❀ May Day Masquerade ❀

[ensorceler]

may day!


[ The castle grounds holding the gardens have been transformed into a spring party sensation. Tall banners carrying the Tudor rose have been arranged in a representation of a border surrounding the celebration and events, but there are no real walls or barriers. It might make guarding difficult for the few in her employ, but that's hardly Queen Anne's problem. Nobody will be kept away unless they arrive with no mask (or representation of a mask), and although it might be hard to tell considering it's a masquerade, there will be some people (not many) from the city who have decided tentatively to accept Anne's invitation, helping fill in the crowd.

The theater stage has been covered in flowers of all sorts, as are the four wooden thrones arranged in the center. Each seat is taken, a tie for both King and Queen making for double the fun! Robb and Lucrezia have dressed as Orion and Diana, while Zelos and Galadriel have chosen Odysseus and Penelope (with a little help). The tops of their heads have been left bare, at least for the opening ceremony.

In front of them stands Anne in her costume, and she waits for the crowd to quiet before she speaks. ]

Good citizens of Cair Paradisa and City Royale, you come here today to seek pleasure and company, and I have never seen a finer or more unique looking peoples. I know you may find it difficult to smile in the wake of such recent tragedy. All here have known loss, but we have not let it conquer us, have we? God is with us. Brave souls here risked the unknown to discover the cause, while other remained to help rebuild. I am fiercely proud to see such dedication to one another, and I can only hope such unity continues to blossom! The work on the city will continue, as will the rehabilitation of the survivors most affected by calamity.

But today we spread our arms wide and heartily welcome summer. Today we make merry and keep our loves close. Today we celebrate an unprecedented event, two Queens and Kings!

[ She turns and walks over to the thrones, where the ladies hold crowns of roses in their laps and the men crowns of wooden antlers. She names each as she settles the crowns atop their heads. ]

Queen Galadriel. King Zelos. Queen Lucrezia. King Robb.

[ In playful deference, Anne will lift her skirts and curtsy to the four of them when they stand to announce that the festivities begin! ]



{ Maypole Dance || Dance Floor || The Feast || Music & Donations || Maze & Wine Fountain || Bonfire }

Comments

MUSIC / DONATIONS

[ensorceler]

[ Although the musicians have been hired to play throughout the afternoon and night, their jovial music easily carrying in the warm spring air, it's only expected that they should be allowed to take breaks! Especially when they're apprehensive enough about being this close to the castle.

Perhaps you would like to try your hand at an instrument or even singing a song? Or maybe you can't stand such old-fashioned music and wants to and want to set your iPod up with some modern tunes for a bit? Maybe you want to show off a skill to entertain the crowd in the break.

Nobody's stopping you! In fact, it's encouraged. Any tips/donations that are collected in the large urn here will be used in the City Royale reconstruction efforts. ]

[mal_addict]

[Maladict is enjoying the music. She hasn't followed the rules on the invite, because, well, she doesn't follow rules in general. So she hasn't come as a famous lover, instead she's donned her uniform and has added a simple red and black mask to it.

Yeah, like she was ever going to wear a dress]

[forsometimenow]

[Jennifer was a bit drunk- and a bit more depressed- by the time she wandered off and found a familiar face. Smiling at Maladict, Jennifer toasted her with a full wine glass.]

Partying hard or hardly partying?

[mal_addict]

[Maladict has no alcohol of her own (she doesn't especially want to suffer the consequences) but she does give a lazy wave]

More of the latter. These affairs are always so dull.

[lightbranded]

[As the night wears on, Will gladly offers to give the musicians a break. As the musicians move away, the boy steps forward and holds his head up high as he begins to sing a melancholy tune in the high pure voice that could only belong to a trained boy soprano. The words spoke of homesickness and an unnamed longing.

An odd choice, perhaps, for a party.]

[unvarnished]

[August isn't exactly musically inclined, but if the musicians want a break, he's more than happy to tell a story. Tonight he's wearing this costume and has on this mask]

The theme tonight is lovers throughout the world. There is nothing more powerful than love. It can break any spell, and reverse any curse. I have all sorts of stories about true love.

[cloaklikeblood]

[It was the familiar voice that drew her towards the stage. She smiled and almost called out his name, but the experience that she had with the Whale doppleganger shortly after her arrival stopped her]

So, how did the real story of Snow White and Prince Charming go?

[ensorceler]

I would hear one of them!

[ And she sits on the grass right there! ]

[thehangedrose]

Oh?

[He can't help but be drawn in- Garry has always liked stories, and even though the topic is a bit painful, considering the person he really liked left the castle long ago, he is not hesitating to want a listen.]

What's your favorite?

[atrophied]

[ Where House got a guitar no one knows. Point is he's found a bench and a guitar and begun playing.

And the guy is actually....really amazing.

