for pyramid_dares
Dilan stuck to the far, back corner of the ballroom feeling very stiff in the suit he had been required to wear to this and feeling an all around loathing for the event that Master Ansem had called together. A decree had gone out around Radiant Garden that Ansem the Wise was looking for intelligent youth to help him in his studies and with experiments, five would be chosen and it was considered a high honor. Dilan and hundreds of others had come from nearly every nook and cranny to apply and test for the positions and now after a grueling month of tests and interviews and the like they were having this party to celebrate it…and to announce who would be chosen.
He wouldn’t have minded the party so much if it hadn’t been decided (by Ansem himself) that it would be a masquerade of all things. Dilan wore a simple black mask with his suit, dreads pulled back and finding it to be utterly ridiculous…making him severely question why he had gone through 30 days of all kinds of strange tasks just for this. He sighed, shoulders relaxing against the wall as he watched his fellow students having the time of their lives. At least there were some rather pretty girls around and if things went well there would be someone else in a dress tonight.
“Hello Dilan, you seem like you’re having fun,” a voice pulled him from his thoughts and he blinked, looking over to find a man a few years older than him with dull blond hair pulled back in a low ponytail. He wore an unadorned blue mask and looks to be having just about as much fun as Dilan himself. Then again, as one of the oldest of the bunch being tested it was no surprise, he hadn’t gotten along with many of his peers.
Dilan smirked, “Hello Even. Can’t really complain though…this is for the apprenticeships, right?”
Even snorted in disdain, “Indeed,” he rubbed his temple as if fighting off a headache, “I just hope the announcement comes soon…I can not handle this crowd.”
“Yeah. I hope so too. Ya nervous?”
“Not at all,” Even said with a smirk, “I am rather certain of my acceptance.”
Dilan sighed, looking up at the stage where the announcement would be made, “Yeah, well, that makes one of us.”
Even shook his head, “Well you certainly have a better shot than Braig.” As if on cue, a loud, distinctive laugh bubbled up from the crowd and Dilan and Even both glanced over to see Braig with an arm draped over the shoulder of one of their youngest applicants, Ienzo. Ienzo was a deep shade of red beneath his mask and looked REALLY uncomfortable under Braig’s arm as he laughed at some unknown joke. From the corner of Dilan’s eye he could see a large man crossing the ballroom to get to Ienzo and he chortled, Elaeus had pretty much adopted himself as ‘older brother’ to over half the students applying and was always rescuing anyone in distress…and more often than not that was Ienzo from Braig.
A slightly evil smile crept over Dilan’s face, “Oh, I don’t know, I think it’d be pretty great if Braig got accepted.”
“What?! But I thought you hated that man!”
Before Dilan could respond to the accusation, a hush fell over the crowd causing both Even and himself to look up. Master Ansem was crossing the stage and by the time he reached the podium in the center, everyone was dead quiet.
“I can see I don’t have to ask for your attention,” the man chortled. A few laughs through the crowd were automatic more than anything. Master Ansem smiled and pulled forth a piece of paper, “I’ll just get straight to business then.” A long speech preceded this about ‘knowledge is power’ and ‘hard work’ or some such but Dilan found himself tuning it all out, he just wanted to get to the main part. It came all too soon, “And when if the announced would be so kind as to come to the stage for congratulations we can then return to the festivities.”
Ienzo, Elaeus, and Even were all called before Dilan himself, who was quite shocked that he had been called at all. Eyes wide he made his way towards the stage, glancing at Braig whose arms were crossed and looking smug, “Looks like I ain’t on his list,” he whispered as Dilan passed, “I win.”
Dilan grinned and merely held up one finger to signify that there WAS still one spot open (of course, the one finger he held up was his middle one to also flip Braig off but that was beside the point). He made his way up to the stage, removing his mask just as the others had and taking a small bow as the audience clapped for him and as he crossed to join the others Ansem the Wise called the last name
“Braig.”
The scarred man paled and Dilan grinned, this was good…he’d won the bet after all. After Braig took his place on stage and the introductions were over the party was started again and Dilan turned to Braig, “You’re change of clothes is in the backroom…congrats,” he placed a hand on the man’s shoulder and then left. Braig scowled, not looking at all as happy as he should be that he was just accepted as an apprentice.
Dilan made sure to grab his newly appointed fellow apprentices and brought them to the entrance with a guarantee they would want to see this. He pulled the door open and revealed…
Braig.
