The party had started with that dull and slow, fancy music crawling out of the speakers to every bored listener. The goat man tugged at the uncomfortable collar of his buttoned-up shirt neatly stuffed into his thankfully short pants.

He was glad instead of these people going full “No guys with long hair," on his ass, they allowed him to tie his fluffy long hair into a ponytail for neatness.

He still felt and looked like a giant tool.

Next to him was Carole, dragging him out of his room to dress faster, which was annoying. The bright side was she was also dressed like a tool. That cane made her look way too posh in that purple dress and her black hair still had a bit of flow, albeit a lot more combed. She tapped her foot on the ground, waiting with similar annoyance.

Hide scratched his head as he stood just behind the entrance door, hoping Loukas was not the kind of guy to take eight centuries to dress, it would not matter. Fortunately, that tall soft hair sharp-tooth man walked before them ending his growing impatience.

He looked... almost normal.

Loukas bent down and gave Hide a big kiss on the cheek like those crappy romance movies.

He felt Loukas was also simultaneously... sniffing him.

“Good evening, Hide,” He said with a tired smile.

His red suit was neatly ironed and fitted against his body charmingly. Hide noted he did not smell of blood like he did earlier today instead that vanilla cologne.

The young man really cleaned up nicely. His face still had a slight bruise near his eye and his nose still bear the scar of that deep cut. His now human fingers and hands were wrapped in a few bandages and the tendrils that grew from him earlier were like Carole’s new wings, retracted and not seen. He looked tired, despite that easy-going smile and even that occasionally twitch and he tensed.

Hide knew within the next few hours that this was going to be the last easy-going event for everyone.

Carole walked up to Loukas and gestured with her finger for him to lower himself to her eye level, which he did at the waist. She then reached up and fixed his tie.

Hide stuck his tongue out at her for bothering with such a small thing until he thought he saw.... pity.

Well, yeah... Maybe she did knew what happened...

But something felt off.

“You should at least look somewhat professional tonight,” she said to him as she neatly tied it.

Hide never got how to do those things, ties were both useless and annoying, all it does is make you still look like a massive idiot on every level.

“Thank you, I was not really thinking too much tonight,” he said back to her, giving out a soft chuckle that seemed distant.

Carole tilted her head and said, “I doubt you can do these kinds of knots right away, anyway.”

She then pulled away, and said, “hmm… Looks better than I thought..”

Loukas gave her a soft smile in return, “Thanks.....I would... I can't stay near Hide tonight anyway...”

Loukas looked like a kicked dog once he said that, Hide wondered if he would rather just cling to him for the rest of the night. However, they have something important to accomplish here, no one can mess up.

Hide clapped his hands at once and said to the two, “Well enough we should at least pretend to be ordinary guests.” He put on that flamboyant masquerade mask or glitter and feathers with style followed by Carole and Loukas who slipped it over his face as he walked through to act as if he was late.

Hide offered a hand to Carole who, after a minute of observation, nodded at him as she took him by the arm and walked through the entrance 30 minutes behind Loukas.

Cus as far as these idiots know, Loukas did not know them too well.

Upon that floor were a crowd of uptight rich assholes; Loukas’ extended family, church officials and maybe a few guests of class. The halls were all decorated in red, black and gold. Food on display for all to see, none of which trio would touch. Loukas, of course, was too busy with his siblings.

“Loui, where were you?,” Cherly called out with annoyance although he looked relieved to see his brother again.

Cherly horse-kin servant was munching on an apple he most likely brought from outside, somewhat glaring at it. Most of the food had eggs or was some form of animal product. Hide does not exactly blame the horseman for bringing crap from outside. Apples are delicious and if he cannot appreciate them, then he should give a treat to him.

Loukas gave his brother that sweet smile and said, “Sorry just had a lot of things to do with uncle don’t worry. Oh and also, I got you guys something.”

Loukas' eyes stopped on someone, a man with dark black hair who looked at the boys with indifference.

Hide swear Loukas' already deaden tired eyes grew even more so as

he presented his little brothers his homemade food. The boys more readily took said food and Loukas despite how much he tried to hide it was jittery. He smiling a lot as he spoke to them. Holger looked at him blankly, setting aside his food and leaned back against one of the railings.

