Young Writers Society

Dear Invitee;

Welcome aboard the EISS Cressida, invitee.

You are one of many who have been invited to attend--or shanghai'd into--attending the First Annual Intergalactic Space Ball. This is a Masquerade Ball, which means you will be wearing formal dress (tuxedos/suits or ballgowns, whatever works for your culture) and a mask. Be as minimalist or extravagant as you like, as long as it fits under the "formal" banner. First off, introduce yourself and then you may enjoy the party.

Avi'dusa glided to a stop in the entrance-way to the ballroom. He'd... never seen anything like it before. None of the people in the room in front of him were Baqiran in any way, and yet here they were, twirling around or lingering at the edges of the ballroom wearing elaborate outfits and beautifully crafted masks. There was only a handful there at the moment, and even less actually dancing. He frowned beneath the mask and glanced towards Jacek.

"My lord," the other Baqir said, smiling at him. "Captain Maverick bids us welcome to the ball and wishes us to enjoy ourselves." The other pink-haired alien frowned. "I hope the idea of everyone, Baqiran or not, wearing masks as well is not too disconcerting?"

"No," Avi murmured and shook his head, turning to look back into the ballroom. "It is not. In fact, I find it quite fascinating."

"Fascinating," Jacek deadpanned, and moved to stand beside him. Avi adjusted his elaborate, heavily-embroidered robes and took a cautious step forwards. "Avi--"

"Well, no sense in lingering outside the room, is there?" he asked, turning to flash amused eyes at Jacek. "Come along, Jacek. Let's go and mingle."

Avi turned and swept into the room, leaving a fuming black-masked man watching after him.

"I hope this plan works," Codix whispered into Nadira's ear as they entered the ballroom, the latter of the two holding his arm in her own. It had gone well so far - all he had to do was show the invitation before both of them were let inside.

His gaze swept across the room. While he saw no familiar faces yet, there were few people present as of right now. Even if they were unlucky enough to not encounter any of the people they were searching for, a fuller room would allow them to gather more information by mingling and eavesdropping.

"We just have to play our parts," she replied. As they walked past a group of people - their first true test, she added a little louder, "My dear."

He gave her his best impression of a loving smile. "Do you want to dance now, or should we wait for more people to arrive?"

"I'm happy with whatever you want to do," she said. She was leaning up against him now; her warmth was the only thing that was truly familiar about her. Even her face - which he had seen a handful of times - looked unrecognizable underneath the makeup and the mask.

"Then I think we should wait," he said. "Maybe we'll be able to find our way to the refreshments."


Her eyes scanned the crowd of people as she nervously entered the ballroom. There was already too many, and she was sure more were to come. She has been estatic at the thought of coming to something to this, but she felt entirely out of place now that she was here.

The suits and dresses of the others were probably made specially for them. Their masks were probably delicately crafted. Everything about the people gathered made them seem wealthy.

But her suit came from the thrift store; she had to roll up the pant legs and sleeves to keep it from looking too big on her. And her mask was something she had gotten from Ebay. She didn’t even know if space had an Ebay.

Plus, her allergies were killing her - her voice sounded all congested and weird. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t on Earth; her body was being stubborn.

...She was starting to understand what Cinderella felt like at the ball.

"Flynn, I don't think we should have accepted this invitation. It wasn't even technically for us, it was for your grandmother."

Flynn watched as Carter nervously held a glass of whiskey in his hand, the hunter trying to keep steady and shaking even more by the minute. There wasn't really that much to fear at this party. Not at all the impending doom if you happened to misstep into someone and they decided to sentence you to death or a labor camp.

"Yes, the invitation was technically for my grandmother and her choice of plus one. Since she is unable to attend, she has sent her grandchild in her place, along with another representative of the Council."

Carter remembered the discussion between Flynn and Dixie quite perfectly. It had been an hour of screaming reminders about all of the ways they could get killed, and then a gentle reminder to have fun. It was like the Johnson preparation for prom night.

