First I wanna say thank you to all who came and participated in this event! If you wish to comment or continue from the night you may do so here.
Here below we have the winners of the costume contests.
Best Costume
Male
Vincent Dimare
Female
Celeste Davenport
Couples
First Place
Anastasia Thornbrook & Phoenix Delvaux
Second Place
Catherine Chandler & Theodore Carter
Third Place
Bellamy Mckenzie & Alexander Monclair
Least Scary
Male
Matteo Medici
Female
Danica Claire
Most Scary
Male
Clayton Parker
Female
Natalie Harper
Sexiest Costume
Male
Theodore Carter
Female
Inyana Cabello
Cutest Costume
Male
Tyler Callaghan
Female
Rose Conner
Funniest Costume
Jacob Beckett
Comments
Of all the punishments Theodore had ever had to endure, dancing with Marci was by far one of the worse. It wasn't the close proximity that bothered him, nor the 'gloating' look in her eyes, as always, it was the words leaving her mouth that riled him. If he could've snapped her neck to silence her, he would've done so the moment she referred to him as 'Pumpkin', but where he was determined to be a better man, and rise above her foolish antics, he chose otherwise. Still, what a mortifying and humiliating title to be given, 'Pumpkin King' or so he thought. He much preferred being branded a pauper or peasant back in the day. Nevertheless, he had other things to worry about, knowing Marci to be cunning, he could only imagine where such a dance with her would lead him; no doubt into a pit of fire and fury. And, she really was throwing all the coal into the fire. Was she really trying to cause another inferno? Had the incident at his home really taught the turned Vampire nothing?
Trying his utmost best to hold onto his silence while Marci taunted him, he bit his tongue to the point that he could taste his own blood and tried to focus his attention on the gripping voice that serenaded room with the backing of live instruments. Together, he thought it created a rather alluring, and dare say, captivating melody, still he couldn't quite fathom how he came to be dancing to such a song with Marci when he felt like it had been written by his heart for Rose.
You say that we're different, I feel the same...
Tightening his grasp on Marci's waist and his grip on her hand, he narrowed his starless hues upon her features and gave her a simple dismissive shake of his head. "You are treading a very fine line, Marci." He warned, averting his attention across the ballroom towards Rose. The instant his ebony hues fell upon her pale features, he couldn't help but swallow harshly, not in regret, but in self-doubt. What point was he really trying to make? When after everything, the last thing he wanted to do was hurt the Queen Vampiress. Though he refused to bite the bait Marci dangled over him, he couldn't deny that her words possessed an element of the truth. Perhaps he was trying to make his Queen jealous but was he intentionally trying to break Catherine's heart, certainly not. His love for Catherine was just as real as his love for Rose, but it was different. His love for Catherine would last her entire lifetime, while his love for Rose would last for all eternity. How in the hell would he even begin to answer Marci's question when what he felt for the Queen Vampiress was beyond his own control? He was born to love her but forbidden to be with her because of Vampire law. He wasn't of royal descent, he didn't possess the title of a Prince or King, in many ways, he was a nobody in the grand scheme of things, so over the course of his many different lifetimes, he had to witness others call Rose their wife and didn't his heart bear many scars from it.
Then came a request like no other, one that instantly demanded a furious expression to cross his features. For a few moments, he held his glare upon Marci as she set her palm against his cheek and debated the many ways in which he could kill her. All of which would, unfortunately, mean that Rose suffered as a consequence. He couldn't do it. Not without good reason. Therefore, seeking to cause as little fuss as possible, he caught Marci's bare arm with his hand and forced her to step forward, then swiftly escorted her away from the dancefloor, heading towards the doors with yet another forced smile upon his lips. "What a way to spoil the evening, Marci. For that, you do deserve a crown." After leaving the Ballroom, he hissed his words at her and directed her down the hallway before shoving her into a vacant room.
With his hands buried inside his trouser pockets, Theodore continued to make his way back to the Ballroom. A part of him still feared that Catherine had over-heard Marci's request and assumed the worse of him. Shaking his head at the thought, wanting nothing more than to forget about his dance and crossed words with Marci, he removed a hand from his pocket and quickly fixed his hair; brushing his mousey-blonde locks away from his forehead with his gaze sinking away from the french doors ahead to land upon the floor. Halting his steps for a moment, he inhaled a silent breath in a bid to compose and prepare himself for the stares that would no doubt fall upon him as soon as he entered the hall. Then came the brute force of something yanking him backwards, catching him completely off-guard, taking him by absolute surprise. It was Marci, he was sure of it.
"Marci, stop this now." He snarled through gritted teeth as he felt his back crash into the wall. Flashing his eyes open, catching sight of her face with a sharpened gaze, he noticed how her pale features bared no resemblance to the person he was addressing only minutes before. All he could see was anger etched upon Marci's expression, twisting and tainting her features, making her appear like the monster he never wanted her to become. He could feel her rage, though he quickly realised it wasn't her anger that was scorching him, rather the burning sensation of something being slowly driven into his chest. "Marci, listen to me. This, this isn't what you want." Came his urgent plea as he glanced down at the silver stake in her possession, did she have any idea what she was doing? The instant that silver stake met with his heart, his immortal life would cease to be. For the first time in his life, thoughts surrounding his death evoked an unsettling fear within him. He wasn't ready. It wasn't his time. He had Catherine, and he had a future with his Queen to fight for, not only that, after spending centuries in the Darkness, he was finally with his humanity again. He was becoming a better man.
Biting against the searing pain as he felt the stake tear through the surface of his chest, he moved quickly to disarm Marci of the silver stake, discarding it to the floor. Then with one swift movement, he kicked it away from them so that should Marci attempt to retrieve it, he would have plenty of time to stop her. "I'm going to find a way to reach you, Marci." Nodding his head with a sombreness taking shape on his face, he caught a firm grasp of her head, then averting his gaze away, he used his strength to sharply twist her head so that she would be rendered unconscious for a while. "Iartă-mă, dragă copil." Murmuring 'forgive me, dear child' in regret, using his native tongue, he captured Marci's lifeless form in his arms to spare her from falling to the ground. "Nu renunț la tine, încă nu." And with a sincere gaze fixed upon her features, Theodore made her a promise. He wouldn't give up on her. Not yet.