Honestly, I expected to hate parties. A bunch of people in restrictive clothing all running around and doing different things that all had hidden meanings while pretending to be nice didn't sound like my kind of event. I had that thought throughout the entire dressing process. We walk around for hours, found just the right tight, hard to move in clothes, got one made for me that was tight and hard to move in, and spent hours alone on accessories, not that I would have any clue why. Aiden and Jax didn't do anything most of the day and got ready and looked just as good as the rest of us in like 20 minutes. It was rather infuriating.
The party on the other hand was great. People stuck to their circles, and you could walk in and walk out with nobody caring. We were all so close together that nobody claimed you were eaves dropping, and there was a bunch of delicious food they would hand out to people.
"Don't just eat everything in front of you, there is a fight tomorrow, how can you fight if you're bloated?"
Sera said as she flew in front of me before I could grab the next cut of pork.
"Yea, besides, you haven't met our quota for gossip, I wanna hear more about Ms. Priscilla's apparently lecherous gardening arrangement."
Malt said as he nodded next to sera before she seemed to smack him. I rolled my eyes, going around them and taking another bite of pork when I heard a glass fall to the ground nearby and shatter. I poked my head out from underneath the tablecloth I had been inside of to eat in peace and saw a rather strange sight. On one side was a dwarven woman wearing a brown colored dress with speckles of gray and small rocks floating around it. She smelled strongly of fear as I could see that she had gone pale and her hands were shaking as she stared at someone.
As it turns out that someone was Thalia who seemed to be giving off a strong bloodlust and returning the fearful look with a blank face. I watched the two for a moment as I saw several figures around the dwarven girl talking to her as if trying to get her attention. Thalia mouthed something and began to walk to another room as the dwarven girl said something to her party about just being surprised to see someone they didn't expect to and quickly headed off after Thalia.
"So, we are following them, right?"
Malt and Sera asked as I started to make my way through the crowd.
"Oh of course, mamma wants some new gossip."
I said as I was careful to follow from a distance, aware of Thalia's 30ft range of sensing vibrations. The dwarven girl had caught up, and seemed to be following behind, leaking fear like a cornered rabbit. Though strangely enough Thalia also seemed to have a bit of fear leaking from her.
The two headed down the hall until they found a side room and stepped inside. I made my way over to the wall and placed my ear to the door, to hear the muffled, but still audible conversation.
"Dolgra, you and everyone else in the village had a deal with me, so what the fuck was that in there with you dropping the glass!?"
Thalia asked, an amount of emotion in her voice I wasn't used to permeate every word.
"T-Thalia, of all places I never expected to see you here, so pardon me if I was a bit surprised, I wasn't trying to make a scene, and nobody else in the village has said a word either."
Dolgra's voice seemed to have gained a level of confidence, but was still laced with fear as I heard the sound of Thalias strings, and Dolgra's voice getting higher in pitch.
"Dolgra, do not think I didn't see you trying to cast that spell, or was your plan to make me drag you away to get a shot at me?"
There was a sound of slight gagging from Dolgra as Sera floated up to the keyhole and came back.
"She has her suspended by her wrists and ankles and has a string around her neck to, she's strung up like a star in there."
She whispered in a worried hiss.
"Y-You destroyed the town and killed all of the leaders you sinful bitch, why won't you just die in some gutter already!"
Dolgra hissed, her voice strained to speak despite the restriction, but a permeable hatred dripping off of every word.
There was a paused moment of silence as Thalia seemed to steady her voice after a moment, though emotion still was there despite her best attempts to suppress it.
"I know what I did, but it does hurt to say that for a moment when I saw you, I thought we could go back to how things were. Though it seems that's not the case."
"So, you going to make me your Victim number 402?"
Dolgra spat as her voice seemed to pitch higher as if the strings were tightening. There was another brief moment before there was the sound of something hitting the floor and coughing.
"No, you will not. If we fight it will be in the games and events of this tournament. We all are aware that death is always a possibility in these events when we sign up for them. Though note that as a token of our old friendship I will only respond in kind to the danger you wish to go through if you confront me."
Thalia said, her voice more monotone than usual. There was a sound of a slap from the room and after a moment Dolgra's voice could be heard.
"Thalia Platinumhair, I will make you pay for the death of my father and grandfather, so know you are only allowed to die by either my hand in this tournament."
I shifted back in my hiding place as the door burst open, Dolgra came out, a murderous glare on her face as she seemed to pause for a moment as if to ready herself to return to the party. The door to the room shut behind her.
"For what it's worth Dolgra, it was nice to see you too."
Came a small, sad voice came from behind the door. Dolgra didn't even turn, instead practicing a face smile and returning to the party. I sat waiting for Thalia to leave the room so I could escape unseen, but as I sat, I heard the small sound of restrained crying.
I will not claim to know the right thing to do socially is, I barely understand it myself. However, I walked to the door knob and opened it. Thalia sat on an ornate couch, her face in her hands as small droplets occasionally fell from either side. She didn't make much noise, but her back shook slightly from where she was hunched over. Sera and malt didn't say a word, instead just nodding as I walked over and jumped up on the couch, not to give some grand speech about hiking up your bootstraps, or to say soothing words.
Instead, I just sat down next to her and laid my tail across her back.