Beyond Wonderland (OMG)

[PaddieCake]

[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]The Carnival Kingdom[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]WIP[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]King Reuben of the Carnival Kingdom[/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px]: simply [/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px]fabulous[/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px].[/SIZE]

Spoiler

[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Reuben • Male • It's [/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px]impolite[/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px] to ask a person's age[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Reuben is tall, leaning more towards slight then muscular, though he has wideset shoulders and some definition to him. If it weren't for his defined jawline his features could be described as almost androgynous. He has two sparkling blue eyes that catch the light in unnatural ways - it is unclear if they are eyes appearing like multifaceted jewels or jewels masquerading as eyes, and you can't decide if it is beautiful or just unnerving and unnatural. They are foxlike in shape and seem darker towards the outer edge, though whether he is aware of how disconcertingly cunning he sometimes looks is maddeningly unclear.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Down his left cheek is a bright turquoise tattoo, the symbol of his kingdom. Hanging from his left lobe is a single dangling earring - a short silver chain with three thin, turqoise refined crystals dangling off. They have a habbit of clinking together when he moves quickly, and sometimes you wonder if there is more to them then meets the eye. Atop his head sits a shock of raggedy golden hair, falling to halfway down his neck. This combined with his clothing of choice makes him look like a rockstar that had fallen out of the 80s, though he is confused when his presence in the human world does not command the full respect he is treated with in his home kingdom.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]His official royal regalia is both offensively gaudy and irritatingly pleasing to look at - a white jacket, padded at the shoulders and decoated with gold motifs and embelishments. -WIP, the general gist everything about Reuben is both fabulous and annoying [/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Aurora, Queen of Skies[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Aurora is big in a way that the word doesn't fully classify. A whispy woman, long and thin like hanging silk, Aurora can change her size at will and is usually as tall as a slither of a building, though when inside she likes to drop down to a polite 7 ft. -WIP-[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]The Bone Lord[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]-WIP-[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]    [/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px]    [/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Rae Priscilla Ramona Murray[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Female: 18 or thereabouts.[/SIZE]

Spoiler

[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Appearance:[/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px] Rae has short, mousy brown hair that reaches her shoulders. It is straight, though rather shaggy, and hangs around her face like a curtain. Her eyes are simple and brown. Her skin is a  peachy color. She has small, bow shaped lips and a round face. Her eyes are framed by light brown eyelashes, and her nose is small and round.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]She stands about 5'9. She's of average weight, even a little pudgy in her tummy area. Her legs are long, and her thighs are a little large, though often hidden underneath her clothing. She has a preferences for [/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px]dresses[/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px]  [/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px]in colors[/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px] [/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px]of various forms[/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px] [/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px]of taupe,[/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px] rose or mauve taupe, often with brown accents. She also has a pair of well worn brown boots, often unlaced. These boots come to just above her ankle. As said they are rarely laced and the tongue and sides often flop over. A black choker with a silver pendent in the shape of a dolphin rests around her neck. She also wears a couple of bracelets on her wrist including a [/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px]brown leather[/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px]  band and [/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px]a pink and brown leather bracelet[/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px]    on her left wrist, and  a silver bangle and an [/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px]ivory lace bracelet, decorated with brown pearls on her right wrist.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Personality:[/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px] Rae comes across rather easily as being someone who is rather flighty and whimsical, perhaps a little out of it. Her voice often comes off as soft and curious. Her eyes tend to space out or drift off when talking to someone, and she's the first to go off and do something on her own, either because she got distracted or to be alone.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Despite this she is a rather serious individual and is rarely ever clueless about a situation. Often times when she drifts off it is because she just grew tired or bored of it. When someone actually does speak to her, she comes across as a little aloof, and perhaps proud, as if she thinks she's better than someone.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Truth be told she's a strange combination of the two. She's intelligent and aware of what's going on around her, but easily distracted and with a preference to figure things out on her own. She is not particularly proud, in fact she can lean towards being shy on occasion, but her preference for being and alone, and her tendency to raise her eyes and eyebrows make it incredibly easy to mistake her for thinking "whatever you're saying is boring and beneath me, please stop talking." And while it is entirely possible she does find the conversation boring, she would never say so out loud, and be polite and attentive, even if she doesn't look it.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]History:[/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Rae lived alone with her incredibly wealthy parents for most of her life. She was rather spoiled and often got exactly what she wanted, when she wanted. She was an only child and for most of her life and was home schooled by private tutors.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]At the age of 14 Rae had grown into a moody, irritable child prone to doing whatever she pleased on a whim, regardless of the people around her. Realizing that their daughter had become rather bratty, they sent her to live with her grandmother. She was forced into a public school, to work as a volunteer, and when she turned 16 to get a real job. Eventually, thanks to her grandmother's strict care, Rae slowly mellowed out, her irritability turning into a strange sense of preoccupation with everything other than what was going on directly in front of her. The snobbish attitude she had gained turned to an aloofness and a quiet predisposition. The spoiled "give me" attitude she had once had slowly dissipated into a willingness to work for what she wanted.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Her time in public school was that of teasing from half of her class mates for both her preferred clothing style, and for seeming strange, while the others tried to get on her good side because they knew she came from a wealthy family. Rae rarely paid attention to the latter group, but the teasing turned her quite shy. She did relatively well in class, mostly 70's and 80's grade wise. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Amelia Everson, Joey Porter, Meagan "Maggie" Henderson, Bridgette Denton, John Cavanaugh, Gemma Dorney,  Vincent Saphron:[/SIZE]

