The Party [M][SDB]

[Lowen Thorn]

@SDB, Dragon Lord



"Fuck you, boy."

The Nobleman stared in horror as reality sunk in. Theodore was never actually a Noble, never actually "Theodore." He was a Lola! That bitch's son from years back. Everyone thought he was dead! At least, Viktor said he was. Yet here he stood after making fools of all of them, for years at that. Had Viktor lied? Or did he himself not know either?

"W-What the hell do you-"

"Shut up," the young man standing before him hissed.

Damien Lola stood across from the Noble, his eyes like ice as he stared coldly in at the hunted. There was a flush of concentrated anger in his stare as he took one step closer to the Nobleman, and the Nobleman took one step back, and that continued until the man's back was to the wall, leaving him utterly terrified.

"Dirty cunts like you need to be cleaned," Lola scowled as he continued his slow pace toward the man. "Isn't that what you use to say to her?"

"Don't t-take another step closer. I will screa-"

He couldn't finish his sentence before Lola was on the man, throwing a fist that made direct impact with the Noble's nose.

Thud!

His head slammed against the wall, causing him to slide to the ground with a whimper. "No one would hear you even if you did," Lola said, kneeling to meet him at eye level. "There's a party downstairs. The door is locked. No one would even think of coming to this section of the estate. It's just you and me now."

Finally. Justice. He had waited so long for this moment.

Opening a palm, he began concentrating on his elemental ability of water. After a few passing moments, a block of water was formed and the young man guided it forward until it was placed precisely around the Nobleman's head.

The man's eyes widened. He couldn't breathe! He tried to get up, but Lola held him down. He started ringing his arms around and kicking his legs about as he steadily lost oxygen. There was a plea in his eyes that Lola had no sympathy for, and he watched those eyes until the light went out.

"I did it," he said under a breath as he got back up to his feet. Gods. That felt good.

Lola wished he hadn't have dealt that punch, but he really couldn't help himself. He could not move the body yet, and besides, he wasn't sure if he really wanted to. The discovery of this poor bastard's dead corpse could cause just enough distraction for him to hunt down his next target. He would just need to conceal the slight bruising on his knuckles, he noted.

Standing back at the door, he listened for a few moments to make sure the coast was clear. He unlocked the door, stepped out into the hall, and rejoined the party downstairs.

--- --- ---

"Theodore" was all smiles with a spark in his eyes as he shuffled through the crowds of the Nobleman Viktor's party. He greeted many with handshakes, nods, and grins as he made his way back to the company he was keeping prior to his little side trip.

"Ah, Theodore! There you are!" one of the men called out as he approached.

"Yes, my dear boy, I had to excuse myself for a bit," he said cheerfully. "All of these spirits were starting to get to me!"

"Theodore," a woman in the group cut in with a chuckle. "You never finished your story. You were telling us about the time you had stolen those Dragon eggs?"

"Ah right!" Ah, right. Another made up story. This was exhausting, but this disguise was worth it. Do Dragons even lay eggs? Surely they do.

The party continued to go on like that for another hour or so, when it finally happened.

'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGHH!'

The sound of a scream cut through the halls, and it followed by a woman running into the open at the top of the staircase – panic and fear in her eyes.

Someone had found the body.

[Celegwen]

"I don't understand," Kathryn grumbled, her arms folded over her chest with a small pout on her lips.

Lord Edward Hahne sighed, seeing her mimicking his stance with her own exaggerated flare. "Lady Kathryn," he started, "to attend a nobleman's celebration on the arm of another noble, a proper lady must make herself known to all without saying a word. And you do that with a gown as beautiful as yourself."

The girl rolled her eyes. She hated when he called her 'lady' because she was about as far from noble status as someone could be. Then again... She was an absolutely gorgeous woman. Her pout deepened when the seamstress emerged from the back room again with a blood red gown. This is going to be a long night, she thought.

*     *     *

The evening, Kathryn and Lord Edward arrived at Lord Viktor Radbyrne's home. The man stepped out of the coach, offering his hand to his guest. Kathryn squinted slightly, taking his hand after a moment of hesitation and leaving the coach. Her dark hair was tied in a thick braid, which wasn't frayed and messy for once. Her red gown - complete with corset, which Kathryn had never worn before - had a large skirt and frilled angel sleeves with bows down the front of the dress. Also, there seemed to be places where something would appear to be bunched up beneath the fabric.