"good evening Dad," Loukas numbly said to the man in the distance.

Carole of course stood in her corner, glancing at the alcohol but not taking a sip.

What a way to enforce abstinence, make everything inedible.

Hide slump into the corner with her.

“You know what would be cool. If we seize this dance floor with some killer moves,” He said.

Carole glanced at him at him, seemingly considering it, “I can’t dance...”

Hide yawned, “So? I know the new brace can allow for even more movement. I’m just so bored here.”

The music slowed even further down as the many couples hit the dance floor. As much as he wanted to dance with Loukas he knew it was not possible yet.

After a few minutes, she said, “.... Wait.. You know you can't dance either.”

He knew...

He knew...

"Wait a few more minutes," she said.

And a few more minutes they waited.

Hide would never admit this to anyone but he could not dance without 3 shots of alcohol and even then that's just to help him forget he was making an ass of himself.

“You know everyone's gonna think I'm banging you,” he teased.

“Ew... They are very dumb they think that” she said, “Do you care?”

He scoffed, “Do I look like I can give a shit? But I would be so disappointed these losers think I have no standards.”

“I would be surprised if you had a shred of shame.”

Hide enjoyed that deadpanned look she gave. It took his mind of what was to come. Standards?...

Yeah right

He honestly had gained a reputation of having none.

But, if he could just spend the night just chatting with his friend.

He would not mind.

Loukas took the mic.

Carole leaned close to one of Hide's fluffy ears, and she whispered into them was, “Everyone in this city will die… you know that... right?….”

Hide was at first quiet as Loukas took the stage with a bunch of cue cards that he can assume may have been his prewritten speech.

Creepy ass forecasting…

“I know, that’s why I came back. I enjoy a good apocalypse movie,” was his reply.

Loukas with his eyes not even upon the paper took a deep breath. The man right by his side looked upon him with indifference as if this was just out of some obligation. Loukas licked his lips and said “Good...Good evening everyone, I hope you all are enjoying your night.”

A few faces turned to him Cherly looked excited, Holger looking at him with the usual indifference yet mild suspicion and the rest were more focused on the food he brought. His relative even bothered to look at him did so with either apathy or outright annoyance.

“A meal from our many chefs, I'm sorry to announce the passing of Uncle Richard, and his associates this very evening.”

Silence, his father turned to him with confusion.

Mummers and whispers radiated the halls. Carole and Hide their eyes on the food in front of them. Not like they were going to eat it anyway.

Loukas’s mask slipped as lips grew into a smile. "I'm sorry," it widened to a grin as a man choked, desperate for breath and collapsed onto the ground twitching until finally, he was still.

Others could not fully process the shock as it was swiftly followed by another guest choking and another and another all the while Loukas’s chuckle grew into a full-blown laugh.

“Oh, I almost forgot. Enjoy your meal,” His laughter radiated as, unlike Carole, he seemed to have some difficulty with keeping his normal form. Those red tendrils revealed themselves from his body, all 9 of them. One by one the guests dropped dead as screams and shouts echoed and crescendoed as they all tried to make a mad dash to the locked doors. Loukas’ high access really made tampering with stuff here a breeze. His brothers looked at him in fear and disbelief.

Sweet Loulou, kind Loulou.

His father probably went out with some mercy or not. Hard to tell when he was more looking at the deceptively pretty food. But Hide did later found out that lump of meat on the floor may have been him

As the song from the speaker ended Carole and Hide made a little bow to each other for the night as another dropped dead right beside them.

Loukas threw the mic away as he walked offstage, his tendrils out of instinct gripping Hide's body.

His eyes despite the enormous smile on his face were full of tears.

They ignored all the shouts, the screams, and the cries for help. Loukas reached out his hand to Hide and asked in a low voice.

“Will you... Will you dance with me?”

Hide looked over the demonic man, every prey instinct of his was telling him to run away, to get far away. Loukas... was not safe, he could hurt him. Loukas could kill and eat him. But he still took his hand and said, “I would always dance with you. My sweet Loulou. Til the end of time. I will always move with you.”

They danced it away among the corpses, sea of crimson and the twist red smog of outside.

END ACT 2