Parties had never been Shuti's thing. However, the large cobra was reluctant to let Asef wander in alone. Draped around the Immortal's neck, his lower body wrapped over and around Asef's shoulder and left arm, the cobra's black tongue prodded the air, his head held erect and level with his fairy's eyes. Noises, lights, and crowds irritated the black cobra, while Asef was drawn to it. In his early years when he'd moved from Eridu to Europe, he'd only seen the outer parts of the castles. They had looked grand, standing on hills, blotting out the sky like stone giants. It wasn't until the early 1900s when Asef had finally seen the insides of a castle, and he'd been enchanted. He had opted towards a simple outfit, a cream colored shirt and a pair of black trousers. Being left out of the invitation gave him free reign to wear whatever suited him, right? There were a lot of underlying meanings when someone wasn't invited to a party, and Asef was a bit put out that the King hadn't invited him and the other Immortal Ones to the party. Had he been younger, the total disregard of his presence would have been a stinging blow to the Immortal's pride. There wasn't any anger there, but he felt just a bit put out by such a cold gesture. It wasn't as if the Immortal Ones were a welcome guest to Shaman. There were guards at the front entrance, no surprise there, and for a moment Asef paused to assess the situation. It wasn't altogether difficult to get in. One eventually learned how to adapt and survive, especially if someone was around his age, and he'd come across some colorful characters during his years on Earth.

Time slowed to a stand still just around himself and the guards. Frozen like a row of carefully crafted statues, Asef slipped past them and into the castle. Once he was inside, activity bustled around him, the guards oblivious to what had happened. To them, it would be as if time haden't paused at all, and only a few would notice the sudden halt. There was a hiss on his shoulder and a shifting of black scales along his neck and shoulders. The black and tan cobra watched the guests around them carefully, showing only a hint of thin white fangs when someone came too close. Amongst the crowd, Asef was just another face, unidentifiable by the many who had never seen his face. The unfamiliarity, the sights and and sounds of the party charmed the Immortal, who looked around at the decorated stone walls, thick ceiling beams and chandeliers. The scent was rich with food, the sounds of people circling from one social group to another swirling around him like constantly moving water. Warm. Everything felt warm and inviting. Combined with his curiosity when it came to castles, Asef now found himself in the middle of the crowd, his eyes directed up and around him. It was rich in culture and history, the bright colors of the banners and decorations adding life to the cold gray stone walls.

The tap tap of glass chiming silenced the crowd, everyone's eyes turning to the dais where the lady in the green sat, and a man stood up once silence overtook the crowd to announce the arrival of the King and the Prince. Keeping to the back, Asef gazed from one to the other, the king in red and the Prince in green. Colors that had been frequently used during his years in Eridu. Robes of rich red and green swirled in his memory, decorated with gold jewels around the neck and twined in the hair. It came with the scents of cool perfume, sweet fruits and a room opened to a clear pond filled with fishes and flowers. It was a fleeting picture, one that came and left as swiftly as a bird in flight. Once the toast was given, the doors opened to the garden, Asef lingered only for a few moments before he made a move towards the outdoors. Crowds posed little threat to the Immortal, who had had to withstand the thick stink of a marketplace full of sweating bodies, and he would have moved if he hadn't spotted someone particularly interesting. One eyebrow rose in inquiry at Shuti, who seemed more interested in closing his eyes and taking a nap than what was going on around them. When one fairy with a tray offered a drink, Asef took one, his eyes trained quietly on Mallos. There was no friendliness between the Immortal Ones and the originals, but there wasn't hostility between them either. The cracking barrier, he supposed, and the growing threat of the monsters might have given pause to the building tension between them. Tipping the glass, the cool liquid tasted sweet, nothing like the thick beers that the working class in Eridu had made. With a last cursory glance, he retreated to the gardens, slipping into the shadows.