{Le Château du Seul.}

Mikael

The world swam in and out of focus as my body spasmed around me. Such pain i had never known. And never will again, i thought with a breif feeling of satisfaction before another ragged wall of pain ripped through me leaving lost for breath and unable to stop myself groaning in pain. I could see the look of worry in Alex's face as he watched his closest friend and leader wracked with unimaginable pain.

Joshua

The door opened lightly, and Joshua turned to look, feeling his heart beat faster. The person who came through was not the person he wished to see, but it was still a comfort to see he was alright. William staggered in, gasping lightly at the bloodied bandage on Joshua's knee. William seemed to leap over towards him, and grabbed Joshua's hand.

"Oh, look. Its you muntchkin." Joshua said light heartedly, squeezing William's hand. This was only an act. He would not reveal to William how torn apart he was, physically, and mentally. For this here was his only friend, the only one who stay by his side.

William looked at him, his eyes wide. "I am not a muntchkin."

"Oh, I believe you are." Joshua turned to look at the small painting on the wall. It was a picture of a beauiftul elegant bird, taking of flying, all the colours perfectly shaded. The cerulean feathers astonishingly vibrant. "Do you know what has happened at the party?"

"I don't quite know. I heard the gun shot and I found the doctor leaving this room. I knew automatically it was you."

"I am always the one getting hurt eh? The valiant hero?" Joshua's small smile was false.

"No, I know that you are the only one who would be reckless enough to stand up to a person with a gun, and tell them that their hair is a putrid colour." William's humour was a slight reasurance.

"That wasn't really how it went."

"Then what did happen?"

"I don't quite actually know." Joshua looked down at his tightly bandaged knee and he tried to pull his pant leg down, not wishing for the etchy stitched skin from long before to be seen, though there was not really anyone to see it. Only William who would not run. But how come he felt like he was being examinated by the world, as if God himself was contemplating the reasons for keeping Joshua alive.

-----------------------------

~Incognito

William

Joshua was being Joshua, that was for sure. The same endless facade's of carefree resurance and undeniable false smiles. Of course, he knew that Joshua was only try to help and by holding onto weak smiles, he thought that it would make William less worried, so William only put up his own facade of happiness as well. Of course, he knew that his masks were nothing put worthless in front of Joshua, but trying was enough to at least know he had done something.

"Well, you are alive and thats all that matters," William squeezed his hand back almost machanically, wishing his hands were covered in a sheen of sweat. It was another obvious sign that he feared for Joshua even still. "And I'm so happy that you werent killed. The gunshot scared me so bad I hid under the piano."

"That would be something you'd do." his chuckled resonated off the walls, but the true worry was visible in his strange coloured eyes. "You're all sweaty and pale as a ghost."

"I wish I wasnt such a fool..."

"You arent a fool," Joshua rested his head back again, eyes staring up at the ceiling. "You're just you. Dont ever think that something is wrong with that."

"I knew you would say something like that, even when your wounded," he shook his head exasperated. "And I thought the truth comes out in the harshest of times."

"This is not a harsh time, and the truth is out," Joshua yawned slowly. "You dont need to fester me about it."

"Speaking of festering... where is Isabelle?"

[Tash M. Grevette]

"No answer?" I stood up, holding back the wince from the pain in my arm, and walked to Isabelle. "Go on, Isabelle, tell me off with some angry remark, mess with my head, pretend that there's nothing going on with you and Joshua."

She looked down to the tip of her shoes that peeked out from the bottom of her dress, her shoulders slumped. She didn't say a word. I sighed and waited till she picked her head back up.

"You manipulate people, whisper lies."

"I wasn't lying about---"

Before she finished I cut her off, "You lied to me me,"

Isabelle

"You lied to me,"

Isabelle looked at Tash. He stared back at her, his gaze never wavering. Isabelle picked herself up quietly.

"I - I have to go," she muttered, not meeting Tash's gaze again. She felt him boring a hole in the back of her neck.

"You can't run away forever, Isabelle. You can run from your home, your life, your parents. But the one thing you can't run away from is yourself."

Isabelle turned to him. "How did you - ?" she began. Tash raised his eyebrows.

"You carry yourself like one who has lived a life of luxury. I saw that from the start. But at every turn you seemed to fight against the laws of conformity. My only guess would be that you ran away from your past life. Obviously, I was correct."

Isabelle swallowed. She tired to convince herself that it was the stress of the night that was causing this. Too many things had happened in too short a time. She knew that a good night's sleep would cure her of this insecurity.

But then Isabelle met Tash's gaze again, and she knew that he was right about her. Isabelle knew that Tash's words couldn't be cured by tomorrow. And that one, simple fact was what summoned the tears from Isabelle's long forgotten ducts. Isabelle felt the tears coming, and she pushed them back with all her might. Isabelle hadn't cried for years. Crying was a sign of the woman's weakness. Isabelle had long ago made a pact with herself never to shed tears, to be strong through all.

