User blog:ExdeathsBagel/Monster Masquerade (WWYD by Cyl3ss)

WWYD by Cyl3ss: http://monstergirlencyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Thread:770007

As I approach the grand hall, the sounds of cheering, dancing, and even fireworks grow louder and louder, as the usual silence of night ceases and becomes an imitation of the hustle and bustle of the day. I was not a night person by any means, but having never had the honor of being invited to such an event, I decided, at last, that I should at least see what it’s like before heading home. If I actually enjoyed myself, I was grateful I had the day off tomorrow.

While the invitation indicated formal or semi-formal attire, it was clear that there was a dividing line between the upper class and middle and lower classes that could not be concealed with masks. While middle and lower class folk like I wore simple black suits, the upper class wore decorated suits of many colors. Women and mamonos wore very revealing dresses while men had codpieces that drew great attention to their so well guarded jewels and scepter.

Yet still, flair or no, all were equal under the masks, and I, in my completely concealing mask, was no exception. I knew it was somewhat foolish to wear such a mask, as it would make eating and drinking difficult, but the fancy high class food did not interest me and I had every intention of remembering this night as oppose to losing it in a drunken haze.

Another drawback to such a mask however, was that it also limited my vision, as I stepped on something soft that triggered a nearby yelp. I soon felt coils wrap around me tightly, and a masked Lamia slithered into my view with a pained and angry expression.

“That’s it! I’ve had enough of drunks stepping on my tail!” She hissed as the coils continued to tighten, “If the guards don’t show up soon, they’ll be carrying you out on a stretcher!”

Despite the anger, I recognized the voice, “Rebecca?” It wasn’t hard to whisper, seeing as how she was squeezing the breath out of me.

While she stops tightening her grip, I saw her sour frown fade to a look of confusion, “What? Do you know me?” She asked in a whisper.

I felt my breath leaving me fast, “It’s me…Thomas.” I managed to utter out.

Her jaw opens in shock and she quickly drops me, “Shit! I’m so sorry!””

As I collect my breath, I hear the sound of armored footsteps approaching. “Is there a problem here?” a voice, despite the ongoing festivities, ringing with authority asks.

“N-no, not all. Sorry to bother you.” Rebecca says as she puts her hands up.

“Actually, there is.” I say as I stand up. The guard eyes me intensely while Rebecca eyes me nervously, “This Lamia just got upset I accidently stepped on her tail, you wouldn’t have anything to help her with that would you?”

“Oh, is that all? Of course.” The guard says, he turns to another, less decorative one, and says something to him that can’t be heard over the festivities and the other guard quickly runs off, “Just wait here. We have something to help you with that, it’s becoming a common problem. Fortunately there was no expense spared in the festivities.”

The guard quickly returns and hands Rebecca a rolled up piece of cloth and some pins, “It’s made of tough material, you won’t be bothered by people stepping on you anymore. Please, enjoy the festivities.” Before we could say anything else, they quickly ran off.

I help Rebecca with the long cloth, noting it to be more like a blanket, and secure it with the pins.

“Well, want to test it?” Rebecca asks with a grin as she snakes the tip of her tail to my foot.

<p class="MsoNormal">“You serious?” I ask

<p class="MsoNormal">“You bet!”

<p class="MsoNormal">I cautiously apply building pressure before walking over it, Rebecca’s expression remaining stoic, if not rather playful. It was then that I was able to get a clear look at Rebecca, and I felt my face turn red. Like all the other mamonos, she was wearing a very revealing dress, if it could be called that. As I was putting the pins from her dress to the cloth from its back, I assumed there was more of a dress in the front.

<p class="MsoNormal">I was wrong, for while the white dress that complemented her red hair and scales hugged her back and rear, from the front the cloth only barely extended to cover her breast on the sides and her sex. I recalled this was a formal invitation, but I now knew mamonos had a different definition of formal.

<p class="MsoNormal">She me staring and grinned, “You wanna find someplace private to fool around?”

<p class="MsoNormal">Her question only slightly snapped me out of my haze, “Huh? N-no.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Rebecca giggled, “Come on Thomas, don’t be so modest. If it weren’t for the guards this’d be a town wide orgy! Come on, surely you aren’t a tad bit curious…” she slowly parted the pieces of cloth that hardly draped over her breast.

