"Monsieur Dupont?" A tentative female voice sounded from outside the oak door which separated Antoine's study from the rest of the home. He looked up from an already very long letter he'd been writing to one of his close friends, who lived in Paris.

"Come in, Sophia," he bid her, putting down his pen as the door creaked open, and a thin girl matching the soft voice entered his presence.

"Pardon me for bothering you, monsieur, but this came for you," the brunette said softly, stepping forward and extending her hand. From her fingertips, a small letter, folded neatly protruded.

A letter? Strange... Antoine frowned lightly, reaching forward and taking the letter from her. "Thank you, Sophia."

"Of course, monsieur." Sophia bowed her head and excused herself from the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

Antoine looked at the letter curiously, and proceeded to unfold it carefully, as if he were afraid it would rip. There was something almost otherworldly about it... Almost like an etheral aura to it.

His eyes scanned over the page, and an amused smile flitted over his lips at the message. What an interesting idea!

Townsfolk,
We request your presence in the White Mansion at the end of the road. 'Tis a celebration of life and love in the form of a Masquerade. A night of mystery awaits you....

V.

And he'd just gotten new dress clothes, too!

Antoine stood, slipping the letter into a pocket before striding to the door, his hand closing around the handle after just a few easy strides. He would have to tell his mother of the happenings, though of course she would not be attending. She was getting older, after all, and parties, she said, were a thing for young people to enjoy.

_________________

Here is my bio. Hope it is okay.

Name : Katarina de Chagny
Gender : Female
Age : 21
Believes in the undead (yes/no) : Undecided
Appearance : 5’7, slender with long dark hair and dark eyes
Bio : Born into a well-to-do family, she grew up in a life of leisure. She was brought up to be a proper lady, but she always had a yearning for adventure and ended up becoming a proficient swordswoman and markswoman. When she was 16, she ran off with a handsome man by the name of Gabriel whom she thought was the love of her life. Angered by her actions, she was disowned by her parents and within a few years her relationship with Gabriel turned violent. Still loving him, yet hating her time with him, she ran away from him as well and now lives in a more modest neighborhood.
Anything else worth mentioning : Ever since her relationship with Gabriel ended poorly, she finds it hard to open up to new people-although she desperately longs for some companionship in her life again
Pic :
<a href="http://img386.imageshack.us/my.php?image=beckinsale16jh2.jpg">Pic1</a>
<a href="http://img235.imageshack.us/my.php?image=beckinsale01mo4.jpg">Pic2</a>
<a href="http://img149.imageshack.us/my.php?image=katebeckinsaleou8.jpg">Pic3</a>
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Katarina sat staring out the window of her home. True, it was spacious enough, though not as grand as the home she had grown up in. In truth, she did not long for the wealth, rather she longed for the innocence of her childhood, and the security she had felt then. More than anything, the only thing she wanted was a friend. She suddenly snapped out of her reverie when she heard a knock at the door. With a sigh, she rose to her feet and opened it to find no one there-save a letter left on the ground. Sighing once again, she picked it up, closed the door and sat down again. Opening the parchment she quickly read the note:

Townsfolk,
We request your presence in the White Mansion at the end of the road. 'Tis a celebration of life and love in the form of a Masquerade. A night of mystery awaits you....

V.

"Sounds intriguing enough..." she muttered to herself.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Here is my bio:

Name: Isabeau de Babarac
Gender: Female
True Age : 258
From wich century : 18 th
Age when bitten : 22
Apperance : ((See Pics))
Bio : She grew up in France and was part of the Court, although she never really new Marie Anoinette, they met breifly once. When she was a party in the night she met a man, named Joseph De Ghent. They met several times until one night when he turned her. She said hidden in the court until the revolution, then she and Joseph ran from France, in 1800 Joseph was killed by a slayer.
Anything else worth mentioning : She is 5 years older the Marie Anoinette., she speaks perfect english, but has a french accent still.
Pic : http://www.iceposter.com/thumbs/G112208_b.jpg , (part of the court) http://media.photobucket.com/image/rose ... 13.jpg?o=1

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

Evelyn shut the door rather quickly after reading the letter, she sometimes forgot of her own fear of the night. She didn't believe in the undead, she thought of them only as stories that generations before hand conjured up to scare their children into staying at home and not trying to run away at night.