Spoiler

[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Rae's contemporaries and 'friends'. All from wealthy families, all from old money. Their parents know Rae's parents and vice versa. Amelia is a rather serious young woman and tends to act as the group's leader. Joey is her boyfriend, generally friendly but thinks quite highly of himself and his social circle. Maggie is a bit friendlier, and was initially the one to reach out to Rae. Bridgette and John have been in an on and off again relationship since they were old enough to know what a relationship was, they are rather touchy-feely with each other, and have been caught doing various 'activities' in inappropriate places. Gemma is quite a bit air headed, but generally very kind. She doesn't have a serious bone in her body, and seems to have a hard time keeping up with conversations that consist of anything deeper than the weather (and even then she tends to have issues). Lastly Vincent is the highest strung of the group, and tends to view everyone but himself as insufficiently superior. He seems to dislike this group of friends as much as Rae does, but is actively more disdain about it, and tends to be quite rude in general. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.666666666666666px]He's definitely not invited to go to the Bahamas [/SIZE] owo.

---


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]    [/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px]    [/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Kindred the Fabulous[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px](setting phasers to fabulous [/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px])[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]The sun had turned it's back on the Carnival Kingdom, and the castle was no exception. King Reuben stood in the tiled throne room facing the balcony window, staring out into an endless empty sky. In the winding streets below his subjects stood lifeless in place, some covered in white sheets, others frozen and exposed to the elements where they had stopped all those years ago. In truth, Reuben knew little of how much time had passed since, and neither did he care. Minutes had bled into hours, and hours into days, and even when the stars had shattered out of existence like wasted bulbs Reuben had stood in this spot and stared out the window, as unmoving as those beneath him. But unlike them, he had a choice in the matter.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]He was just brooding.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]He was a tall immaculate man, all silver and gold and metallic shine in a way that was both offensively gaudy and begrudgingly pleasing to look at. His eyes were two brilliant blue multifaceted jewels that could catch the light and hold it hostage within, reminiscent in shape of a fox up to no good. A shock of raggedy gold hair atop his head, a three-pronged earring dangling from one lobe, and a streak of turquoise tattoo down one cheek made him look more like an 80's rockstar then royalty. Tonight, that would come in handy - not that Reuben realised it.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]In the far distance, a chime sounded.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]It was quiet at first, of course. But in a city of silence it was hard not to notice. The sound reverberated off buildings, it bounced off roofs, and each moment that passed it seemed more and more insistent that it be heard. Despite Reuben's great interest in remaining stoic and letting the dead world know that The King Was Greatly Annoyed, he couldn't help but narrow his eyes a fraction and then click his tongue in annoyance. His earring clinked together in agreement. Yes, they said, this simply Will Not Do.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]The chime wound it's way around his feet and whispered to him, then it screamed. You can't wait around forever, you know. Can't stand around and do nothing. The others weren't. As if to purely add to his annoyance, somewhere in the distance a gong sounded. Great. Two Kingdoms were preparing for a Tithe, and they happened to be on his black list.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]A Tithe! A stinkin' [/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Tithe.[/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px] Reuben didn't care for a Tithe right now, he was busy standing around looking Greatly Annoyed, but the others did - the other's cared a lot, in fact - and Reuben would very much love the opportunity to ruin that for them. His own city was lifeless without it, and if Reuben wasn't a prideful man perhaps he would have taken more Tithes over the decades to make up for it. But alas, the King was busy sulking. Still, it could have been worse - at least he had finished his breaking-things phase.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]He spun swiftly on his feet, his high-collared, padded white jacket swishing around his calves as he walked purposely to the centre of the room. A flourish of his hand and the white and red tiles groaned around him, shuddered awake and sank into darkness. The room glowed with an eerie blue light as the clockface revealed itself beneath his feet, seemingly suspended in darkness.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]The hands were not moving. It could do with a wind-up, of course.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]The King spun a finger lazily and the mechanism beneath the castle churned to life. Gears grinded and whirred into being, the 'Tik Tok' sounding across the land as if in challenge. A blue light shot from the tallest spire and into the dark sky above, shivering suspended for a moment before shattering into glass rain.