Only Dixie didn't have to worry about Carter and Flynn getting anything on.

"Well if we're going to be your grandmother's diplomatic substitutes, we need to be better playing the parts."
"What do you suggest we do, Carter?"
Flynn's questioning eyes looked over his hesitation as he continued, "We dance."

"Now, I will take a step like so, and you respond by stepping here."

"Mhm."

"And I will move my paw over here, which you take as an invitation to spin closer to me."

"Hmm."

"And then I will pick you up and-"

"What? Why would you pick me up?"

Thytes blinked. Through the small holes in his mask, he looked down at Enide, wrapped up in his arms. "Because it is something of a difficult trick and would capture attention," he said. He paused, a thought popping into his mind. "Apologies if this is rude of me to ask, but are you familiar with the conventions of dancing? I had presumed that, as a queen, you would have at least attended some masquerade balls like this, and you have thus far been very knowledgeable about how to conduct yourself."

Enide shook her head. "Not dancing, I am afraid," she said, looking up at Thytes. "As the queen, I was always expected to stand at the throne and watch. Or take a convenient leave on the exit of one of my rivals."

Smiling, though the queen couldn't notice, Thytes nodded. "Perfectly alright!" he said. "You might as well learn, so let us go through the motions a few more times before the festivities really begin. So, first you-"

The conversation filtered into and out of Mal's ears as he watched the two repeat their dance. Sitting on a wooden chair, he propped his paws against his chin and leaned forward so that his tail wouldn't be crushed.

"I'm so bored," Mal whispered, glancing at the lion that hadn't so much sit down as enveloped the chair next to him.

Mal couldn't see it, but he imagined his uncle grinning. "Welcome to the life of royalty," Tannis said, sitting up straight and resting his paws on his thighs.

"Why do I have to pretend to be their kid?" Mal said with a sigh. "He's not even old enough to be my dad, and she's old enough to be my grandma."

"It is all about keeping up appearances," said Tannis. "Should anyone perceive them to be a threat or a target, they would like target you. Which means going through me."

Mal snorted. "Fair enough."

"Besides, it is hardly so bad," Tannis said. "Thytes looks absolutely smashing in that dress."

Slamming his paws over his ears, Mal pretended not to hear that.

It took a little bit of searching, but they finally managed to find the drinks. He looked at the vast assortment of them, trying to figure out which ones would be the least harmful on his insides when this was all over. He had once known their names and the worlds they had come from, but it had been too long.

The only thing that he recognized during his quick search was an Earth wine bottle - she was reaching for it before he even had a chance to read the words written on the side.

"I hope your dad isn't a lightweight," Codix whispered under his breath as he took a glass of red wine from her.

She leaned over and gave a him a brief kiss on the cheek as she poured her own glass. "I hope your mom isn't one," she whispered back, beginning to pull away. He nearly spit out the wine in response to both the comment and the taste of the drink. "We never tested her with alcohol."

Codix casually took another sip of his wine and resisted the urge to get rid of the drink right then and there.

"I'm sure you'll do great," he said, his voice louder this time. "You always do."

"As will you," she replied, smiling as she took another sip of her own drink.


Charlie took a deep breath as more people arrived. If she wanted to enjoy the masquerade, she would have to get brave and talk to people. It was that simple.

She looked around again.

There was a pair nearby. They looked close, and she didn't think she could intrude. But a little comment was a good start, seeing that one had on a pride flag for an outfit. She took a second deep breath and tried to imagine that she was talking to a friend instead of a stranger. It was only when she was a few feet away that she realized they had to have been from Earth, just like the couple over by the drinks. This pair was more approachable; they were like her.

But she definitely wasn't ready for a conversation.

She stopped, took a third deep breath, and blurted, "I really like your outfit!" before cringing at how horrible the allergies made her voice sound. Deciding that it was best to come up with a way to get out of the very awkward situation she had just created, she looked around the room.

Her eyes landed on a group of four.