<p class="MsoNormal">I looked away, my face feeling like it was burning, “Rebecca, I just see you as a friend. You know that.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“With-”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Without benefits.” I say.

<p class="MsoNormal">Rebecca sighed, “Figured as much with you, but a girl’s gotta try you know? Still, I always kinda admired you for that. But anyway, the night is still young! Come on Thomas, let’s go have some fun!” Rebecca says as she takes me by the arm and slithers through the crowd.

<p class="MsoNormal">Given how this was a higher class festival, most of the fun was restricted to those who had skills only the upper class could provide. Archery games, legitimate tests of strengths, and races that challenged ones psychical limits dotted the festival with numerous expensive prizes to be had.

<p class="MsoNormal">And Rebecca goaded me into every one of them, delighting in my lack of skill in archery that was shared by fellow onlookers, my struggles to lift up the hammer which she did with little effort (though I couldn’t help but enjoy her frustration along with fellow onlookers as she struggled to ring the bell as pay back). It was only in the race that I felt I had something of a chance, and while she and I entered, we only came in sixth and fourth respectively.

<p class="MsoNormal">Still, we had fun, and were soon resting at what I assumed was the only concession stand that sold water instead of just numerous alcoholic drinks. We both catching our breath, admittedly it probably wasn’t the best idea to go running in these suits, and were simply looking around.

<p class="MsoNormal">It was then that I noticed her staring at me. At first, I thought she was a woman, but her specter-like arms told me she was some sort of ghost. She was a luxuriously, revealing dressed, black haired, pale skinned ghost. Her dress, which parted a little more than collar bone length starting at the neck, exposed much of her cleavage and traveled down to her navel, caused her exposed pale skin to seemingly glow in the moonlight. It contrasted heavily with the black dressed and shoulder length hair, and made her shone with a sort of radiance.

<p class="MsoNormal">Yet the most shocking part of all, was that she was not wearing a mask. Once she saw me looking she gave me a warm smile, only to suddenly vanish as a partygoer stumbled by.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Hey Thomas, you okay?” Rebecca said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

<p class="MsoNormal">I rubbed my head, “Yeah, sorry. Someone just caught my attention.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Well must’ve been someone special because you looked love-struck.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Wait you didn’t see her?” I say as I look at Rebecaa, only to see the ghost in the distance from over her shoulder, still giving me a smile, though this time a bit more playful. “She’s behind you!”

<p class="MsoNormal">Rebecca whipped her head around, her hair obscuring my view, and in doing so causing the spirit to vanish from sight once it settled. Rebecca turned back to me with a smirk, “You sure you didn’t push yourself too hard in that run? I knew you were just trying to impress me, but try not get too exhausted on me.”

<p class="MsoNormal">My face went red as she began to giggle and I looked down. A moment later her giggle suddenly became a gasp.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Uh, Thomas? Was that the woman you were talking about?” Rebecca asked hesitantly.

<p class="MsoNormal">I slowly looked up and sure enough, the ghost was now only a few yards away and slowly walking towards us. I noticed she was not wearing any shoes and was now back to giving me a warm smile.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yeah, that’s her.” I said.

<p class="MsoNormal">Despite the seemingly kind entity approaching us, Rebecca paled and leaned in close, “Uh, Thomas, you know what she is, right?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“A ghost.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Not just any ghost, a Wight! And she’s giving the universal mamono look of ‘I want to fuck him.’”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Uh, okay. You okay with doing the usual of helping me away from mamono like that?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“I’d rather help you flee from a swarm of horny Oni’s before even thinking of doing that to a Wight, they are very powerful spirits and don’t like being cheated out of a potential mate. I know you want to save your virginity for ‘the one’ but let’s be honest, I think she’s gonna be your one tonight. Good luck!” Rebecca quickly slithered off, leaving me alone.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I’m sorry, was I interrupting something?” I heard a voice ask, only to see it was coming from the Wight.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Uh, no, she just decided to do her own thing.” I say nervously.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Oh, then pardon my bluntness, but do you mind if I steal you away then?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“What do you mean by that?” I asked, growing pale.

