Baroque

Human parties were a mixed bag, much like the humans whom attended them. Sometimes they could be terribly dull, all speeches and finger foods and consulting of watches. Other times, they were delights; spinning dances, merry music, laughter echoing through starry nights. Tonight it was the latter.

She strode through the wrought iron gate. It was unmanned, of course it was, no one was to get through. She traced Her finger over the intricate sigils carved into the blackened metal. They were cute. She strode along the white brick garden path, Her dancing slippers clapping softly with each step. Either side of Her was lush, green grass, bordered by neatly trimmed hedgegrows. Above Her was a deep, starry night sky, the glittering points of light looking down blindly at the scene below.

She knew that tonight was to be a grand occasion and so dressed up suitably grand Herself. Rather than Her usual crimson fare, she'd opted for something different. She wore a voluminous dress, with frilly skirts and frippery, lace around the bodice and the hem. Cut to bare scandalous amounts of dark-skinned shoulder, and neck, and collar and cleavage. And all in shades of ash grey. In the lantern-light of the path, illuminated by only the memory of fire, Her dress seemed to absorb the light, lending her an air of unreality, as if Her entire dress was a charcoal drawing pulled into form. And of course, to accentuate it all-because no matter what She was, She was always Herself-a mask, red as blood, that covered Her cheekbones and eyes and little else, equipped with dark lenses to hide Her flames.

She strode with confidence through the path, up the marble staircase and into the grand manor rising before Her. It was an imposing building, all granite and slate, older than any stone that it was made of. It was solid and steadfast; a bastion against all who would seek to harm those it held in protection.

She strode through the chained-shut doors into the foyer with all the effort of a gust of wind.

Once inside, the manor still sought to intimidate, but for a completely different purpose and through staunchly different methods. The room was appointed in white and cream and gold, the simplest point of light being refracted and reflected a thousand times over on a thousand different surfaces. Overhead hung a crystal chandelier, hanging cuts of glass and diamond twisting listlessly on their golden chains. The furniture too, was shades of cream and white, with gold-leaf edges and solid gold knobs. Atop them were china plates and precious artefacts on display. There was enough wealth in this room alone to feed a family for half their lives.

She chuckled, shaking Her head bemusedly as She strode through, trailing a finger over a table as She went by, stepping through the nearest doorway to an opulent hall. The theme of white and gold continued through here, everything loud and gaudy. Portraits hung backwards on the wall, at least that's what it seemed like at first. To Her delight, someone had taken the portraits out of the frames and turned them backwards towards the wall, apparently so the frames-more gold, shaped by careful hands into swooping, floral stylings-could still be seen and admired. Not for the first time did She delight at the human mind, so capable of imagination that even when they missed the point completely, they still did it with such panache!

On and on She went, towards the steadily growing hum of people. The plush carpet beneath Her feet absorbed any sound they made, letting her traverse the area with unintended stealth. Finally, She found Her destination; with a radiant smile She stepped out onto the top of a pair of staircases descending into a ballroom that made the prior foyer look like a paupers hovel.

The ballroom was palatial, even compared to the rest of the massive manor-house. Its ceilings were high and chandeliers hung, spreading dappled light throughout. Tapestries adorned the walls, along with trophy heads from numerous hunts, extravagant landscape pictures and even murals. On a raised dais at the other end of the ballroom a band played lively, rhythmic music, trilling notes that seemed designed to inspire joy and energy, as if each note was a little shard of starlight, twinkling invisibly through the air. But all that somehow still paled in comparison to the people!