arrow The Crimson Hawk Hotel - Masquerade Ball
"So, here I am again..."
Nostalgia could be a cruel thing. It always made itself present regardless of one's wishes, ignorant of its own context. What would otherwise be a fond memory of the past was still indelibly linked to a time long ago that Tenkai in particular wished he could leave behind. It had barely hit him when he first returned to the Crimson Hawk weeks earlier, but now with the hotel alight in festive panoply, it struck him like a crashing wave. It nearly overwhelmed him with a combined feeling of familiarity and bitterness, like a chilling breeze buffeting a traveler who had just returned home. For a moment, Tenkai could hardly believe he was actually standing here, in this moment. He had never thought he would return to this place, much less this city.
It had taken some convincing, that was to be sure. After turning the tide of chaos that had swept over Durem with his new allies, Artanthos and Rosalia, they had been approached by none other than the wolfish alchemist Arthur Uskglass. It could not have been at the worst possible time, given that the Hellknights were clearly strangers in these lands and had no reason to think Arthur was not yet another potential foe. Though Tenkai had stayed the Hellknight's hand before things become awkward, Tenkai wasn't exactly the trusting sort he had used to be, either. The serendipitous nature of Arthur's discovery of the two of them was enough to make the monk wary. Yet he was acquainted enough with Arthur to give him the chance to explain himself, and that was where Tenkai learned of the recent prize-fighting activity that had arisen in Latent.
Latent, of course, was famous for its historic Leviathan Stadium, the staging grounds for the prestigious Heaven or Hell Tournament. Tenkai had been a competitor himself in previous years, though his interests were always vested in gathering information about powerful actors that were out and about Gaia, not the least of which was the Foundation behind the tournament and its chairman, Elia Noah. But nothing ever came of the frayed threads he had followed, and eventually the annual event had mysteriously and abruptly shut down. Now, several years since then, there were suddenly competitive prize-fights being held in this city once famous for them? After so long? And hosted by whom, for that matter?
Though he had little desire to prove himself against other fighters outside of doing what needed to be done as a knight of the Order of Force Majeure, there was a small part of him that felt otherwise. For as much as he always kept his eyes set on his own agenda back when he competed in the tournament, there was always this small part of him that wanted to test himself against fellow warriors of the day. After Maximos' betrayal and Tenkai's subsequent vengeance, the monk thought he had snuffed out that flame and buried it with the rest of who he was.
But he could not lie to himself. It was a part of him that would never die. That fire burned despite the cold, bitter chill, and it hurt like any other burn would. It was a good pain.
Yet, even though these were merely prize fights held by a heretofore unannounced sponsor, the festivities involved beforehand were on the same level as that famed tournament of years past. Perhaps it was merely the length of the Crimson Hawk's budget, sponsored by other wealthy donors who otherwise continued their investment long after the Foundation stepped away from the public eye. Tenkai had been a part of these festivities in the past, but there was little such glitz and glamor could do to entice a monk that rejected the material world. If anything, he felt completely alien amongst wealthy lords and socialites, much unlike that of Artanthos, who was still no stranger to these affairs despite being long removed from them. Nowadays, someone who had grown as bitter as Tenkai had would have passed up on this masquerade outright.
And yet, there he was, dressed in what was more or less the extent of Tenkai's ability to dress for the occasion. All of his gear, his koteand half breastplate, his sune-ate, everything including his bodysuit was worn underneath his long black Buddhist monk robes with the exception of his shoulder armor. This robe was virtually identical to the one that he always wore save the fact that it was impeccably clean and crisp, almost as if he had just worn it for the first time. The only thing that stuck out as completely different about his raiment was his kesa. Normally a rich blue color, it had been replaced with a black kesa with a "kintsugi" pattern masterfully stitched into it with golden thread. It was one of the few gifts in his life that he decided to keep, and fine enough to be worn on a special occasion like this without feeling under-dressed. Naturally, with this being a masquerade, Tenkai had also brought a Noh mask depicting the wrathful visage of Fudo Myo-oh, much like the motif of his shoulder armor.
Tenkai was there not for his own sake or enjoyment, but mainly as a sign of solidarity. If he was to join Artanthos and Arthur in this endeavor, then he needed to be able to stand with them throughout the event. That, and he had barely gotten the chance to meet the fourth member of their team, who he hoped would be joining them as well. Odd that this prize fight would be a four-man team just like that selfsame tournament of the past.
Of course, this was not the only reason attending the masquerade made sense. Like any other tournament or combat-centered event, fighters from all around Gaia would be inexorably drawn here. Attending would manage to provide Tenkai the opportunity to learn more about how the balance of power had shifted on Gaia since last he put his fingers to the pulse. After all, there was no telling what sort of people would show up to an event like this, be they familiar or otherwise.
Speaking of familiar people showing up...
There was one other reason Tenkai showed up. When he learned of the festivities to be held, the monk had somehow gotten the idea to...tell Bambi about it. Much to be sure, a fancy masquerade sponsored by wealthy fight enthusiasts wasn't exactly the kind of scene that a brash brickhouse biker bat-girl like herself really cared for. But if a place like the Crimson Hawk could play host to the likes of Izette Pretchl, Zandra Ryke and Dzan Streea, then someone as rough around the edges as Bambi would enjoy it. There was plenty of food, fruit for that matter, and alcohol, so those were already two things that could keep her occupied. The invitation had mentioned that competitors were allowed a plus one, so why not extend the invitation to her?
It-...it wasn't like, a date, or anything...d-dummy...
Hopefully she had gotten the message about the formal wear and masks. Tenkai had never really seen Bambi in anything but the shreds of cloth, leather and other thin straps of might-as-well-be-nudity she considered to be clothing, but that didn't mean she couldn't pull it off. Perhaps one of her sisters or the other girls in the gang would have helped her out with that. Tenkai could only hope that whatever she showed up in wasn't stolen, at least.
Of course, that was IFshe showed up. He'd just as much expect her to flip him the bird and tell him he'd better just visit her in the Badlands on threat of bodily harm. So regardless of her debut or lack thereof, Tenkai decided to meet up with Artanthos first.
Finding the Hellknight wasn't as difficult as he thought it would be. Had Artanthos never taken off his helmet, Tenkai would have had no way of recognizing him. Thankfully, being an outsider meant that his anachronistically foreign manner of formal wear made him easier to pick out among all the suits and ties. Well, that, and he was milling about the party grounds like a lost tourist, stranger to this world that he was. It was odd, especially considering that he looked like he absolutely belonged in a scene like this, like some esteemed noble. Perhaps the awe that had struck him came from somewhere else entirely. Of course, it was probably more accurate to say he looked as such because he was too busy trying to find Tenkai, who was fashionably late.
"Apologies for the lateness, Sir Thulmann" said Tenkai, removing the mask from his face so that Artanthos would recognize him clearly. From this distance, the monk noticed how the Hellknight's mask had its eye closed around the socket where his eye was missing. Clever. Tenkai had wished he thought of that. Of course, that would require ruining a perfectly good Noh mask.
"Any word on the rest of our party?"
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Dr Queensborough Wrote:
Innocence Proves Nothing Wrote:
Nihilistic Impact Wrote:
beast mom Wrote:
