Monster Mash [Active/OPEN, NO NEED TO ASK]

[dollsy_npcs]

Characters: Luxa, Ushiromiya Ange, Xerxes Break, Ciel Phantomhive, Portgas D. Ace, Mello, Subject Delta, Various Dollsy Monsters, OPEN TO ANYONE
Setting: Grand Ballroom
Time: The very beginning of Night 20
Summary: Happy birthday, Dollsy! It's party time, and all the monsters and ghosts have come out to play. Care to join them for a bit of wine and

Comments

[agentle_green]

It was hard to move through the house without being hut by something, but the two Heroes managed. A few more bandages collected here, some ingredients for makeshift vulneraries there and the two of them were golden. Link's familiarity with traveling alone and other survival skills got them out of tight spots, just as Marth's skill at coming up with strategies saved them from many unnecessary fights. The Master Sword and Falchion's light was also a saving grace; many of the ghosts and monsters in the house would be kept at bay by the sacred blades or otherwise be cut down.

But when Link caught wind of the sounds of cheer, he couldn't help but be curious. It was rare, after all, to come across something that sounded as cheerful as this in the houses of Acedia and Ira. So after a quick word with Marth, the two had set of towards the ballroom-

The sight left Link in awe, at least. More than Marth, Link was used to seeing strange sights and fighting them too. Gorons and Zoras, the Skull Kid and the statues that guarded the Sacred Grove, and all the monsters that lurked in the dungeons and temples that he had to traverse had given the Hero some experience with strange sights like the odd servers. If nothing else, Link was more taken aback by the scale of the festivities. The poor country boy didn't really know what to do with himself, taken a cautious step back when he was welcomed by one of the Goat head servers, staring at it in quiet confusion.

"... Marth?" What do you think of this situation?

[spiritofanri]

The sight, the music, the smells... though still rife with the perverse stylings characteristic of the houses, the grandness of it all sent a sort of pang through Marth's heart. When was the last time he'd had cause to celebrate anything to such an extent? Not since he'd had to leave Altea. And that... that was so very long ago, wasn't it? The memories of such things had been long since buried, hidden away under the weight of years filled with sorrow and regret. Following that, the... days? Weeks? Months, it felt like, where he'd been trapped here were rife with suffering and, though he was still desperately trying to fight it off, a mounting feeling of hopelessness.

It took him a moment to realize he was being addressed. Marth shook himself-- time to focus.

With an apologetic look to Link, he responded, just loud enough to be heard over the music and merrymaking.

"...I suppose we should investigate."

[agentle_green]

With that, Marth's present travel partner simply nodded and took a cautious step into the ballroom. It was strange, walking into something that could very well be considered an 'enemy' stronghold without being attacked. And in such a grand display, the country boy couldn't help but move to stand a bit closer to Marth. Anything to ground himself and not feel so out of place in this place with his plain, worn tunic. There was the food table to one side with servers moving around serving food and 'people' dancing in the middle of the room. It didn't take long for Link to notice the Mother Ghost amongst the dancers though; perhaps it would be in their best interest to move away from her general vicinity, sense of merriment or not.

Ignoring his urge to check out the orchestra, Link's attention wandered over to the various platters of food circulating the room. Which... brought about a very strange sense of morbid curiosity and genuine fascination. That dish looked delicious, but how could one serve something so horrible right next to it?

There was an audible sigh from the Hyrulian. He really was at a loss for what to do here.

[spiritofanri]

Link wasn't the only one who felt humbled at the display. After what seemed like an age of running for his life and barely scraping by inside this prison, the prince felt estranged from it all, despite the vague familiarity of it. He felt almost like a child again; a prince in rags (at least compared to the finery around him), presented to a full court of strangers. He didn't belong, but he was being welcomed...

It was like something out of a dream.

Marth, however, had never been fond of his own dreams. Too much rage, too much regret... each painful memory burned through his sleep with the impossibility of somehow being able to change. As warped as they became, however, the truth of the past could not be... and each dream inevitably became a nightmare. He was used to that. Would this turn out the same?

Resurfacing from his thoughts at the sound of Link's sigh, he shot another glance at the Hyrulian-- focused, serious.

"It's most likely a trap." He commented, softly enough so that Link's more sensitive ears might hear him, and enough that-- hopefully-- the other 'guests' might not.

[agentle_green]

The response to the quiet comment was immediate... and very quiet, as Link often was in day-to-day conversations. The tall ears twitched as the Ordonian turned to give a nod to the Altean. He looked behind them and saw a few others entering (or rather, being ushered in) the ballroom. Which meant that they couldn't just leave without insulting the doorman (doorgoat?).

Should they chance grabbing a bite to eat that wasn't just bread, water and a bit of salted meat to kill the time then?

Of course, that would be if either one of them could overcome the disgust of seeing raw entrails placed innocently next to all the beautifully prepared dishes. Link couldn't tell if he was hungry or if his appetite was being sufficiently put off. It didn't take long for him to decide that, no, whatever food they needed they would find on their own. The Gods would frown upon them if they were to partake of such an unsavory event, Link was sure (and here in this cursed place, the two of them needed to remain in the favor of their respective worlds' deities more than ever).

"Let's look around," he suggested. Dancing was out of the question, but there was enough room for them to walk around without bumping into anyone.