The Masquerade

James tilted his head slowly to the side, with his brows raised beneath his mask.

"I'm... fairly sure the details aren't relevant," he said, looking the boy over. "Look. Just. Calm down. I'm sure it's possible there's someone you know here. A friend. Something." He looked around the crowd, still looking for an exit, or something to hint at where they were. Though, if they weren't on Nye, he had a feeling even if he found out that wouldn't be of much help. For all he knew at this point, he was in a different universe, or on a different world. Nonetheless, he still wanted to try.

"There are many of us here in the same situation, and I doubt we have enough similarities for the circumstances leading up to our arrival to hold any weight. If anything, the fact that we are all arguable random people from far ends of the universe is the common factor. So the only real matter would be to find the person who brought us here, and for what purpose, if there is any." He paused, already having said more than he intended to say, and regretting that none of it would be effective in closing the conversation. He just really didn't feel like making small-talk.

"In the mean-time, thought, I'm going to go off and..." he paused, struggling to find a word. He grit his teeth in a pitiful excuse for a smile. "...explore. So," he gave a small bow to Aaron as if to say farewell, dipping his head before turning to walk away.

He wanted to indignantly reply that he was in fact calm - it was his brother who would be freaking out - but James was already walking away before he had come up with a good response. He glared behind his mask, impatiently tapped his finger against the side of the chair and try to figure out what his next plan of action should be. He still had no idea who had brought him here. A god, maybe? But his godly friends would have flipped if they had known, and he doubted that they would be able to pull something like this off.

So who was it, then? And why him?

He stared at James as he walked away, continuing to tap on the side of the chair. James was the best lead he had yet. Though he didn't know who - or what - had brought them here, he did seem to be on the right track when he said there was no reason to the people who were picked. It was all randomized.

"Oh, screw it," he muttered, hopping to his feet and hurrying after James. It was clear that small talk wasn't really working with him, which was something he could wholeheartedly understand. So he'd skip the small talk, and get straight to the bigger picture - James was actively searching for an escape while everyone else was mingling, and he wanted to be doing the same.

He joined James at his side. "I'll join you. I want to get out of this place, and it looks like you're the only one that's actually trying to find an exit."

Raiden nodded.
"It's only been a year for me too. Though, I was basically just lazing around. I didn't do much, I was just happy to be back home for a little," he said, before shrugging.
"Anyway, where is this place? And, will I have to pretend to be a prisoner to escape this place? Or will there be a beast to fight that's just hiding behind one of those doors?" he mused, rubbing his chin as he looked around. He still didn't notice he had permanent marker on his face.

Taber shrugged. "My girlfriend walked away," he said, "And she's just talking with some guy, so it's probably safe? I don't think there's any prisoners or monsters or stuff like that." His smile grew even wider than usual. "That's great! The staying at home thing. I've been hanging around in my own home too." He leaned down and whispered in Raiden's ear, "It's a super cool palace, where everyone's all nice and formal and stuff."

"Woaaaahhh," Raiden woah'd, turning to Taber
"You live in a palace? Are you royalty yourself or what?"
If he was royalty, Raiden was a bit concerned for his people. Taber might be a nice guy, but he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed.

"Nope!" Taber said, laughing. "Unless you count my dad" - his smile wavered for a second - "But Eremia and me are friends with a bunch of royalty, so we get to hang out with them. It's kinda fun!"

James looked over to Aaron and only gave a nod. He was indifferent to whether Aaron joined him, as long as he didn't try small talk again.

"That is the goal," he said simply, eyes lighting up a little bit when he saw two large glass doors at the top of a wide staircase. They looked like they went outside, and from what he could tell, it was elevated, and probably a balcony overlooking their surroundings from the second floor. With a rush of energy he hurried forward through the crowds, slipping past groups of people who seemed content with conversing and dancing the night away instead of figuring out what was going on. And it was, indeed, night, as the sky beyond the glass doors was dark and starry - a sight that only got clearer as he went up the steps.

He noticed that, once on the second floor - though open to look down at the first - the atmosphere was significantly calmer and more... intimate. Other party-goers were walking around in smaller groups and couples, and some were eating meals together. So his brisk walk to the double doors and him bursting through them was a little disruptive and drew some annoyed glances. But he wasn't trying to be subtle. He was trying to find answers.

Fortunately, there was only one couple out on the large balcony, and as soon as James had marched out to look over the railing, they muttered some things and retreated back into the building. Which left him out there alone, apart from Aaron following.

The building was looking out at a beautiful field. The drop was intimidatingly far, but he could see there was a courtyard down below with statues and burning lamps lighting winding pathways. And further out, there were rolling hills spotted with trees. Or at least, that was as much as he could make out in the darkness.

It was useful for him, to not that there was a way out, since there was a courtyard below. But he also had to not that because of the absence of buildings surrounding, at least on this side, it could possible have meant that the place they were at was more remote, and removed from whatever city it was nearest.