It was foolish and she did not believe a word of those rumors and myths. Eve was scared of the night because of the freaks, he liked to prowl up and down the streets, searching for easy prey, and she being a beautiful young woman living alone, was a prime suspect as such prey.

Locking the door she set the parchment on the night table beside her door as she walked down the small hallway that lead to her bedroom, her home and everything in it was less than average, but the one thing that she prided herself was her clothes.

She was a dancing, she danced in the market square for entertainment... her moves were like liquid fire... passion burning... and her clothing was just as fluid, just as luscious.

_________________

The waves that C R A S H E D upon
The R O C K S that you were trying to step along

And in my head I heard them play a S O N G

Isabeau wondered the halls of the mansion. She had heard there was to be a Mascarade. Comming up to a room ahe listened and reconized the voice inside. Gently she knocked, wanting to ask a question of Derrick.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

Jocelyn pushed herself off of the baulstrode of the marble balcony and slowly stepped into the room, to anyone outside this mansion, the air was cold, holding an anonymous feel to the night, but to here, it was just another night.

"Did you honestly have to come to my room though, Derrick. As if you don't have a grand bed of your own..." She drawled as she walked over to stand before Derrick, her hip resting against the poster of the bed, body turned towards Derrick as he continued to play around with his cuffs and jacket.

Derrick opened his mouth to speak, but he heard a knock at the door and turned his head towards the side so that his piercing crimson was looking at the one who had the audacity to come to Joccie's room.

"Yes?" He said, voice a bit clipped.

_________________

The waves that C R A S H E D upon
The R O C K S that you were trying to step along

And in my head I heard them play a S O N G

Aaron sighed as he watched the sun slowly die from his room window. As the light faded, so did the brightness in the room. Already it was dull, with dark wood panelled walls and floors, with a dreary navy carpet, and a bed with dark red and green covers. In contrast to the room, was the man who occupied it.

He wore a formal suite, golden locks straying around his head after an attempt to brush it down to look nice. The black outfit made Aaron's skin look paler than usual. But it was nothing compared to the legendary vampire. Light blue eyes gazed now at the parchment on the small bedstand.

Townsfolk,
We request your presence in the White Mansion at the end of the road. 'Tis a celebration of life and love in the form of a Masquerade. A night of mystery awaits you....

V.

That was what was written on it in fluid script. Aaron pursed his lips, wondering what the night would bring. Masquerades were always... entertaining.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Rose walked into her sitting room just as there was a knock on the front door of her small cottage in the middle of town. She quickly went to the door and found only a letter on the ground. Picking it up, she waved it under her nose for a second, before scrunching her nose.

Definantly had the stench of a vampire. So of course she planned on going once she read the letter.

Rose ran to her room to get ready. She had to make sure she had all the right gear...

(will introduce my vampire a little later)

_________________

(}--{)Imagination Inspires Ideas -Zandain(}--{)
Married Cloud Strife 9/17/08

Stepping into her closet, her finely manicured nails raking through the different gowns and outfits that littered the inside of her closet. One finger moved between her lips, teeth biting down on it slightly as she thought about what to wear.... it was then that she realized that there was no time and date on the invitation.

That made her curious, but somehow she felt like the Masquerade was going to be tonight, when the moon shined the brightest over the town. Then again, it was only a feeling.

Moving her thoughts back to the attire in front of her, she pulled a few outfits out before trying one after the other. It wasn't until she got to the last piece that Evelyn knew she had found the perfect piece.

After placing the gown on, she pulled on a long wool button down jacket that looked like it was for a high class society male going out in the coolest of winters... Tucking her hair into the jacket, she popped the collar up and hid as much as she could into the jacket before making her way to the mansion, mask in hand.

_________________

The waves that C R A S H E D upon
The R O C K S that you were trying to step along

And in my head I heard them play a S O N G

"Yes, mother, a masquerade." This was the third time he'd gone over the matter with her, but she was rather... forgetful, never quite right in her head since her husband, Antoine's father, had died. "I shan't be back until the morning, but you know you can ask Sophia if you need anything." He nodded towards the demure girl, who was currently standing in the corner, holding a silver tray that she'd carried in their tea on.