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]It was hard to tell if the King was giddy or bitter or simply bored as he sat on his throne, resting one ankle on the other leg and flopping his chin into a long-fingered hand. A snap of his fingers and blue shards shot through the window scattering their reflections across the ground with a crash. They filled the cavernous room, spinning around Reuben, humming to themselves as cats would purr.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]No. No, no no no no...... The King swiped through them and they spun away as they were dismissed. None of these interested him. A particularly large shard buzzed around his line of vision, demanding his attention. He swiped it away with a sigh and leaned back. Of course there was no Tithe of interest to him here. Like there ever would be.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]He stared above him, and that's when he saw it. Fluttering just out of his peripheral vision, flitting backwards and forewards like a bird, always a little too far away to focus on. It was a small shard, but something about the way it shone interested him. His earrings clinked and whispered in agreement, and the King smiled.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]-----[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]  Paddie the Awesome: [/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]  [/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px]    [/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px] [/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px]    [/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px]    [/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px]    [/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Running, running quickly. A great need to escape whatever it was that was after her. Skinned knees, torn clothes, hair a mess but she didn't care or notice as she continued running. The green trees around her were nothing more than a blur. Her feet thudded against the forest floor, dead leaves crunching beneath her.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Making a sharp left the girl continued running, faster and faster losing her breath but continuing to move forward, nothing in her way as she continued to run. Suddenly a large group of trees, impossible to get through. She turned in another direction, trying to escape, but another dead end met her.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Slowly, slowly backing away as the beast grew nearer and nearer, toothy maw open, ready to devour the girl. Preparing for the worst the girl searched and searched for a weapon, finding nothing. Finally, accepting her fate she-[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]"Are you even listening to me?" An irate voice floated into the brunette's consciousness. Focusing on the girl in front of her Rae simply nodded, not a clue what was being said to her.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]It was October 31st, Halloween and Rae had been dragged to a rather formal party, dressed in a knee-length party dress. It was a black number, strapless with a sweetheart neckline and a green tulle underlay. A similarly green silk ribbon was tied around her waist and into a bow at her side.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]She wore a pair of simple black heels and a pair of fishnet stockings. Her hair was in its usual shape, shoulder length, mousy and brown, she hadn't even run a brush through it. She also hadn't bothered to take off her normal jewelry, the brown and pinks clashing horribly with the black and green she currently wore. She also added a pair of dangling spider earrings, to add a touch of Halloween to her dress.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]"Sorry, Amelia, what did you say?" Rae asked vaguely, once again her mind wandering off. The blonde in front of her was obviously put off by Rae's disinterest, but to be incredibly fair Rae had never been one to find vacation stories interesting.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]"I [/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px]said[/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px] Joey and I are planning another trip to the Bahamas in a few weeks, we thought it would be cool if a few of us went." She said, a slight huff to her voice as if certain it still wouldn't get through.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]"Oh...yeah, maybe. I'd have to ask my grandmother first." Rae said, her voice faint. She didn't say a word as she turned from her friend and headed over to the bar, asking for nothing more than a soda. She needed something to do, and listening to Amelia's ramblings had made her thirsty, even if she had only heard very little of what was being said to her.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Rae watched from the bar, people dancing, people talking, but not a single person there held any interest to her. She didn't particularly care for parties, but her family had been invited and they practically dragged her here. Of course now her parents were off with a few of their friends, talking about the same things that her own contemporaries were talking about; Upcoming parties, vacations, work, school, what Bridgette and John were caught doing in the basement of the Henderson home... None of it interested Rae, though she had heard the stories several times over, each person acting as if it was the biggest news on the planet.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Amelia seemed to have found Joey and their mutual friends Maggie and Gemma. Rae could only assume those two would also be in on the apparent trip they were all taking, and Rae would go because her grandmother would want her out of the house, and Rae was quite sure she would hate every second of it. Taking a deep sigh, the brunette sat down on one of the bar stools, sipping her drink and absently watching the party goers mingle with each other.[/SIZE]