Kathryn looped her arm around Lord Edward's, as they walked into the party. Her movements were stiff, and her breathing was labored. "My dear, you look lovely tonight," he whispered to Kathryn. "Though, you seem a bit uncomfortable. Is anything the matter?"

"I can't breathe, I can't move, and it's extremely hot," Kathryn said.

While they would appear to be a lovely couple, Kathryn had only met Lord Edward the day before. She was looking at jewelry in the window of a shop, and he stopped by and proposed the idea of her accompanying him to a party. The fact that Lord Edward knew she was uncomfortable had nothing to do with their bond - or lack thereof - but rather her inexperience in hiding such things in formal occasions.

"You're warm?" He asked curiously. "It's quite cool in here, though. Are you running a temperature?"

She huffed. "No," Kathryn said exasperated. "I'm wearing a million layers."

Lord Edward couldn't help but laugh. "You're wearing your normal clothing underneath that dress, aren't you?"

"Was I not supposed to?"

He nodded. "I'm going to speak to a colleague. Go on and mingle. Introduce yourself to some of the other ladies."

Kathryn lifted her brow, as he walked away. She saw the other women speaking to each in hushed voices, and from what she had learned about rich women, the topic of discussion was probably the promiscuity of a woman who wasn't attending to the party. In other words, she wanted nothing to do with anything happening at this party. Until...

A scream rang out through the halls, immediately grabbing Kathryn's attention. Her eyes went to the top of the staircase, where a woman appeared, clearly terrified of whatever had caused her to make that awful noise.

As Lord Edward rushed over to Kathryn, the girl slipped away from him. Something interesting was finally happening, so there was no way she would continue to play the part of the 'proper noble,' which no part of her actually was. She grabbed the skirt of her dress and rushed up the stairs, the corset posing more of a problem than she had anticipated. While the proper noblewoman would've gone to comfort the traumatized girl, Kathryn moved past her without so much as a word of concern and continued down the hall to see the body of a nobleman.

She crouched - or rather tried to with that monstrous dress - in front of the man. "Fuck it," she mumbled, quickly slipping out of the red gown. She had worn her green and grey clothing beneath the dress, so she was covered. Kathryn crouched comfortably that time in front of the body. She peered curiously at it: it was her first time seeing a dead body since the one she had killed. Broken nose, she thought, poking its bloody nose. How do you drown in the middle of a party on land?

"Lord William Lard!" Lord Edward gasped. He grabbed Kathryn's arm, pulling her away towards the stairs. "Everyone remain calm!" He said, preparing a lie to keep the guests from panicking. "Everything's fine. The girl was simply startled by-"

"Lord Lard's dead," Kathryn said plainly, earning her a sharp glare from Lord Edward.

[Lowen Thorn]

Lord William was dead, and everyone there knew about it. There were gasps and murmurs, the estate stunk of fear and legs were frozen to the ground with the sudden news. And Lola fucking relished it. Still, he best keep up his act, he thought, there was still work to do.

Eyes widened, breaths ragged and harsh. His hands trembled at his sides as he stared in "horror" at the top of the staircase. "Who could have done this," he whispered, mostly to the few he had been around during the event.

Yeah, that should be enough.

He briefly scanned the room through the guise of panic, searching for a reaction from his old stepfather, but to no avail. Where exactly was he?

"No one leaves until we've conducted a full investigation," one of the guards called as he and another stood heavy in front of the front door. "

There were immediate sounds of protest and feet began nervously shuffling on the floor. "I've been here the whole time," one or more said. "I would never do such a thing!" cried another, with a handful of "I just want to go home!" pleas tossed in.

"Well, this night sure hasn't turned out the way we hoped," Theodore said grimly to his "companions" as he played on the nervousness and dread of the situation.

He scanned the room for Viktor again. Nothing.

Maybe not nothing. His eyes landed on the girl, the one who rushed up the stairs from before, and to Edward's obvious dismay, announced William's death. Who was she?