She didn't recognize most of them, and the one that did look familiar took a little bit of time to place. It was impossible to tell for sure, seeing that he was wearing a mask. But she had never seen another bipedal lion before (besides the other ones he was with), and the heights were about the same.

She gave the two an awkward wave before hurrying off to where the lion and his friends were.

It was funny - she felt terrified around people from her own world, but she felt perfectly comfortable with the idea of talking with a friend from an entirely different place. If Codix or Nadira were here now and could see how confident her walk was once she finished getting away from the two, they would be so proud of her.

...She was proud of herself, she had to admit.

She tried to tap him on the shoulder when she reached his side, but she was too small. She settled for awkwardly sliding into his vision, with an equally awkward cleared throat - though that was more allergies than a need to be dramatic.

"Are you Thytes?" she asked, beginning to grow nervous when she realized she might have been wrong on who he was. But if she was right, then she would be talking to a friend. So it would be okay, wouldn't it? "I'm Charlie - we, um, met on the Sren when it kidnapped us and some other people?"

Flynn was momentarily taken aback by the young woman screaming a choked compliment at him, but quickly fell into appreciation. He wanted to talk more to the person who had appeared for a single moment and then scurried away.

"Come on, Carter, let's go see what they wanted."

Carter was quickly grabbed by Flynn's warm hand and drug into the crowd to follow the unknown person through the crowd. He kept his fingers tightly laced with Flynn's while they moved along, Carter uttering apologies equal for the both of them the entire time.

They found the person standing by a group of lions and a single fox in various states of formal apparel. Carter examined the energy of the one lion making an attempt at dancing, swaying side to side in a pleasant green ball gown.

Flynn held back while watching the girl introduce herself to the green dress. He would have to be having a flirtatious chat with Charlie later on but for now turned to Carter and asked, "Who was that lion that Bear probably slept with?"
"Uh Thytes? Why?"
"Well you were right, he looks very nice in a dress."

Setting Enide down, Thytes blinked and stared at the person who had just introduced herself. Charlie? From the ship? A few seconds later, the memories washed back over him. The fight, trying to grab Aegeas, Codix's friends -

"Charlie!" Thytes said, giving her a hug and briefly pulling her off her feet. "How wonderful to see you again!"

As he set Charlie back down, he felt Enide walk up behind him and whisper, "How much should we tell her, if you recognize her?" into his ear.

"Only as much as you would like," Thytes whispered back, patting Charlie's head.

Enide nodded, then extended her own paw. "Enide," she said. "A pleasure to meet you."

Mal and Tannis took this as a cue to grab their canes, stand up, and walk over. "I'm Mal," the white lion said to Charlie, leaning on his cane casually and holding out a paw. "And this here is Tannis."

Walking as stiffly as he could, Tannis grunted and stuck an arm out. Mal rolled his eyes; Tannis really did love his acts.

The hug made all of her worries wash away in an instant, even when the people he was with suddenly took notice of her - though that might have been because he also proceeded to pat her on the head.

"It's nice to meet you, too," she said, still a little shyly as she shook the first of the extended hands. She shook all the other ones, but her gaze ultimately returned to Thytes. "I didn't expect to see anyone I knew here. Is...Is it alright if I hang out with you for a while-"

"Enide?" a voice interrupted.

She turned to see the speaker - a man with unnaturally gold eyes - coming to a stop a few feet away from the woman she had just met. Charlie stiffened. She didn't know him, but she wished she could hide behind Thytes or one of the others. Her sanctuary had been invaded, and she really wasn't sure thought of the stranger.

"It really is you, isn't it?" the man said. "I haven't seen you in ages! How's Shiruba and the kingdom doing? And how's Amaya - is she here, too?"

Everyone froze, staring at the newcomer. Thytes had never seen them before, but they definitely weren't supposed to know who Enide was. Much less Amaya, whose entire identity was a secret of her own monarchy.

"Who is this?" Thytes whispered to Enide.