@Kindred

 

[Kindred]

It was raining.



No matter how rich you were, you couldn't buy out the weather. And whoever was running this particular party was loaded.



Reuben stood at the bottom of the marble steps leading up to the double doors to the entrancehall. It seemed most of the guests had hurried in and the party was already well underway. As it was, a black sedan rumbled up the lengthy driveway, the chauffeur hurrying out the front to hold an umbrella for the couple who meandered up the stairs complaining about the weather.



They gave Rueben a strange look as they passed by, the rain halo'd his raggedy golden hair and his eyes were piercing diamonds that seemed to weigh one's very soul, his whole appearance betraying his ethereal and otherworldly heritage. They began to second guess their initial notion that he was simply a trespasser who'd wandered on the premises, and began to feel unnerved at the idea that he might be there for something...more.



He smiled then, and they hurried up the staircase, not a single drop of rain on their precious clothes. They flashed their invites to the doorman and wandered into the entrancehall where they were soon swept up into a flock of upper-crust companions. No one paid heed to the silohuette lazily climbing the staircase behind them, each step measured and precise with the refined purpose of a king. No one paid heed to him, but as crested the final step he looked up and stared right into the eyes of the girl with mousy hair at the far side of the hall. Through swaddles of people, noise and light he stared at her, he stared with purpose and meaning and something that whispered stories far greater then the sum of a simple rich man's party.



For a moment the world hushed and went silent. Mouths moved and music blared and life continued but he stood statue still, staring, the world quiet bar a single jingle of his earring... and a flash of a smile.



And then BANG, the door closed and the spell was broken. Had there really been a man outside at all...?

 

[PaddieCake]

((And so it begins!))