She was no noble.

[Celegwen]

Taking her slightly too roughly by the arm, Lord Edward guided Kathryn down the stairs to rejoin the party. "You mustn't blatantly announce such a thing to a group of people, or chaos will ensue," he scolded, brows furrowed over a stern frown.

"What?" Kathryn said, pulling away from her escort. She wasn't rude about it, but the movement was a clear way of saying let go of me and don't do that again, or something along those lines. "Why?"

"Because humans are chaotic creatures," he said, looking at her with confusion. "You've really not learned this by now?" Shaking his head, Lord Edward took a deep breath, scanning the room. "Well, I'm terribly sorry this happened. I promised an enjoyable evening out, and I fear I've failed to deliver."

Kathryn quickly shook her head, her black eyes wider than usual. "But this is enjoyable," she said quietly. "The party was boring, but murder makes it interesting."

The nobleman looked at her strangely and pursed his lips. "You're a peculiar woman, Kathryn."

Whispers that had begun circulating already made it to Lord Edward's ears. As would be expected, most were small theories on who the culprit could be or how 'I was here the whole time' or judgments and praises of the victim. Panic was setting in, and it wouldn't be long before the nobles were at each other's throats.

Though she was instructed to stay by Lord Edward, Kathryn slipped away and started walking among the others, listening and watching. One young man in particular caught her eye, as he appeared to also be searching for something. He was calmer than the others, which struck her as interesting as well. Slowly, the girl started making her way towards the man, hoping to find out what he was doing.

[Lowen Thorn]

She was walking straight for him.

He didn't need to be looking directly at her, instead seeing her approach from his perephreal, to realize that. He made the briefest effort to look concerned with the situation before catching eyes with the woman again, and he gave her a small smile that was almost reassuring; whatever that meant for someone who clearly didn't belong or fit in there much like himself.

Instead of waiting, he walked towards her to meet her in the middle, but quickly sidestepped, more so staring through her as he passed by and through the crowd.

Fingertips tingling, he placed a hand firmly on another guests' shoulder and whispered something in his ear, mostly unnoticeable, before shuffling his way back around to a less cluttered area.

"I have a proposition!" the man abruptly boomed and the murmurs, frantic pleas, and complaints slowly died down with it. "We all need to be questioned. Even the guards," he began to explain. "Even Lord Viktor, mind you! Do we all agree?"

There was some silence and looks in the crowd before "Theodore" stepped forward. "I'm for it," Lola agreed. "We can't rule anyone out. I will even go first if I must."

The man glanced around to witness any approving or disapproving whispers from the party's guests, most seemingly the former, when his eyes laid gently on another Noble man.

...Was that Lord Edward?

[Celegwen]

Kathryn's brows furrowed, as the man gave her a small grin. Why was he smiling? Everyone else was distraught and panicky, so why did this person wear an expression that represented joy?

She figured her questions would be answered when the man started towards her, but nope! It was like he asked her to dance, then took the hand of the person beside her, and Kathryn didn't like that one bit. Though she wasn't completely sure what the feeling was, she knew that it wasn't something she would accept.

Then an idea was proposed, a wonderful idea! Questioning everyone would surely be enough to flush out the killer, so it was the best plan, right? Not to everyone. Lord Edward quickly approached Kathryn, his arm around her securely. "We have to get you out of here," he said, voice hushed.

"Why? I like it here."

He pursed his lips, glaring in the direction of the vocal nobles. "Because you are the only one here not of noble birth," he whispered. "You were the first to rush up the stairs when the girl cried. It looks suspicious."

Kathryn shook her head. "Won't it look more so if I suddenly disappear? I'll just be honest, and everything will be fine."

Lord Edward clenched his jaw briefly, meeting eyes with the man who had volunteered to be questioned first. "You're too innocent, Kathryn."

The girl followed his gaze, then moved away from him. "I have someone to talk to," she said, pursing her lips and starting towards the man who gave her slip before.