Antoine sipped on the tea delicately - almost too delicately for a man.

"That's right," the elderly woman said with a faint smile as she sipped on her own cup of tea with shaking hands. "I hope you have fun. Perhaps you'll even find yourself a pretty wife while you're there."

"Perhaps," he agreed, though the idea was short lived. He wasn't particularly keen on finding anyone... just yet. "But the sun has gone down, mother, and it seems I must go get ready for the event. If you'll excuse me."

Sophia hurried forward to take his cup, and bowed her head as he exited the room.

- - - - -

Antoine adjusted his cuffs one last time in front of his full-length mirror, and he admired his pale skin in the dim light of his room. It did not have that beautiful glow that some residents of this town seemed to possess, but it was fairly close to it. His hair was tied back into a domestic ponytail, falling straight and true to his shoulder blades.

He did look quite respectable, if he were to say so himself. Which, of course, he did. As a last touch, he slipped on a pair of dark leather gloves, just to add to his appearance, before picking up the mask he'd chosen to wear. A simple, black mask with some gold accenting the edges certainly complimented his dark suit with gold trip quite nicely.

Antoine had not attended a masquerade in some time. This will be fun, he thought as he exited his home. He didn't feel the need to catch a ride to the mansion; it was a short enough walk.

_________________

Evelyn's heels clicked upon the cobblestones, the sound on a normal day would be inaudible, but during the night and otherwise silent streets, the sound was almost like thunder in the midst of a terrible storm. She kept herself hidden within her coat, huddling up and curling in as much as she could into herself.

She wanted to become a shadow, so that she could get to the mansion without any one of those crazed people to find her... if she thought she was prime prey before, being outside in the darkness was just asking for trouble.

Her heart pounded as she took quick steps, the mansion couldn't come fast enough. It was then that she heard another sound behind her... another set of feet hitting the cobblestones. Eve's breath caught in her throat and she dared look over her shoulder.

_________________

The waves that C R A S H E D upon
The R O C K S that you were trying to step along

And in my head I heard them play a S O N G

As he walked up the cobblestone streets, black cane in hand, Antoine saw another figure exit a house a little ways ahead of him, and begin to walk towards the Mansion as well. Another member of the town, it seemed. And he appeared to be afraid, as well. Or that's how it appeared to him, with the way he acted so skittish.

This young man certainly looked to be like a jumpy thing, perhaps even paranoid as he sent a glance over his shoulder. He greeted his terrified look with one of warm greeting. "Good evening," he called out, in what he hoped was a friendly voice. "Headed to the masquerade as well?"

The face from behind the collar seemed almost feminine to the Dupont boy, though he wasn't one to judge based off of looks. It was definitely odd that a man would be walking around at night, looking as if he were about to be robbed any second. A woman, perhaps, Antoine could understand, but he saw no reason why an able young man like this, would have any reason to fear bandits.

Still, he quickened his stride, in order to catch up with the lad.

_________________

After searching through her closet for some time, Rose finally found her dress. It was a simple black dress with straps the hung down on her arms instead up on the shoulders. It fit the bodice tightly, then became a long flowing skirt. And she found a simple mask that covered the area around her eyes and her nose. It didn't even mess up her hair when she put the mask on.

Knowing vampires, she knew the ball was tonight. so she dressed, with a few other 'accesories' hidden on her body along with gloves that went past her elbows. The coat she put on was much like that of a fur-lined coat. Her shoes were elagent heals kept on her feet by satin ribbons. And to go with it all, all her nails were painted black.

So when she stepped out into the night, pulling her hood up, and hiding under her cloak, she could hardly be seen as the night progressed as she made her way to the mansion. Walking so her mind had time to ponder about stratigic things...

_________________

(}--{)Imagination Inspires Ideas -Zandain(}--{)
Married Cloud Strife 9/17/08

She tried to quicken her pace, green eyes could see the mansion just ahead, she was close, but her strides were not nearly as long as the man behind her, and it was hard to walk on an unsteady surface in a pair of heels. Biting her lip she slowed her pace just a bit... keeping a fast enough pace that she could still walk ahead of the man following her.

It was then that Evelyn heard the voice, a sound that was quite pleasurable in her ears, it sounded like the voice of a noble, but she knew that no nobles lived in the town.