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Rae was getting ready to go back to the small group that made up her friends when a loud bang distracted her. Her eyes moved up towards the entrance and brown eyes met sparkling blue eyes, and moved towards the earring that dangled down the left side of his face, a tattoo on the same cheek… His eyes though, something about them. [/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Rae was about to get up, to walk over to the stranger, someone so...vastly different from anyone else here… And then her view of the stranger was blocked by someone sidling  up next to her, and whatever hold he had on her disappeared.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Her interest in the stranger broken, though only slightly, her mind still pulling her towards the stranger. Rae looked up at the person who had sat down next to her.  She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]“Hello Vincent.” She said, mild surprise in her voice. Vincent was easily the least friendly of their little group, though equally uninterested in the others Vincent was always very rude about it, as opposed to Rae’s general disinterest. He also never forced her into boring conversations about vacations and shopping, something Rae very much appreciated.  She still found him to be rather obnoxious though.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]    [/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px]“Hello.” He said, his voice gruff and annoyed as it always was. He ordered a beer, the bartender not even checking for identification (Rae was quite sure he was paid off not to, drunken teenagers were always an embarrassment to parents who needed to keep up appearances, but those same teenagers had quite a bit of money of their own).[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]“Everyone’s over on the dance floor.” Rae said, ordering herself a Shirley Temple. She had no particular desire to hear her parents or grandmother complain about her drinking at such a young age. [/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]    [/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px]“Why do you think I’m here?” Vincent said, his voice dry. In anyone else there would be a wry smirk, a joking tone to their voice, with Vincent his voice was dripping with bitter disinterest and nothing more. “Who’s the freak with the face tattoo?” Vincent asked, glancing over at the man Rae had been so intrigued by only moments ago.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]The brunette shrugged “I’ve never seen him before.” Her voice showed more interest in the subject than normal, she was actually quite interested in the stranger herself. “Look’s like Gemma’s mom’s about to talk to him.” She said, nodding towards the blonde woman walking over to the flamboyantly dressed man.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]    [/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px]“He’s the entertainment!” Maggie said running up to Rae and Vincent, the others not far behind. “Mrs. Dorney had called in some band to perform for the night, he’s with them.” She said, her eyes bright, cheeks flushed with excitement. [/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]“We were going to go over and introduce ourselves.” Bridgette replied in turn, practically bouncing in her silver heels. “Come on, let’s go before he goes to get ready.” [/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]The comment practically deflated Rae. Though perhaps interesting in its own right, something about that man being as pedestrian as a rockstar, compared to the mystique and intrigue he had brought with him, was disappointing to say the least. Vincent seemed to agree, his dislike of the strange growing more than his initial reaction had been.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]“Come on, let’s go… Oh I hope he’s not seeing anyone!” Gemma said, watching her mother. “How cool would it to date a celebrity!” She said.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Rae had little interest in going over but she was already being pulled across the hall towards the stranger by Maggie.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]---[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Roberta Dorney, a woman in her late forties, long black hair, dark brown eyes, and a petite body that had some work done to it,  had heard the banging of the door as it shut closed, breaking her of the conversation she was having. She patted her husband gently on the arm, letting him know she’d be right back as she went to greet the stranger. From his attire and the way he stood it was clear he was different, but she couldn’t figure out what…[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]“Oh!” She said as she reached the stranger, as if the realization suddenly hit her. “You must be here with the band! I’m Bobbi. We’re so glad you could make it.” She said brightly, holding a hand out to shake the young man’s hand. Bright red lips in a large smile as she greeted the stranger. [/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]“Oh dear… Let’s get you set up in the back before the children get here, I doubt you’d want them to bother you.” She said, spotting her daughter, Gemma, and her friends heading this way. “I’ll make sure they don’t bother you.” She said, smiling kindly as she motioned for Reuben to follow her towards the green room that she and her husband had set up.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]((*vomits words all over keyboard*))[/SIZE]

 

[Kindred]

[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]It was no surprise that Reuben, dressed in his crisp white military-style jacket emboldened by old fashioned épaulettes, aiguillettes and soft gilt gold braiding could be mistaken for some sort of rock star. The bright turquoise mark on his face the matched his eyes and even the jewels hanging from his ear brought a flair that on this world was typically seen on the stage.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]If Rueben was offended by the idea of being likened to a performer and not given his rightful airs as ruler of a great kingdom (albeit sleeping kingdom) the only sign he showed was the twitch of a single eyebrow. He bowed and, instead of shaking her hand, took it in his and gently brushed his lips against her skin.  Roberta clucked in surprise - singers could be so very eccentric![/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]He did not smile, not once, but as the lady spoke of the girl he had come for he turned his head to once again stare at her, unspeaking and unmoving. The lady prattled on for a moment and then gestured for him to follow, but he allowed his eyes to linger on her for a moment before he turned to leave.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]"Did you see that?" gushed Gemma, misinterpreting the situation. "I think he was looking at me! Like, right at me!"[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]His earrings sung in her presence. But all too soon, another door stood between them, and he was no longer in the hall but in the green room. Reuben plodded lazily around, inspecting the various instruments and allowing his fingers to gently sweep over them.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]"I am grateful for this opportunity."[/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px] [/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px]his enunciated voice resounded even now with a tone of command that could not be denied. If his eyes told stories of magical worlds, his voice weaved the enchantment that brought people into its thrall and gave them a taste of it's secrets. There was a word for it: enchanting.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Roberta was taken aback when she heard him speak, her cheeks flushing a little. Of course this man was with the band with a voice like that. How could she have been so unsure of to start with?[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]"I hope you don't mind me coming a little earlier. I wanted to get a feel of the venue. The... band will be coming soon. The doorman informed me of a service entrance we can use to bring the rest of our equipment in when they arrive."[/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px] He spun on his feet then, turning to face her, and giving the tiniest bow of his head.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]"Thankyou for everything. You may return to the celebrations. I like to warm up without distractions, you understand I'm sure."[/SIZE]

 

[PaddieCake]

Bobbi giggled,  though she loved her husband dearly it was always a welcome to have a handsome young man behave so nicely. "Of course, it'll be very exciting to hear you play." She said, sashaying out of the room.