[Lowen Thorn]

Lord Edward was with the girl, the one who now seemed keen on speaking to Lola. The man's mind raced briefly, not knowing if that was going to become a problem or not. Sure, there's no proof that Edward had anything to do with what happened to his mother in the past... but he fit the bill. The smug, arrogance of a Noble who thinks the world caters to him.

Yeah. He would keep a watch him over the course of the night.

"You first, then, Lord Alcott," one of the guards said, bringing Lola back into reality. "Come with me to the next room so we can question you."

Lola nodded. "Sure," he replied, and shifted through the crowd until he was behind a closed door with one of Viktor's guards.

They weren't in there long. Two, three minutes, maybe,, and the door swung open and the two men emerged back into the main chambers. "He's clean," the guard announced rather absolutely. "We've requested Lord Theodore Alcott to aid us in our questioning. Please answer any questions he may have."

Damien shrugged lightly and took a quick glance around the hall. "Who would like to go first?"

[Celegwen]

Kathryn stayed where she was, arms folded over her chest and legs crossed at the ankle, as she leaned casually against the wall towards the back of the room.

When the guards came back out with the news that the noble would be assisting in the questioning, something didn't sit right with Lord Edward. Especially when Lord Alcott's question was answered.

"I'll go first," Kathryn said firmly, kicking off the wall and moving through the crowd gracefully. Lord Edward shot a hard glare at the girl, which she ignored completely, as she made her way to the front of the room with a slight smirk.

[Lowen Thorn]

Don't become a problem, Lord Edward.

That was Lola's thoughts whenever he noticed the look. The look of doubt, the look of being troubled, and perhaps the look of suspicion. It wasn't immediate, but whenever his date for the evening volunteered, he saw it.

"R-Right," Lola said wearily as the woman so gracefully approached. "Right this way."

He extended an arm to point out a door in the back of the room, and then turned to lead her to it. While turning, he caught eyes with Edward for a brief moment. The look in the Nobleman's eyes were troubled for reasons other than that someone had been murdered that night, and he had a hard time assuming it was because he was luring his "date" into a private room away from the party.

The exchange was brief, and almost unnoticeable, and just a few seconds more Lola had entered the room with the woman and closed the door behind them.

[Celegwen]

"Why are you happy?" Kathryn asked, barely letting a second pass after Lord Theodore closed the door with them inside the room.

Subtlety never was the girl's strong suit, but she was certainly never at a loss for words! Realizing that she was in fact in a room with a nobleman, though he didn't really seem like the typical noble, she backtracked quickly, waving her hand in front of her dismissively.

"I meant..." Kathryn started, giving a quick and informal bow. "You seemed more - what's the word - joyful than the rest of the party's attendants, m'lord. Do you find joy in death?"

[Lowen Thorn]

Lola ensured the door was fully closed before turning around. He didn't acknowledge her question immediately, nor did he meet her eyes right away. Instead, he moved a little further into the room until he grabbed a wooden chair sitting in the corner, dragging it in front of him and sitting on it backward as his arms rested on the back.

"What on earth would possess you to say such a thing?" he finally asked, his voice sharp and his eyes suddenly stern. "Who would find joy in death? No, I think you mistake me for something I am not."

"It's only joyful when I kill them myself," he thought alongside his spoken words.

"Take a seat," he said, motioning at another chair that rested against the wall. "I'll try to make this quick because I don't think you had anything to do with it, but just who are you exactly? I've been here most of the night, and I know most of the guests, but I can't say I've ever seen you before."

[Celegwen]

Kathryn watched the man curiously. You're sitting on it wrong, she thought, as Lord Theodore leaned his arms on the back of the chair.

Regardless, at his direction, the girl moved towards the other chair. She pulled it forward and turned it around, mimicking the way he was sitting with her legs straddling the seat. Something about that position was surprisingly comfortable, and she didn't know why it wasn't the normal way to sit!

"My name's Kathryn," she said simply. Who was she? Now, that was a good question. "I don't-" She started to tell him that she wasn't sure who she was, but remembered that it probably wasn't an appropriate response. "I just came as Lord Edward's guest. I'm not a noble." She deicided that was a good enough answer. "Your turn. Who are you?"