<p class="MsoNormal">She chuckled, “I just want some company, don’t worry.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Sure,” I say.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Well, let’s get the pleasantries out of the way. My name is Edea, you?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Thomas.” I say, still somewhat nervous. It was clear she was an upper class Wight, not that I knew any other type existed, and why would the upper class ever mingle with the middle and lower ones?

<p class="MsoNormal">“No need to be nervous, your class means nothing to me.” Edea says, putting me somewhat at ease, “Hey, do you know why they hold they hold these festivities?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“To be honest, I don’t know who’s running it. I assume it’s the town government’s way of blowing off steam and racking in profits.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Close, but you’d be surprised. You see most of these people?” Edea motions to the crowds of men and women, “Most are Wights like myself. We establish these festivities every few years, some looking for love when they could get none in this life, others looking to see what the new age is up to, some want to visit relatives, and some are simply looking for fun.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Why a masquerade party?” I ask.

<p class="MsoNormal">Edea smiled, “They’d rather keep their identities a secret when traversing the world of the living, so many people pester spirits for advice you know? Heck, most don’t even let their families know they’re dancing with them! They like to keep the silent, watchful guardian kind of thing going.”

<p class="MsoNormal">That popped a question into my mind, “Why aren’t you wearing a mask? Did you lose yours?”

<p class="MsoNormal">I regretted that question as Edea’s face grew glum, “Some of us aren’t really missed by our families, and I’m no exception.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to clast a cloud on things.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“It’s fine, in fact, it doesn’t really bother me so much anymore. I’m not the only one who does it after all. We choose not the wear masks because we won’t hide from the scorn, and want to be seen. In fact, do you mind if I…bend you ear for a bit about? I understand this is hardly the place but…”

<p class="MsoNormal">“It’s okay.” I say, “Go right ahead, I’ll listen.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Edea smiled, “Thank you, still, I’ll keep this short and sweet. Nobles are banished and blotted from their families for a lot of reasons, all stemming because we have somehow ‘desecrated’ our family name. I was a…lady of the night, people now call that a whore right?”

<p class="MsoNormal">I nodded.

<p class="MsoNormal">She continued, “I laid with men at first because I sought some sort of love, please understand, I was of high noble class, so most men only saw me as a stepping stone for glory and fortune. I figured such an intimate act would spark something between us, but it never did, though I soon began to enjoy those moments of passion and became addicted to it. My family soon had enough of me, and kicked me out. A few days later, on the road to the next town, I was ambushed by a group of bandits. They robbed me of all I had and butchered me.”

<p class="MsoNormal">The last bit hit me like a train, and Edea seemed to notice, “It’s fine, that happened centuries ago. After sleeping with so many men I had gathered enough spirit energy to become a Wight, and have been going to these festivals since. I’ve put the constant whoring behind me and have sought a man to love, one who would truly love me back, but many still knew who I was, ‘the noble whore,’ and wouldn’t even look at me. I was ashamed at first, but soon found others like me, fellow Wight’s who ‘debauched’ their family name, and found comfort with them. I feel like if it wasn’t for them, I would’ve stayed asleep a long time ago.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Edea then let out a breath, “Feels good to get that off my chest, than you for listening.”

<p class="MsoNormal">I stood their speechless, I honestly didn’t know what to say to that, fortunately, Edea understood. “You need not say anything. Just listening is enough, thank you, Thomas.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Your welcome. So uh, how long has it been since you were last here?” I asked, trying to change the subject.

<p class="MsoNormal">Edea stretched and yawned, “I’ve slept for about a decade since the last one, I always give it some time in between festivities so things are new and fresh. Come, let’s find something to do.”

<p class="MsoNormal">As we began walking, simply enjoy the sight and spectacles, Edea held me close, “You know, you’re the first man to hear my full story and not walk away in disgust.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Really? For as long as you’ve been doing this?” I asked in shock.

<p class="MsoNormal">She nodded, “At first I figured they were nobleman with, how you say, sticks up their ass. But even regular men who did not know me were put off by my whoring.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Well, you put that life behind you, so I don’t see why it bothers them as much as it does. Maybe it’s because you’re pretty comfortable about sex.” I say.