--


Rae blinked back in surprise.  Though Gemma's excitement was clear as day, Rae was quite sure the stranger was looking at her rather than the bubbly girl next to her. But she could have easily been mistaken.  Perhaps he was looking at Gemma, she was making it pretty obvious she wanted attention, even if you didn't want to it to her you'd still end up looking at her, she made sure of it.


"It looked like he was just looking in this direction. I bet it was that bitch Melanie, I hate the fact the our moms are friends with her's." Amelia said,  glaring off behind them, a tall girl who stood facing away from them, only her dirty blonde hair visible.  Rae didn't even know why Amelia hated her so much. She could ask, but Rae was sure she had been told many times before.


"I know where mom set up the green room... We could sneak back there and talk to him before the rest of his band gets here!" Gemma said, pulling excitedly at Maggie's arm. For once in her life Rae was interested in the conversation being held by her friends. The man was bizarre to say the least, something about him was just...instantly interesting.


"Your mom would kill us if we bothered him..." Amelia said, her disdain for Melanie dissipating for the moment. "Besides...what if he has a girlfriend, or's married or something?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. Gemma looked at Amelia for a moment as if all thought had left her (Rae was quite certain she hadn't any thoughts to begin with).


"He didn't have a ring." Gemma said, as if it were obvious. "At least not a wedding ring. Also my mom wouldn't kill us...  She'd go to jail." Gemma said, rolling her eyes.


Vincent rolled his eyes, running a hand through messy black hair. "Well yes, if you all feel the need to go gallivanting around with someone who wouldn't give you the time of day then by all means act like a bunch of idiots..."


"We hang out with you, don't we?" John asked, raising an eyebrow, arm draped around Bridette's shoulders. The others laughed, and even Rae had to admit that it was pretty funny.


Vincent's nostrils flared in anger but didn't respond. "Well at least least Rae isn't as pathetic as you..." He glanced over at Rae, who in turn looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Vincent sighed, rubbing his face, completely resigned to the cards he'd been dealt. He was stuck with the only one appearing sane at the moment, but obviously annoyed that she was the best he could do at the moment.


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]“We shouldn't bother him.”[/SIZE]  Rae said at last, biting the inside of her cheek. She was almost ashamed to be as interested in the stranger as her peers were, but she was. Though it seemed to have dwindled again, her interest, not as severe as it was when she could see him.


"You two are so boring!" Gemma said, practically stomping her foot before heading off towards the room anyway. The others followed quickly after her, leaving Rae and Vincent alone again.


"I can't believe how childish they are someti- You're not seriously going with them!" Vincent said, startled as Rae had begun to walk tentatively after them. "I thought we were on the same side here."


Rae frowned slightly [SIZE=14.666666666666666px]“I'm still curious...”[/SIZE]   She admitted, though she had to agree with Vincent (something she found herself doing whenever she paid attention to a conversation), it was hardly worth bothering with. Even if she did get to talk to him for a few minutes the conversation would go nowhere on her end, whatever interesting stories he was bound to have would be completely overshadowed by just how utterly uninteresting her own would be. The conversation would pitter and die away and they'd go their separate ways never to meet again. [SIZE=14.666666666666666px]“But I don't particularly want to fight off Gemma and Maggie to see who could get closer to him.”[/SIZE]  She said with a slight shrug.


Judgement beat out curiosity this time. It was probably the first, though usually when Rae found something interesting it was a living human being and often didn't affect others. Bothering a person was different, and quite frankly she knew what it was like to be bothered by people she couldn't care less about, it wasn't something she felt comfortable with putting on someone else.