[Lowen Thorn]

Damien's stern glare faded and was replaced with a light, and an almost amused, smile. He lowered his head to rest them on the back of his hands that were propped up by the chair's back rest. "Theodore," he said simply. "Not a noble, eh? I'm not much of a Noble either."

He closed his eyes and sighed. Probably not the best thing to say. "Not at heart, at least," he added after a moment. "Regardless, you are not missing out on much."

So...

Not a Noble, just a guest of a Noble, parading away in a Noble's house and clearly not belonging. As Lola eyed her up and down curiously he could almost consider her a friend - though that was yet to be determined. So far the only difference between the two of them was that Kathryn wasn't pretending to be someone she was not.

"Do you fancy Lord Edward?" he asked, deciding to pry. "Can you tell me more about him?"

[Celegwen]

"I met him yesterday," Kathryn said plainly with a shrug. "Barely know him, but he asked me if I wanted to go to a party. I'd heard parties are fun, so I agreed." She went quiet for a moment, pursing her lips in a poorly hidden grin. "I was right."

If he had been in the room with them, Lord Edward probably would've silently scolded her behavior for being informal and inappropriate for a tragic setting, but he wasn't there!

Her black eyes narrowed, and her head tilted slightly to the right, as she eyed the man again. "Why were you avoiding me?" Kathryn asked. "In the other room. You kept walking away. Why? Isn't it the proper thing to mingle without exclusion?"

Part of that question was directly aimed at Theodore, but the girl was genuinely curious. There were so many rules nobles had for social interactions, so she wasn't sure if his actions were improper or if she was wrong for trying to approach him.

[Lowen Thorn]

Well she was certainly to the point.

He wanted to see what he could find out from the woman without using his glamour on her first, but it appeared she didn't know any more than she did in regards to William. Still, something told him to hold off for a little while.

"Yeah. I'm sorry. I was a little intimidating," was the casual lie of a response. "You appeared different from the other women in the party, and I've never seen someone with eyes quite like yours.. So I turned the other way at the last minute."

Blushing on command, he shook his head to stir the conversation elsewhere. "Enough about that," he said through clearing his throat. "Can you keep a secret, Kathryn?"

[Celegwen]

She might not have had very much experience with humanity, but bullshit was something the girl was exceptional at spotting. And he was absolutely bullshitting her with that little speech about being intimidated. Though, the sudden blush made her curiosity overpower her need to call him on his lie.

What... she thought to herself, watching his face take on a slight hue of red. What's he doing? Why's he changing colors?

Another curiosity wave crashed over. "I'm very skilled at keeping secrets," she said, her eyes widening with anticipation. It almost didn't matter what the secret was at that point. Her entire self became excited at the thought of knowing something everyone else didn't.

[Lowen Thorn]

She wasn't a noble, maybe that's why.

He had a soft spot for her, for who she was, and that is why he wasn't entirely keen on the idea of enchanting her like he did the guards. It was tiresome, sure, but he needed to keep her in that room with him for as long as he could.

It was a good thing that he duplicated himself while in the room with the guards, allowing himself to entertain Kathryn while a mirror image of himself was free to roam about the house a little more - and still get any information that he may need. While the two engaged in conversation behind a closed door, the imitation Lola made his way through the crowd. Approaching the woman's companion of the night, he placed a hand on the back of his shoulder. "Lord Edward," Lola said quietly. "I've cleared Kathryn, and she has excused herself to the bathroom. If you could follow me upstairs I can clear you as well."



"I don't think he physically did it," the real Lola began, leaning in a little closer as his voice dropped to a whisper. "But I think Lord Edward has everything to do with Lord William's murder." He placed a straightened finger over his lips before she could respond. "This may or may not come as a surprise to you, but many Nobles like him are not what they appear to be. When someone has power, they seek to use it, and will often times get away with it.. but I know a wolf in sheep's clothing when I see one."



In another room upstairs, faux Lola sat across from Lord Edward with a concerned look in his eyes. "I didn't want to tell you this around the others," he began cautiously. "But it's Kathryn. I don't think you know just who you brought to this party tonight, and who she works with."

His eyes glowed for a moment as he locked eyes with the Noble, and a false memory of Kathryn bringing along a friend with them soon found its way into Edward's mind. "How much do you know about her friend, Elijah?"