<p class="MsoNormal">“And you?” Edea ask with a grin.

<p class="MsoNormal">I blush, “Nervous as ever.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Edea chuckled, “After my first few lays I realized you had to be comfortable with the craft if you wanted men, so I had to drop the shy noble woman act fast. That doesn’t bother you does it?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“I’d say my discomfort is strictly my own, it has nothing to do with you.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Well now, I think you’re one of the few men I’ve run into who’s so honest.” Edea said with a smile.

<p class="MsoNormal">We continued walking for a bit, and I soon became hungry, as did she, much to my surprise. We stopped at a concession stand and after taking a few seconds to order our food, when I turned back to her, she was gone. It was then that I heard a bell ring, and saw a large crowd forming. The crowd thickened as I made me way through and upon breaking through, I see what appears to be most, if not all of the partygoers around me standing around a large stage with a with a woman in the center, who had long white hair and a decorative, modest red dress.

<p class="MsoNormal">Something about her triggered a pit in my stomach, and even with my mask on, around all these partygoers I began to feel exposed. I went to go look for Edea, and as I did, the woman on the stage spoke.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Denizens of this year’s festival, I thank you all for coming! As you know, this festival is about celebrating the purity of this great town, of the loving bond between man and mamono!”

<p class="MsoNormal">Something about that made me tense up and I began pushing through the crowd.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Though there are some who see that bond as frail, and seek only the pleasures of the flesh, and have done so for generations. They are Wights, such as myself, but they seek to whore men from generation to generation!”

<p class="MsoNormal">The crowd around me booed intently as I hastened my search, “Fear not my fellow masquerades, these mamonos do not disguise themselves as a sense of pride about how they debauched our family names. They foolishly comfort one another rather than learn from the shame they’ve drowned in! Look among you, find these mask-less mamonos!”

<p class="MsoNormal">I was pushed around as the crowd around me began to shuffle, but a few scrapes and a dirty suit were off little price to pay, for I found Edea being pushed the front of this crowd and made my way to her. As I made my way to the front of the crowd, she, along with a few other Wights, were tied to poles on the stage, with the white haired one looking over each of them.

<p class="MsoNormal">As soon as Edea saw me, she looked to me in shock, “Thomas?! Please, you have to leave!”

<p class="MsoNormal">The white haired woman then looks at me, and even under her mask and through my own I could feel her staring into my soul, she points to me, “Behold denizens! A man this wretched whore has seduced!” I felt the crowd eyes bore into me.

<p class="MsoNormal">Edea gave the woman a hateful look, “’Whore’? That’s the kindest thing you’ve called me in a while mother!”

<p class="MsoNormal">The woman gave Edea a powerful slap that echoed through the cool night air, though Edea did not cry out in pain and continued to glare daggers at her mother.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I don’t understand, I’ve put those ways behind me. Why do you still hate me?!”

<p class="MsoNormal">Edea’s mother scoffed, “You think you can just bury your past and be accepted by the family once more? Without any sort of recompense?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“No. But you know what? I don’t want to be accepted by the family. If you all aren’t going to move on from something that happened centuries ago, you aren’t a family I want to be with!”

<p class="MsoNormal">Edea’s mother glared at her with intense hate, and raised her hand for another slap, but then stopped herself. With her rage not faulting, she instead cupped her daughter’s face harshly, “No. I want that pretty whore face without blemish for what I’m about to do.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Edea initially looked confused, but when her mother pulled out a strange red gem, her face contorted into panic, as did the other Wights. The gem seemed to pulse, and while round, had many edges, and her mother held it very gingerly.

<p class="MsoNormal">Edea’s mother looked to me, her soul piercing gaze bringing shivers down my spine, “Denizen, what do you think of my whoring daughter, she that besmirched my family’s great name and now wishes to simply bury her deeds?”

<p class="MsoNormal">Despite her gaze, I somehow found the courage to speak, if only briefly, “What you’re doing is wrong. She’s moved on and doesn’t want her past to weigh her down.”