He paused for a moment, leaning on the railing, and sighed.

While he was glad to at least know something more, he still had no idea, really, where he was.

The air grew noticeably colder around the two of them as he peered down at the courtyard below, ice already beginning to form on the tips of his fingers. His breath formed in the air in front of his mask. He was sure that James had already taken note of it, but he honestly didn't care - he wasn't one to reign back his emotions to get control of his magic. He felt fear, and he felt worry. The combination of the two was calling out to his magic, making him want to foolishly try constructing some way of getting down into the courtyard.

But the more he thought about it, the less appealing the plan was. He had no idea where here was, and he was beginning to suspect that it was nowhere near his home. He would have to play the game of whoever had brought them here.

Still, the feeling of his magic slipping into the air around them was a comforting one. It would be a little longer until James grew truly uncomfortable, so he let the ice coat the tips of his sleeves.

James could feel the air grow colder around him, and he looked over to see Aaron, with ice at his fingertips. He wouldn't have guessed it, but it looked like Aaron had magic, and was a mage. If Aaron was even from a world where they used that terminology.

He was relatively sure that Aaron wasn't making it colder just to annoy him - that would be ridiculously self-centered of him to assume - but it did make him uncomfortable. He didn't like being cold. But he did figure that it was possible that Aaron was scared, and his magic was just... happening in a moment of stress. It wasn't something he completely understood, but from what he knew from mages, it could happen.

"You alright?" he asked, his tone more genuine than every previous interaction.

He let out another warm breath into the cold air. He did, in fact, feel alright - at least, that was what he was telling himself. His magic could only relieve so much of his pent-up emotions, especially when he wasn't going to risk letting it all out once.

"I'm okay," he said.

James nodded slowly. "Well. Now we know there's an outside. If the courtyard is just down below then there should be an exit somewhere beneath the steps we went up to get here. Unless there are more floors than I thought..." he looked down again, trying to figure out the answer to his own question.

"I'm going to keep looking," he said decisively, turning back around to go back inside. He paused at the doors, not saying anything, but looking back at Aaron. He wasn't going to ask him to follow, but he was going to leave space for him to.

Naturally, he followed James. It wasn't like he had anywhere else to go. But as he looked around, he suddenly noticed that the cluster in the middle of the room had begun to grow smaller and smaller. Considering that they had all likely banded together in the first place to get answers, it was curious that they had begun to break apart. Was it because they were frustrated with how little information they had gotten?

James only gave a small nod of recognition, before he headed back out and down the steps. As he scanned the room he noticed the same as Aaron had. People had begun to go their separate ways, but it seemed none of them were particularly productive. However, even as he reached the bottom of the steps, he began to wonder how productive it would be to explore the giant, castle-like structure the party was hosted in. Even if he found an exit outside, if the building really was as remote as he was beginning to suspect it to be, there was no real way for him to figure out how to get back home.

It seemed like the fates, largely, fell on the host, who had yet to reveal themselves.

We had only been conversing for a short minute or so, but I got the implication that the lady was disinterested.
But the night was young, and there were plenty, plenty more people here.
Mathematically, I had to get lucky with someone or other, in time. I was in no hurry, there was nowhere important I had to be.

I mean, there was actually some very, very pressing business at home that I had been exceedingly glad to get back to after being missing or comatose or whatever in heaven's name had happened a month prior, but consarn it I could take some respite for just a little while longer before I accepted the fact that I might be stuck in a second coma.

Then I was struck by the vision of some fox-masked man. I'd noticed him vaguely in the background earlier.
His face was concealed entirely, but what I could see was quite enough for me. I thanked the heavens for this godsent distraction from duty. If I was able to have just one nice conversation, or perchance a few other somethings, this whole second coma business could be just a little worth it.
I mean, beautiful people existed in the real world, but by hell's teeth I would take what I could get.

''Do pardon me, miss, I think I know that gentleman.''
I lied to the young woman. I left my hat on the table, and approached the man.

I remembered having heard him speaking German earlier.
I smiled. My first language had rarely ever been advantageous since I left Prussia as a youth in the early 1880's, but now it was about to pay off.

''Pardon me, sir, but I was admiring the engraving on your fox mask, and I simply had to take a closer look.
There's something about the fox that's just so captivating, isn't there?" I asked him, my German still sounding as fresh as it did years and years ago.

In spite of what her instincts told her, Eremia picked up her scepter and, with her glass in her other hand, followed the man. She wanted to blame the alcohol, but she was clearly far less drunk than he was - she walked firmly, and she hadn't been the one to leave and forget her hat on a table. Ultimately, she was curious. If nothing else, she could do with a laugh.

Her heart leaped up when she saw the person in the fox mask, but she realized that they were too tall to be anyone she particularly liked. Not to mention they and the other man were speaking in a language she couldn't identify. She kept her distance and listened closely, however, hoping to hear anything that might be of use.