Enide muttered something very impolite, then strode over to the newcomer. "Wonderfully!" she said, setting her paws on their shoulders. "My King certainly appreciates the efforts of his favorite diplomat, and my sister is maintaining her health as well as usual. I believe that, for the first time in some time, she has been sober for two whole days!"

Thytes swore that Enide gripped the newcomer's shoulders a little too hard, and that Enide was winking.

Oooooh.

Télos had forgotten that she was trying to keep that a secret. If the over-exaggerated reply hadn't made him remember that, the tight squeeze certainly had. He wiggled his way out of her grip and gave her a grin.

"That's good," he said - that was the one downside to hanging out with Enide and people from her world. There was a little too much secrecy for his tastes, but, thankfully, she wasn't the only one there.

There was someone who looked very much like a player standing near the furry man in the dress. And while his world and players didn't have a good history, some of his close friends were players - and his brother's girlfriend, so he was pretty okay with them.

Plus, this girl was probably around Liz's age, or maybe a little older.

"Hi," he said.

"...Hi," she replied. She sounded nervous, and he immediately wondered if he had come off too strong.

He took a step back, gave her some space, and gave his obligatory introduction. "Télos, god of gold and ruler of the End because democracy takes way too long to be put into place, at your service!" When he popped up after his almost theatrical bow, he found that she was staring at him.

"...You're a god?" she repeated.

He nodded. Had he gone too far-

"That's awesome," she whispered. "And Enide's a diplomat for a king. I-I'm so lucky..."

"You know a god?" Thytes whispered as Enide walked back to him.

The fox breathed a sigh of relief. "A couple," she said. "It is a long story, but one I had best tell some other time."

Thytes nodded, then stretched out a paw towards the god. "Hello!" Thytes said. "I am her husband, Mal over there is our son, and Tannis is our bodyguard. It is so wonderful to meet a friend of my wife's!"

Mal and Tannis nodded, the white lion wincing on hearing "son."

Thytes did feel a little bad about lying, particularly when Charlie was so excited to be around gods and royalty, but they had to make sure the ball was safe before being any more honest.

Flynn pushed in to the slowly forming, but still very tight, circle where Carter's friend stood with the girl who had captured his attention. Somehow everyone in this group knew each other and the sudden presence of the being calling himself a god just wasn't that unexpected. He rolled his eyes at the introduction, but accepted it all the same.

"I hate to interrupt your party, but I never quite got to thank you for the compliment you paid me." Flynn presented his hand to Charlie and continued, "And if I was hearing the names right, I believe my associate knows someone in this group."

Carter stood beside Flynn, carefully listening the words Thytes spoke in an attempt to gather a quick story, and tried to avoid the fact he could nearly taste the dishonesty in the air. He cleared his throat and quickly spoke up.

"Yes, I believe that you, Thytes," Carter paused to place his hand on the lion's shoulder, and continued, "are most likely the lion that I met during a little rendezvous in a castle with security problems. Perhaps you would have better remembered my friend, Bear, but he couldn't make it tonight."

In attempt to make sure that Thytes recognized him, Carter added a short quip on to his initial statements.

"Even if I had brought him as a bodyguard for our substitute council delegate, he probably would have been too short to see over the crowds."

Thytes tried not to flinch when he felt Carter's hand on his shoulder. He'd guessed who Carter was from the moment that Carter had shown up, but every single thing Carter said only served to reinforce it.

"How, unfortunate that he could not," the lion said, eyes darting away from Carter as he tugged at his dress. "I, would have quite liked to see him."

"Well hopefully he's keeping himself busy with some sort of important matters back down on our Earth."

Carter took his hand off Thytes's shoulder as he stepped towards the man draped in blue and gold. There was no way that Flynn could make fun of his purple tie now.

"And I believe you called yourself, Télos? You're not the first god I've tangoed with but perhaps the first one I'll bust out the horizontal moves for."

He turned to glance at Thytes's visible discomfort but didn't remove his hand from the offered position.