Turning around completely she stopped in her tracks, bowing her head slightly which caused all of her golden hair to spill out from beneath the collar of the jacket and tumble down over his shoulders and chest. "Yes good Sir... I wanted to get there before it got too late"

This was not something she would normally do, speak out right to a stranger, unless she was dancing, but that was during the day. Hopefully she had not done something foolish by talking to this man.

_________________

The waves that C R A S H E D upon
The R O C K S that you were trying to step along

And in my head I heard them play a S O N G

Aaron finnished prepping himself for the masqurade, and grabbed his mast. A white porslin one that covered all his face but his mouth and chin, and had red roses all along it's surface. He decided to ride to the mansion now, instead of walk. It was all the way on the other side of town, for heaven's sake. He would get there by noon the next day if he walked...

~~~~~~

Rose walked quickly for being in dainty high heels. The clicking on the cobbles almost sounded urgent, but were not heard by her ears. She cut through an alleyway, to break out onto a street occupied by two figures. One was a female with golden hair, the other a male with a cane.

The slayer pushed her hood back to reveal short fiery-red hair, and rull red lips behind her black mask.
"I see I'm not the only one walking to the masqurade," she said, her voice solf and friendly...

_________________

(}--{)Imagination Inspires Ideas -Zandain(}--{)
Married Cloud Strife 9/17/08

Antoine paused in his walking as the man - woman, as he now saw - suddenly lost her clever disguise, her golden hair cascading over her shoulders as it came loose from her collar. His blue eyes blinked, and after the falter, he continued walking to catch up with her. His cane made occasional tics as it hit the pavement in time with his left foot on every other step.

"I can see why you seemed so uneasy, previously," he commented as he caught up with the girl, whose figure was slighter than he'd first thought. The bulk of the coat certainly hid her figure quite well. "A young lady should not be walking the streets alone."

There was no mal-intent behind these words; they were just a simple comment on a very true fact. Antoine hoped she wouldn't take them as a threat, or something of the sort.

"I would tell you my name, but as we are going to a masquerade, I'm afraid that would rather defeat the purpose, wouldn't it?" He laughed then - a short, almost bark-like sound.

"I hope I didn't startle you," the man continued, "I live just over the bridge down the road there." He gestured behind him with his cane. "A masquerade in these times would certainly be a lifter of spirits, don't you think?"

His own thought train was interrupted as another young woman all but burst into their presence, and he offered up another one of his charming smiles. "It seems as though you are not," he agreed, inclining his head in greeting. "And a beautiful night for a masquerade it is."

_________________

Even though her facade of being a man faltered, she still held the close to her body, still unsure of this man with the cane. His appearance could be deceiving. She had met many a man that had looked like Princes but acted like scoundrals, he only hoped this wasn't one of those cases. She prayed to the dancing gods that this man was as his appearance was... charming.

Even though this man was moving towards her, she stayed still, normally she would walk away, or at least keep from getting to close to the other, but something about his presence put her at ease. "I know, I have no one to escort me, and a ball sounded so lovely... I just couldn't go." Evelyn stated simply.

He made her laugh, that was good, her unease from before lessened every single second and she was soon standing up to her full height and not crouched down in fear, her shoulders held back properly, her whole form taking that as a dancer would. "That would indeed defeat the purpose... actually you shouldn't even see my face right now... " She had forgotten about the mask and placed the white and pale blue mask over her eyes, obscuring her gentle features.

"You didn't startle me... more like I startled myself to be honest... I work myself up into a frenzy" She explained briefly, her hold on the jacket loosening and thus revealing the gown she wore.

It was a simple dress at first glance, a bodice clung to her slender form in a beautiful white and soft powdery blue. The sleeves draping off her shoulders, exposing her almost alabaster skin. The bodice cinched at the waist and then became a fluttering skirt, poofing out at the hip. "A perfect night..." she said a bit wistfully, the promise of mystery and intrigue was what excited her the most about this night...

Her thoughts were broken when a voice broke through. Looking over to the girl she smiled but said nothing. Something about her didn't feel... right

_________________

The waves that C R A S H E D upon
The R O C K S that you were trying to step along

And in my head I heard them play a S O N G