In a dress.
A sparkly purple formal dress.
Even started laughing first…Ienzo echoed him with a chuckle and Elaeus cracked a smile. “I hate you all,” Braig grumbled.
“Told ya you would make the apprenticeship.”
He wouldn’t have minded the party so much if it hadn’t been decided (by Ansem himself) that it would be a masquerade of all things. Dilan wore a simple black mask with his suit, dreads pulled back and finding it to be utterly ridiculous…making him severely question why he had gone through 30 days of all kinds of strange tasks just for this. He sighed, shoulders relaxing against the wall as he watched his fellow students having the time of their lives. At least there were some rather pretty girls around and if things went well there would be someone else in a dress tonight.
“Hello Dilan, you seem like you’re having fun,” a voice pulled him from his thoughts and he blinked, looking over to find a man a few years older than him with dull blond hair pulled back in a low ponytail. He wore an unadorned blue mask and looks to be having just about as much fun as Dilan himself. Then again, as one of the oldest of the bunch being tested it was no surprise, he hadn’t gotten along with many of his peers.
Dilan smirked, “Hello Even. Can’t really complain though…this is for the apprenticeships, right?”
Even snorted in disdain, “Indeed,” he rubbed his temple as if fighting off a headache, “I just hope the announcement comes soon…I can not handle this crowd.”
“Yeah. I hope so too. Ya nervous?”
“Not at all,” Even said with a smirk, “I am rather certain of my acceptance.”
Dilan sighed, looking up at the stage where the announcement would be made, “Yeah, well, that makes one of us.”
Even shook his head, “Well you certainly have a better shot than Braig.” As if on cue, a loud, distinctive laugh bubbled up from the crowd and Dilan and Even both glanced over to see Braig with an arm draped over the shoulder of one of their youngest applicants, Ienzo. Ienzo was a deep shade of red beneath his mask and looked REALLY uncomfortable under Braig’s arm as he laughed at some unknown joke. From the corner of Dilan’s eye he could see a large man crossing the ballroom to get to Ienzo and he chortled, Elaeus had pretty much adopted himself as ‘older brother’ to over half the students applying and was always rescuing anyone in distress…and more often than not that was Ienzo from Braig.
A slightly evil smile crept over Dilan’s face, “Oh, I don’t know, I think it’d be pretty great if Braig got accepted.”
“What?! But I thought you hated that man!”
Before Dilan could respond to the accusation, a hush fell over the crowd causing both Even and himself to look up. Master Ansem was crossing the stage and by the time he reached the podium in the center, everyone was dead quiet.
“I can see I don’t have to ask for your attention,” the man chortled. A few laughs through the crowd were automatic more than anything. Master Ansem smiled and pulled forth a piece of paper, “I’ll just get straight to business then.” A long speech preceded this about ‘knowledge is power’ and ‘hard work’ or some such but Dilan found himself tuning it all out, he just wanted to get to the main part. It came all too soon, “And when if the announced would be so kind as to come to the stage for congratulations we can then return to the festivities.”
Ienzo, Elaeus, and Even were all called before Dilan himself, who was quite shocked that he had been called at all. Eyes wide he made his way towards the stage, glancing at Braig whose arms were crossed and looking smug, “Looks like I ain’t on his list,” he whispered as Dilan passed, “I win.”
Dilan grinned and merely held up one finger to signify that there WAS still one spot open (of course, the one finger he held up was his middle one to also flip Braig off but that was beside the point). He made his way up to the stage, removing his mask just as the others had and taking a small bow as the audience clapped for him and as he crossed to join the others Ansem the Wise called the last name
“Braig.”
The scarred man paled and Dilan grinned, this was good…he’d won the bet after all. After Braig took his place on stage and the introductions were over the party was started again and Dilan turned to Braig, “You’re change of clothes is in the backroom…congrats,” he placed a hand on the man’s shoulder and then left. Braig scowled, not looking at all as happy as he should be that he was just accepted as an apprentice.
Dilan made sure to grab his newly appointed fellow apprentices and brought them to the entrance with a guarantee they would want to see this. He pulled the door open and revealed…
Braig.
In a dress.
A sparkly purple formal dress.
Even started laughing first…Ienzo echoed him with a chuckle and Elaeus cracked a smile. “I hate you all,” Braig grumbled.
“Told ya you would make the apprenticeship.”