversation, for Shanuh was far from being it. His gaze drifted away from Iamel, directed more at theo thers whom gathered. The female duck, taking choice delicacies on the far buffet table - how sweet. Savius and his little one, Xaxis and his stray feathers, Diacyn and his . . . loudness.

He found pleasure in watching his wards, and was about to make way to greet them when yet another question stopped him in his tracks.

. . . dance?

Two eyes, shadowed behind the brightly glowing mask, focused only on D.S. The simple expression was not particularly amicable. The warmth and paternal pride he'd exhibeted with Iamel's approach was quickly gone. Like a trained pup, once so docile, was no staring with teeth bared. He didn't have to speak to let D.S. know she might have stepped out of place with the question. . .

Him? Dance? And with . . . her?

One moment, one second, one eternity passed as the question hung in the air like a poisenous smog.

Had she really. . . .?

Yes, yes of course.

The reptilian coldness of his eyes quickly diminished in to boredom. "I have other people to attend, thank you," and that was a swfit end to that. His words were sweetly polite, the invitation to dance gently declined. And yet. . . there was something that said D.S. would never be worth a spin around a floor.

Not in this state and most certainly not this evening.

"If you'll excuse me." A polite nod of his head, the gold and silver janglies jingling, and Shanuh disappeared once in to the crowd. There were others to entertain, others to greet. Rascir and Gamviel were top of his list - to see his prodigal sons.

" Oh, I'm sorry." Luis apologized to the air with uncertainty, like he had something to prove. Looking apologetic. There was a Matter at hand. He frowned a motherly frown at the duck, who looked up at him innocently, a slightly manic gleam in her eye. It was an old game between friends. For a moment, a mask slid off.

A polite smile before turning away. An excusemethankyoudon'tmentionit smile. The hall sparkled like concentrated Christmas. Luis retracted a nervous greeting from his lips. Shrimp chips and tinsle popped underfoot.

An excusemethankyoudon'tmentionit raven. Luis mimmicked the woman's captivated gaze for the duck. She gut-gutted. A bubble of air from the depths of an ocean. Floating along the sufface, where ever the waves would carry her.

Luis made a mother face, initiating a secret, infectious intimacy. "Now, now, young lady," He took a stern tone with the bird, who feigned ignorance by picking at a piece of celery inbetween her feet. "Don't you have some apologizing to do?"

The duck cocked her head, stringy bits of green cellulose hanging from her beak.

Outside a storm was brewing, high above the dim pools of orange light that fell on the snowy city streets. The air was bitter and cold. A starving animal. It sent white dandruff flakes floating down from darkened skies like the prelude to a symphony. An orchestra sitting down. The city below flickered like a christmas tree. Light dark light. The strings readied their bows. A flutist cleared her throat.

Wounds puss and turn yellow when they are infected. The scars are smooth and shiney. To clean the wound, doctors pour alchohol on the open tissue. The surfface of the skin foams as the dead cells rupture. It is a sick dog's yellow shiney smile. Out with the old, in with the new.

In the middle of a secret, infectious intimacy, a sickness rose in the back of his mouth. Luis swallowed, the sickness sliding down his throat, like a tiger slinking to its cave to bide its time. He could still taste the watery vomit at the back of his throat, tangy and sweet.

Delight! Ambers' face lit up with a look that could only be described as the frail hope of finding a momentarry companion that was loosely associated with her own profession. The look was realized and color rose to her cheeks for a moment before sympathy set in for a kin victim of her supervisors' pranks. "I'm sorry...Mr. Rastton can be somewhat sharp with his humor. I'm guessing your one of the new interns into cardiology? I know a few arrived last week - but I, unfortunately, haven't gotten a chance to go and greet them. I hope you haven't had too much trouble with the senior staff..."

Ah, the senior staff. Basically the lords and masters of the interns until the day when the lucky souls mastered their craft and became seniors themselves. Amber was neither of these things. However, that didn't mean she didn't offer some compensational kindness for her complete lack of use to them.

Right now that mattered little. He was here, she was here, and with a little smile - she actually hadn't fallen completely over herself yet. Thus she hoped to prolong the conversation until he chose to depart or she embarrassed herself to the point of no returning.

The girl averted her gaze for a few seconds to again glance back at the duck, having noted the boys passing interest in it, as well as the fact that it still had yet to move. Perhaps it was a tame duck? "Poor duck - you're going to be picking food from your feathers all night at that rate. Although, you look fine, whether or not you're with or without food on you."