If brokenness is a work of art
Surely this must be my masterpiece
Ba’al hated parties.
He disliked the propriety of it all, the way that everyone gathered to preen their feathers and boast their praise. Everyone had arrived sporting their absolute best, their coats groomed a sleek shine and hair adorned or braided or left to veil. It stank of alcohol and smoke, and more than once he’d caught a whiff of opium but left it at that. So long as no one was causing any trouble, he wouldn’t interfere.
Oh, he’d received an invitation as well, but he’d left it in his quarters with absolutely no desire to attend… Yet here he was. Helios had claimed that ‘it would be good for him’ to get out and go, even if it was to simply keep watch on things. He was a soldier, after all, and hardly could he see himself dabbling in such pompous, egotistical, self-absorbed tomfoolery as everyone around him was doing.
Drinks. Special cocktails, he heard some bedazzled dame exclaim. Games. Truth or dare and scavenger hunts. What, were they all dumb little foals needing to be lead to the teat for a meal? Could the adults not act accordingly? Ba’al scoffed quietly and rolled his eyes, nonplussed. Parties.
The sooty palomino shifted uncomfortably as he played sentry in a quiet corner of the courtyard, letting out a slow, measured breath. Two-toned eyes of rich gold and gentle blue glanced about, taking in the various faces and shows of grandeur, watching the party goers gossip and mingle and strut their stuff that reminded him of the way peacocks bragged their feathers. He recognized very few of them, and that stirred something in his gut that forced him to look away.
Envy? Anger? Yearning? It was a word he didn’t have, a foreign language upon his tongue, and so Ba’al kept his silence and continued to scrutinize and judge and watch. He was there for a purpose, to keep the peace, and had no intentions on being drawn away from his self-imposed employ.
Even so, his eyes wandered, trailing after a finely dressed fellow in subtle admiration. Handsome, that one. Shame there was a pretty little mare at his side, all dolled up and glamorous. Letting them pass without a single word, Ba’al resumed his vigilant watch, letting the ambient noise settle over him.
Open for anyone!