Rae blinked, pulled out of her reverie as Vincent walked past her, following the exact same path the others had taken... [SIZE=14.666666666666666px]“ What happened to being on the same side?”[/SIZE]   Rae said, her voice rather incredulous.


"I'm not following him, I'm following them... I want to see how idiotic they act." He said simply, and now Rae understood. He was putting up appearances, he was just as interested as she was, as the others were... At least it gave her an excuse to follow, she didn't feel so...embarrassed, to find the 'rockstar' interesting. Rae didn't argue with him, merely followed along after him, quickly meeting and matching his stride as they headed towards the room where the mysterious stranger had been lead to, both of them standing off to the side, able to see the group gathering around his door, knocking on it, but not to appear to be watching them.

 

[Kindred]

[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Reuben stood in the center of his quiet little room, listening as Bobbi's footsteps pitter pattered away down the hall... and then silence.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]He reached up and pulled gently on his pronged pendant earring. Three little balls of blue light burst into the room then, each the size of the palm of a small hand. They danced around him, singing their chiming songs, and from underneath the door the unnatural blue light shone into the hallway, and the music was like nothing from this world. To anyone peeping through the lock, the blurry image of Reuben standing in a room filled with colour and wonder might be a surprise. A shadow passed over the lock.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Silence.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]the light from the door stopped.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]Reuben flung the door inwards then, allowing anyone who happened to be spying on him the opportunity to suddenly fall into the room. If he was surprised to see a gaggle of children elite, it did not show on his face.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]When the door opened, it seemed as if he was once again staring at Rae…[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]but only for a second. He turned his attention on the stumbling form of Gemma, first to cross the boundary of the green room. Reuben took her arm and helped her up, taking her hand deliberately and delicately in his own. He very deliberately brushed his lips against the back of her hand and looked up at her.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]"Greetings, little birds. It's dangerous to be wandering into strange men's dressing rooms on the night of All Hallows Eve, you know."[/SIZE]



[SIZE=14.666666666666666px]He slid a glance to Rae. [/SIZE][SIZE=14.666666666666666px]"They say it's when the veil between worlds is thinnest. Magic abounds, my dears."[/SIZE]

 

[PaddieCake]

Rae's eyes couldn't see anything through a keyhole, however there was some light visible from underneath the gap of the door, however the faint sound of otherworldly bells seemed to emanate from the room. The six who had stood there, completely engrossed with meeting the new stranger, and perhaps what more they could have seen in the room, were suddenly stumbling inside, all balance and elegance they may have held completely lost.


A stifled laughter was noticeable, coming from Rae's side "How pathetic." Vince said with a slight shake of his head. Rae watched with interest, the man seemed completely unperturbed by the group that surrounded him, and for a moment she could have sworn that he had, once again, been looking at him.


His eyes moved down toward Gemma then, kissing her hand and speaking to her. Gemma herself seemed to light up, eyes wide, face flushed. She let out a little giggle "Well you don't seem that strange." She said, bright hazel eyes glinting slightly, stepping a bit closer to the man. 


Rae had, once again, stopped paying attention to her friends, but was paying close attention to the flashy stranger whose eyes seemed to once again aim for her. The brunette felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up on end, the way he spoke, how he had said something so innocuous but made it sound so...interesting. S  She felt drawn to him , his eyes beckoning them to her,  and she couldn't look away. She wanted to know everything he had to say,  because she was certain he had stories to tell, fascinating ones. And for thinking such things Rae felt ridiculous, she felt exactly how Gemma looked, silly and foolish, but nonetheless...


She decided, at last, to move, Vincent seemed to agree as he pushed himself off the wall, striding over with a cocky grin on his face, as if he had already decided that this stranger wasn't even as curious as he had thought. 


Rae reached the group first, though standing so close made it all the more difficult to watch him.


"Oh hey, there you are! This is...oh I didn't ask for your name yet, I'm Gemma." She said, still holding onto the singer's hand, "I'm sorry! What is your name?" She asked.


Rae could not stop herself from rolling her eyes, it seemed Gemma had already claimed him as her own, though Rae had believed, or perhaps hoped, that the stranger wasn't so...easily won over. 

 

[PaddieCake]

@Kindred *Paddie is a lame*