[Celegwen]

"A wolf in sheep's clothing?" The girl mused aloud. She'd never heard that phrase before, but she liked it. It gave her a sensation of daring and adventure, but she had yet to figure out why. "But why? He was just as surprised as I was when the girl screamed. Actually, he was probably more surprised! It seemed...how do you say...uh, genuine."



Lord Edward's eyes glowed suddenly, mimicking the illumination of the other noble across from him, as false memories began to worm their way into his mind. When he spoke, it sounded almost like he was telling a story, rather than recounting a personal experience.

"I don't know him well," the nobleman said plainly. "When I met Kathryn and invited her to this affair, she wanted to bring her friend. I spent the day teaching them both how to act at a nobleman's celebration, and they both seemed to grasp the manners well. Next thing, I brought them here."

His eyes released the glow, and Lord Edward looked at Lord Theodore questioningly. The memories were firmly planted in his mind, so the man had no way of distinguishing them from reality.

"Why do you believe Kathryn has anything to do with this, Lord Theodore? What evidence do you have?"

[Lowen Thorn]

"And that's exactly what he wanted you to think," Lola replied sharply. "Don't you see? Anyone can appear genuine if they want it bad enough."

A sigh escaped his lips as he buried his face into his hands. "I'm worried for you, Kathryn," he said quietly. "When I spoke with the guards, they said he was acting suspiciously toward another Noble earlier.. Like he was keeping eyes on him. A man named Gael Dacey. Have you met him yet? I believe that's his next target, and.."

He trailed off before meeting her gaze with sincere concern. "I think he plans on pinning the murders on you," he continued. "Tell me, why would someone like Lord Edward bring you to a party like this? What would his end-game be? To fuck you? No, I think anyone could tell just by looking at him that he prefers the company of men. There's another reason he brought you here tonight."



"The guards I spoke with earlier have had their eyes on them the whole night. It's not every day you see common folk at a party like this," the duplicate explained. "I am not faulting you for wanting to bring her, I'm really not. Hells, if I could have a pretty thing on my arm like that I would've done the same thing. But.. They told me they overheard something.. something between them during the earlier commotion."

Lola leaned forward and placed his hands over Edward's, a look of horror washing into his eyes. "Something about the plan being in motion, they name dropped Lord Gael Dacey, and something about the 'poor bastard' Edward not knowing what hit him." The man sighed and shook his head in exasperation. "I think there will be more killings tonight, and I think they're going to pin it on you."

The imitation's eyes glowed once more, locking Edward into enchantment for the second time. "You brought these criminals into this house, and it is your fault that people are going to die tonight. You need to lay low and say nothing, and suspect only Kathryn and Elijah. Do you understand?"



'Lord Dacey, might I have a word?'

As if awoken for the first time that night, Gael Lacey let out an exasperated breath and stood from the chair he had previously occupied since the discovery. "I'm tired of waiting," he announced to those around him. "When the guards are ready to question someone else, tell them I will be in the room down the hall."

Before his company could respond, he swiftly made his way through the crowd and into the lone, out-of-sight room down the hall. As he entered and closed the door behind him, he was met with the grin of another man.

A third Lola stood there with his back leaned against the wall and fire in his eyes.

"Lord Dacey," he said firmly. "Take a seat."

[Celegwen]

Lord Edward's eyes glowed once again with Lord Theodore's. "I need to lie low," he said. "Kathryn and Elijah could be after more people."

His response was almost monotone, but he seemed to really believe it. The glow disappeared from his eyes, and he looked shamefully at the man across from him.

"She seemed like such an innocent, young thing..."



The girl listened intently at first, but her attention was slightly lost when he told her that was worried about her; so much so that she actually let a breathy chuckle escape. "Thank you for worrying, Theodore," she started, "but I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I think I'll go find out just what he's planning."

Kathryn stood up to leave, even taking a few steps towards the door before stopping herself and turning back around to face the noble.

Her black eyes narrowed at him suddenly. "You said, 'anyone can appear genuine if they want it bad enough,' right?" She whispered. "Then, why should I believe you're being genuine?"