Frightened, Isabelle turned away from Tash and ran. She fled blindly through the halls, finding herself at last at the door of the sick room. Isabelle didn't knock; she burst into the room. Isabelle saw William jump from his chair in shock. She saw Joshua twist in the bed, wincing at his pain.

Numbly, Isabelle crossed the room and sat on the chair William had jumped out of.

And then the tears came.

XD I lost Mercy!

**XD nice LaReina. And Incog and I wont be on for a bit, of that I'm sure you already know of. We are sadly grounded. We'll be back on in the next couple of days XP**

Mikael

Finally the firey pain which had wracked my body began to burn out. Slowly feeling returned to my extremeties until finally i had complete control of my body. I sat bolt upright feeling a throbbing hunger rise in my throat.
"What h...happened?" i managed to stutter out.
"Some of the guests tried to escape. Some of the men got hold of fire pokers. Do you need anything?" He looked at me worriedly.
"Water. I...i need w...water" Was all i managed to get out before i collapsed back onto the bad feverishly weak and tired.

*This better?*

**Skull3670, just to let you know, they aren't Actual vampires. People just call them that because they are mutated and can do many things that humans can't but they are also limited in their abilities to see (Funky Eyes) and other such things.

Joshua

She came in and she cried, tears falling aoftly behind her placid mask. He wanted to reach out to her, and take her in his arms but he could not. Even if he could get up, it would probably only make things worse. The pain etched in his heart was deepening as he saw her suffer, and he saw her in misery for some odd reason, but still he could not utter a single comforting word to help her.

"William," Joshua said looking at the mildly suprised boy. William was looking down at Isabelle shocked and surprised at the tears falling softly. It was as if the world was turning over. He had cried plenty of times, but surely he had not seen Isabelle. "Go find Mercy, and bring her here. Take your time." Joshua breathed and watched as William, pause, but then obediantly heading out of the room.

Joshua reached out his hand and gently touched hers making her stop for a second but continue crying.

"I personally have never seen you cry." Joshua managed in barely a whisper, trying to be comforting but it didn't seem to be working. "I-I admired you for that aspect. I thought maybe your were invulnerable to the things around you, always taking things head on, but now it seems a relief for I am but not the only one vulnerable here. You are mortal, and I am somewhat glad." He smiled weakly. He looked out the window at the edging night, the sun slowly rising in the horizon. A new day.

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Shh... I snuck on.

~Incognito

[Tash M. Grevette]

"Isabelle," I called down the hallway, staggering to stand up, "Never mind, I know where you probably are! Mr. Escort's room, I suppose?"

The little boy, William, came out of the sick room and stopped a few feet away from me, almost surprised. He glanced at my bandaged arm and, still hesitating, looked around around me. I was in the middle of the hallway.

"Am I blocking you're path?" I asked in a monotone voice, staring down at him, "What're you doing out here?"

"G-going to find Mercy,"

"Hm? Mercy?" I thought back to the woman he was talking to a few hours ago; then I nodded.

"Yes, Joshua asked me to--"

I made a disgusted face at the name, "You don't have to finish that sentence. I'm going to come with you,"

"Excuse me?"

"I'm going to come with you to find Mercy. There's nothing else to talk about with Isabelle when she's with that man," I started down the hallway towards the stairs, purposely stopping my shoes, "Come on, William!"

Isabelle

Isabelle's body shook with her sobs. It was if a crack had formed in Isabelle's resolve, slowly widening into a gaping hole that Isabelle couldn't block. The tears came rushing from that hole. Numbly, Isabelle heard Joshua mutter something to William. She felt William pass her and swept out of the room.

Suddenly, a feverish hand was placed on hers. Isabelle froze, shock making even the tears stop for a brief moment. Then they began to trickle down again. Isabelle glanced up briefly at Joshua.

"I personally have never seen you cry," said Joshua. Isabelle looked back down miserably. Joshua probably thought her weak. "I-I admired you for that aspect. I thought maybe your were invulnerable to the things around you, always taking things head on, but now it seems a relief for I am but not the only one vulnerable here. You are mortal, and I am somewhat glad."

Isabelle felt Joshua shift in his bed slightly. Isabelle waited before she tried to say something; hoping her voice would not waver when she did. Slowly, Isabelle's sobs began to subside. She straightened, careful not to move the hand that Joshua's hand was resting on.

The now wet silk lining of Isabelle's mask clung to Isabelle's face. Irritably, Isabelle ripped it off, throwing into the corner of the room. She looked at Joshua. He was turned toward the window. Isabelle was suddenly reminded of Tash; his cold, indifferent form staring icily out of the window.