<p class="MsoNormal">The crowd booed me, but Edea’s mother calmed them with a simple hand raise and gave me a look of fake pity, “Poor young man, your heart has been stolen by the wretch. Surely her looks have charmed you.” She then put on a grin as Edea and the other Wight’s began to squirm against their restraints. “Well, no more! You shall see her and these other slanderers for what they truly are!”

<p class="MsoNormal">She then raised the gem to the moon as it pulsed and shook with such intensity that I was certain it would shatter. But it’s pulsing suddenly stopped, and out came four thin rays of light, one for each restrained Wight, and the thin beams of light touched their foreheads.

<p class="MsoNormal">The smell hit me first, as it appeared that the Wights skins were melting, though they did not appear to be in any pain, in fact, the last few expressions were that of shame. Their skin began to rot as clumps of hair began to fall from their scalps, flesh soon fell freely from their dresses that once bared much. And over the screams of horror, Edea’s mother shouted with triumph.

<p class="MsoNormal">“No more shall these Wights tempt men with the flesh! For now they shall be exposed as to what they are! Look men! Look at what you and your father’s have laid with!”

<p class="MsoNormal">I felt myself able to move, though my feet felt like concrete. Everything went in slow motion as I made my way up the stairs and to Edea’s mom, she looked to me in shock as I tackled her to the ground, the gem, no longer eclipsing the moon, ceasing its sinister glow.

<p class="MsoNormal">Other men quickly rain up the stairs, at first I assumed they were hired thugs by Edea’s mother, but they made their way to the restrained Wights, and one, with a knife, set them free of their restraints. It was then that I saw the Wight’s skin, hair and flesh were now quickly growing to what they were before, and any that fell was evaporating into wisps of smoke.

<p class="MsoNormal">As soon as Edea was free, she ran and hugged me, her face quickly regaining its once youthful appearance to give me an expression of relief and gratitude.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Thank you, thank you so much!”

<p class="MsoNormal">A sudden shriek caused everything to stop, “What are you waiting for! Seize them! Seize them all!” Edea’s mother cried as she pointed to us, still on the floor. Through the chaotic crowed we could see a few large men pushing their way through everyone.

<p class="MsoNormal">Edea took my hand, “Quick, follow me!” I did not have time to reply as we ran through the festival and to the alleys around it. I don’t know how long we ran, but we were both out of breath by the time we stopped.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I think we lost them.” Edea said in between breaths. She looked up to me, “Sorry, but, I think you’ll be banned from future masquerades after that.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“I don’t think I want to return after…whatever the hell that was.” I say.

<p class="MsoNormal">Edea leaned against, “It’s what she calls the ‘entertainment,’” she said in disgust, “Every few festivals she gathers up Wights like myself and humiliates us in front of a crowd in some way. Believe me, we’ve tried to fight back before, but that only made what happened worse. Eventually, we all came to the agreement that would simply take the punishment and still stand tall despite it. An unspoken, unflinching resistance to show how stupid she is for not moving on with the past.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Edea shivered, “But she took it too far that time. That gem she had, it was laced with magic that turned Wights and other undead into what we are supposed to look like.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“What do you mean?” I ask.

<p class="MsoNormal">“We keep up our looks through the use of spirit energy, otherwise we’d look like corpses. That gem not only drains it from us, but prolong exposure would’ve been permanent.” She shudders again. “You not only stood up for me, but saved me from a fate worse than death. Please, I’ll thank you in any way you wish.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“I-I don’t need any form of thanks, you’re my friend, it’s fine.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Cut the macho act and-wait, we’re friends?” She asked, hesitantly.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yeah. Is that okay with y-”

<p class="MsoNormal">She wrapped me in a tight hug, “Thank you! Truly! I was expecting after the festivities that we would go our separate ways, even more so with what my mother did to me.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“It’s no problem.” I say, smiling.

<p class="MsoNormal">She then looked down sheepishly, “I hate to burden you further, but can I request of you one more thing?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“What is it?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“May you remove your mask for me? I wish to see what kind of man you are.”

<p class="MsoNormal">I honestly forgot I was wearing it after a while, and removed it, the cool air felt relieving as it hit my face. Yet what felt better, were her lips on mine.