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Despite the festive atmosphere and the gaily clad revelers, a certain sultry gypsy managed to stand out from the crowd, albeit not in the usual manner. Forgoing the bright colors that most had chosen to don, she had dressed herself in the dark colors of a raven. An iridescent sheen made greens and purples shine where the light struck, adding a certain vibrancy to her otherwise somber coloring, but even then she was easy to spot in the crowd. Of course, it would have been difficult to miss her no matter what she chose to wear.

Though Guardians and familiars were thick on the ground - they gypsy had never seen so many gathered together before - Oberon was unique. Though his ego did not need the extra attention, he was elite even among the elite. For all the Guardians that were present, only a handful had Awakened. He caused quite a stir amongst the revelers.

"His vanity rarely receives such a feast," she replied wryly. At this, Oberon flicked an ear back and stood even prouder, clearly indicating that he was above such accusations. The gypsy quietly scoffed, not the least fooled by his sudden dignity.

"I, for one, am much more interested in all of this," she fluttered her fingers vaguely at the large space filled with all of the Queen's guests. Now there was a strange thought. A gypsy, the guest of the Queen. What strange times these were. Not that she was particularly bothered or flattered by it - she knew that Oberon was the reason she was here. Still, it presented a unique opportunity to accomplish any number of things. She only needed to decide what pursuit she was most interested in.

Recruiting for Soibhan's army? How dreadfully dull. They could do that later. Right now, the gypsy was much more interested in what the crowd of glittering guests was up to. Who was hiding behind those masks?

Rajani, too, was leery of the man. What were his intentions? Where had he appeared from so suddenly? Was he truly a spirit? As a gypsy, Rajani's mind was more open to the Old Ways than most of the gentry or, indeed, most of the "respectable" citizens of Sunderland; and having a Guardian essentially guaranteed that her mind was open, had it not already been. But a spirit? She was not sure. There was definitely something odd about the man, though. At the very least, she had to consider the possibility.

Her sly smile was visible beneath her mask. "That is why Hawthorn is, ah...listening to what he has to say." It was truly lovely to have a rook as clever as hers. He could tell her all about Llyr's conversations later.

At Soibhan's question, she frowned. "Having never met the Queen, I could not say," she said dryly. "But I gather that she can be very stubborn. I think it might be difficult to influence her will." There was a difference between difficult and impossible, of course, and to say that the possibility concerned her would be an understatement.

Well she knew that eyes and ears were everywhere. It was one of the many reasons that the gypsy was glad of her lowly status. She never had to deal with society. Until now, that is. With Oberon by her side, it seemed inescapable. It was well that she loved her Guardian, else she might resent him for up-heaving her life.

"Let us hope," she agreed, but left it at that. This was not the place to speak of such things. It could prove dangerous. Instead, she let her eyes wander the crowd, seeing whether there was anything of particular interest to catch her eye.

Though she was not accustomed to such grand events, her former profession had left her with certain skills. She knew how to watch a crowd, pick up certain details.

The gypsy blinked.

Of course, some things were impossible to miss. Her lips quirked at the sight of a wolf-masked man prancing across the clearing. "What do you make of that one?"

The gypsy hummed in agreement. Everyone was someone else, indeed. A grand masque such as this, brimming with countless people whose identities were each hidden beneath masks, was an ideal opportunity for all manner of trouble. It could be as innocent as flirtation or as sinister as assassination. A thief could make out like a king at such an event - theoretically speaking, of course. And a spy? Well, the event was practically dripping with whispered secrets and wild rumors. She highly doubted that she was the only one interested in hearing what was being said. What harm could an enemy cause here? Rajani was not certain she wished to know.

She glanced at Oberon, but if he was capable of detecting other spirits, he gave no indication. She sighed. Was it terribly naive to wish that he were just a normal man? With her luck, he would be the king of the wolves.

"Your line of thought is too depressing," she said, sick of intrigue even though she knew there was no escaping it. Of course, she did not particularly want to escape it, but that was besides the point. Sometimes the gypsy truly mourned the loss of her simple life. "This is a party. If we cannot have a little fun here, then what is the point?"

"Try," she said dryly. It did not help that she had a similar feelings about the event. Her skin was practically crawling with the feeling. It was a familiar one, though more intense than usual. Still, she knew enough to set it aside until she could do something about it.

Rajani's eyes followed the man's path. "He has to know that they will pester him endlessly with questions," she said. "The question is, what does he gain by allowing it?" There were any number of things he could be after, really. "We might get a better idea if we see how he behaves."

Soibhan's guess was correct. Oberon might be acting like a shameless fop - one with great dignity, of course - but he was a Guardian first. His priority was the protection of his Chosen and the defeat of the wolves. He was paying more attention than he seemed. The gypsy and her Guardian shared a long look, silently communicating before they each went back to their respective pursuits.

"He is not as nervous as you seem to be," she said. "But he agrees that there is more here than meets the eye, both benign and malignant."

The gypsy shook her head, the ghost of a smile on her lips. "Go," she said, waving a hand in dismissal. "I am certain that there must be better company than you somewhere at this masque."

Just as Soibhan wanted to have her little information-gathering fun, Rajani had a couple of things that she wished to address - not least of which included a certain pair of twins who were very much in need of another lesson. It would take a little more of her time than she wished to spend on them at the moment, but if all went well, her investment would be repaid...assuming they could handle it.

"Until later," she nodded, then disappeared into the crowd, Oberon following close behind.