Why are all the jackasses musically inclined? ]

[heloise]

[ Lucrezia can certainly appreciate well-played guitar, already thinking about giving this guy a vihuela to study too. Maybe for the third date. Seated comfortably on the grass, she raises her hands to clap when he finishes a song. ]

[molotov]

[And now, an astoundingly drunk pirate (she's supposed to be Anne Bonny, but she's lost her Calico Jack) leans over his shoulder to whisper in his ear.]

Show off.

[hardenedimmortal]

[He was more than happy to help the musicians out. He stood on the stage and began to sing. It was a merry song, perfect for such a gathering. It was also sang in Japanese]

[thehangedrose]

[The music is really nice, Garry has to admit. While he has come here with Ib, he's allowed her to go say hello to other people (not out of his vision, though) while he stands here, listening with a sad little smile on his face.]

[The last time he had been to a party like this, wearing a mask...]

She would've loved this.

[He's wearing a very blue ensemble: what with a textured suit and mask, not to mention the bright blue rose on his lapel, makes it easy to see his theme. With his mop of purple hair, it suits him, really.

[bronwe]

[ After all that dancing and the wine fountain, Frodo is pretty much in the mood for a drinking song. Because that kind of singing only comes after the drinking, of course. He isn't too drunk to fall all over the place but certainly enough to be climbing onto a higher platform to sing this jolly one: ]

Ho! Ho! Ho! To the bottle I go to heal my heart and drown my woe.
Rain may fall and wind may blow, and many miles be still to go
But under a tall tree I will lie, and let the clouds go sailing by!

[ensorceler]

[ And Anne is drunk enough to think this is the best song she's ever heard, laughing and clapping along, not really caring that he's standing on a table. Try not to kick a knife into her eye, please! ]

[wilder]

[Zelos also finds this to be pretty amusing and is so laughing as he claps along with the sound too. Drinking songs are awesome okay! ]

[findatree]

[oh hey he remembers you! Ted is happy to sing along with you, Frodo]

Milkshakes are finer to me by far
And they smell much better than a bar
Give me a cherry and a bendy straw
Even taken from a polar bear paw!

[wolfskin]

[ After so much dancing Robb returns to his throne to sit, to rest his legs and generally survey the festivities in general.

He does not look it, he is rather tense. Not a surprise to those who understand the reason behind it, but for others? Well, he is a king. ]

[ensorceler]

[ Anne can't really get too much of dancing and drinking, especially when she needs these distractions more than ever now. She thinks of Henry almost every moment she sees a sweet couple, or spots the Tudor rose on a banner. She even thinks of him when she stops and sees someone sitting alone on his throne, the dimming light and distance making it too easy to fantasize.

But that's the wine, maybe, and she shakes it off. Anne lets him be for a few minutes, thinking he just wants to rest his feet, but eventually she'll wander her way up to the stage to stand beside him. By now the pearl cage mask she was wearing has been lost somewhere, not that she cares, the white glitter painted around her eyes functioning well enough. Though by this late in the evening, nobody should care about masks so much. ]

Did you see your young sister up here earlier with King Zelos? She was quite fetching.

[heloise]

[ Lucrezia has spent about the entirety of the day dancing away, but it is only when she stops that she feels the ache in her feet, not that she would easily show it. Gracefulness is hiding all unpleasant things effortlessly.

So she walks back to the throne lightly, stopping near Robb to laugh. ]

Did I step on your foot so hard that now you cannot stand?

DID SOMEONE SAY MUSIC

[hard_talker]

[as cool as this whole retro masquerade thing is, your resident DJ - here known as one very dapper Clyde Barrow - can only take so much. when the musicians take one of their breaks, he makes a couple quick wishes and climbs up on a table, holding a supersoaker aloft - thank the elephants for leaving it behind]

OKAY, EVERYONE, THIS IS A STICKUP. I WANT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR, AND I WANT ALL YOUR BEST DANCE MOVES.

[with that, he shoots a spray of water up into the air to fall on whoever it may, jumps down, hauls his boombox up onto the table, and mashes play.

now that's party music.]

[eat_me_beat_me]

[And where would Clyde Barrow be without Bonnie Parker? Nora might not be able to climb up on the table with him at the moment but that doesn't mean she's not going to join in the mischief! She stands, one hand on the table for support as she brandishes her own squirt gun.

A cigarette hangs between her lips, hair sticking out haphazardly from below her black beret as she grins at her partner in crime.]

[ensorceler]

[ She screams when the water hits her. You know, with laughter.

But even she has to stare in horror after that, at the music that's suddenly being played. ]

Re: DID SOMEONE SAY MUSIC

[pint_sized_carnivore]

[Chie was out of range of the water, but she wasn't out of range of the music! She's been feeling out-of-place with the whole old-school theme the ball got going on, but hearing some music that sounds more from her age helped her feel at home]

Whoo! Now this is more like it!