games of cat and mouse [NICHOLAS]

[ELLYLON EN ERSEN]

The skin tight suit left almost nothing to the imagination, black leather clinging to her every curve. Her petite feet were clad in high black heels, raising her above her usual height of five feet by an approximate five inches. The intrcate mask hid most of her facial features except for her bright blue eyes, and she'd glamoured her usually light gold hair to a dark auburn. The disguise was mainly so that she could avoid the man that held the key to her freedom, an Atra by the name of Kyo.

She entered the ballroom fashionably late, not that she was expected for anything special. After all, she was no longer queen, and even if she had been, no one would recognize her like this. Ellylon entered the large room with its tall rounded ceiling, her head held high, her movements exuding confidence.

Sharp blue eyes scanned the crowd for familiar faces, however as expected most of the guests had their faces altered either with make up, decoration, or glamour. A hand-full even had masks on, some as delicate and beautifully crafted as her own, and others large and gruisome, imitations of fairytale beasts.

She moved into the crowd, the long fluffy tail swinging behind her like a pendulum. Some stared after it as if were truly hypnotizing them, but the effect was most likely caused by the view of her toned butt clad in leather. A slight smile spread over her lips, the bright red lipstick glistening in the candlelight. Her eyes caught sight of Nicholas, and she quickly looked away. Maybe she could have more fun with this costume than she'd assumed.

Ellylon made her way closer to him, keeping him in sight from the corner of her eye. She didn't want him to notice that she was paying him any attention. Would her loving and devoted Nicholas stray when under the belief that his love was not present at this ball? She had told him that she had had some things to take care of and would arrive at the celebration after midnight. There were quite some hours to go before midnight, and she'd never told him what she would dress up as. This could either turn out to be interesting...the outcome would either please her or disappoint her deeply. Was she willing to risk some of her confidence?

[NICHOLAS SANDROSE]

Nicholas had been disappointed when Ellylon told him that she wouldn’t arrive at the Halloween Ball until after midnight. But he’d tried to keep it from showing. Even though Ellylon was no longer queen, there were still many things which required her attention. Ealdun probably needed a lot of help while he got accustomed to being king. Really, Nicholas knew he was lucky to spend much time with Ellylon at all. So he’d kissed her, and promised to wait as patiently as it was possible to wait for someone whose presence filled his heart with such joy.

With Ellylon unavailable, Nicholas thought about asking Ronja if she’d like an escort. But she’d already agreed to go with Keiji, and Nicholas didn’t want to intrude on their time together. Nicholas rather liked Keiji -- the kelpie clearly cared a great deal about Ronja. He might even make a good lover for her, if Ronja ever got over her fixation on brooding and dangerous men.

Ellylon and Ronja exhausted all of Nicholas’s options. He didn’t have a close relationship with anyone else. So, left with no other choice, he’d come alone. And now he stood by the refreshment table, looking nervous -- which was exactly how he felt. Nicholas understood the importance of keeping up appearances. The Argentum Court had to show the Atra that they weren’t afraid. But still, attending a party in Atra territory made Nicholas jumpy. With war nearly inevitable, the Dark Court had very little to lose if they decided to try something.

Trying to distract himself, Nicholas let his eyes wander over the other guests. They were certainly an interesting assortment. Dressed in costumes which ranged from Zorro to the Lucky Charms leprechaun, they mingled together, laughing and dancing. But none of them particularly captured Nicholas’s attention. Not until he noticed a woman wearing impossibly tight black leather, crowned by a pair of cat ears. It wasn’t that she was beautiful -- almost a fae were beautiful. But she moved with a grace which perfectly fit her costume. Nicholas’s interest was purely aesthetic, since he would never betray his beloved Ellylon. However, the cat lady exerted a strange pull on him, and he found his gaze returning to her time and time again.