"Don't," said Isabelle roughly, her voice cracking. Joshua shifted to look at her.

"What is it?"

Isabelle's gaze was on the window. The sun was peaking out from above the surrounding woodland. "Is it morning already?" Isabelle asked, wrinkling her nose.

"Yes," said Joshua uneasily. "Isabelle, are you all right?"

Isabelle tore her gaze from the window and looked at Joshua. He was looking back at her, concerned. Isabelle hesitated.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yes..."

"Will you answer truthfully?"

"Of course."

Isabelle took a deep breath, staring fixedly at Joshua's bedsheets. "Am I some sort of cold, indifferent, sneering, manipulating, snide woman with a enormous ego?"

From the corner of her eyes, Isabelle could see Joshua's complete shock. "Why would you ask such a thing?" he asked, dumbfounded. Isabelle met his gaze.

"Please," she begged quietly. Isabelle didn't feel as though she could repeat herself. "Just answer the question..."

Joshua

He looked at her, eyes examining her closely. What ever was going through her mind? But for some odd reasn he could not find an answer to his question, and the silence ensued. He glanced at her hoping to meet he eyes, but she wouldn't avert her dreaded silent stare.

"You can be a cold, indifferent, sneering, manipulating, snide woman, and certainly you have a large ego." Joshua tried to say lightly. Every word he spoke stung her obviously hurting her more. Yet that was not the end. He had so much he wanted to say to her, but it was not possible. The words were all swarming in his head like a jumbling mess. "But that is why I love you." He smiled weakly at this time. "You tend to have those attributes, but you do not see what else is the truth. You are mischievious, endearing, admirable, strong, courageous, willed, amazing, bewitching, enthused, and ultimately, the most beautiful person I have ever met in my life."

The words were stated one at a time, each time with every ounce of sincerity he could muster for each and every word was the truth. He wanted her to believe him, he wanted her to smile and laugh lightly at his open flattery. But for some odd reason he doubted that was enough.

"I-I am sorry." I breathed lightly. "If that was not what you wished to hear."

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~Incognito

Will edit this later with Mercy's post and such.

Isabelle

"I-I am sorry." Joshua breathed lightly. "If that was not what you wished to hear."

"No, Joshua," murmured Isabelle. "I am sorry." She looked away from him again.

"Isabelle," asked Joshua. "What happened? Why are you so - ?"

Isabelle pinched the bridge of her nose. "I - I made a huge mistake," she said. "And now I am paying for it. I was childish, and I am being dragged back into the world of adulthood."

Isabelle risked a glance at Joshua. He was staring at her, and seemed only to be beginning to grasp why Isabelle was upset. Isabelle sighed.

"I met Tash in the hallway," said Isabelle slowly. She saw Joshua tense slightly. "He was furious at me. Understandably so. He accused me of - " Isabelle faltered. She couldn't elaborate. "Well. And now I am here."

"What did he say to you?" pressed Joshua.

"I - Nothing..."

"Isabelle."

Isabelle looked away from him. "It was - nothing that I could deny. No matter how hard I tried to."

William

He stared in complete shock at the man before him. The man in whom his bestfriend showed a deep disliking... or maybe it was a feud with. Either or, the man was walking with him and he was completely on guard by the fact this man was a stranger. Strangers were not to be trusted... at least until they werent strangers any longer.

The fellow didnt look like the type to pry, in fact, he didnt look they he was going to bug William in the least. He just looked... displeased in a sense, as if things had not gone quite according to plan. How true those words seemed to himself, as he walked slowly down the hall, eyes searching for any glimpse of Mercy.

"She's probably in the ballroom..."

"You're a pianist?"

Once again the man took him off guard. He looked up through thick lashes, confused and somewhat dazed before absentmindely nodding.

"I have been playing since I was very little, sir," The use of such a name for Tash sounded respectable enough... sir. He had become so used to calling his higher ups sir as they beat him down as was how the world worked, but sir... sir was a name in which he feared. He feared the man before him... hence sir.

"I heard the melody in the ballroom," He seemed ill at ease still, but his conversation was directed away from Joshua... at least. "The Appassionata. You play it with clarity. Rare to find someone who can."

"It is my favourite sonata," The simple talk was starting to worry him somewhat.

"I see..." They were about to turn into the ballroom when Tash turned his eyes towards him expectantly, feet standing completely still. William back tracked it a bit, confused. "I dont understand..."

"Understand what?" The meloncholy look Tash seemed to have taken was quite surprising. William had not exected as much but when it was there, it was clearly noticeable.

"Why Joshua is so special," he stated simply. "What makes him any different then you or I? Are we not all... foolish..."

"I..." William's voice cracked out, words becoming forced. Unbearable.