❀ 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

[whichwayyoulean]

[And sometime after they talked, the Once-ler finally heads this way, mostly to head back to his room, but hey, he'll wander over when he sees Cass there]

I didn't think you'd be interested in the dancing side of things.

[hellofist]

[And look, she's just as happy to see him as if they hadn't just talked a little while ago.]

It's fun, to watch them. Bodies say a lot, especially... when dancing.

[whichwayyoulean]

Really?

[He'll glance over at the dance floor] What are they telling you?

[hellofist]

Mostly, they're happy. Some jealous, don't like sharing partner.

[There's some lust out there on the dance floor too but she's just going to keep that to herself.]

Do you dance?

[whichwayyoulean]

Huh, that's pretty cool.

[If he's talking about the emotions there or her ability to read them, it's hard to tell. At her question, though, he smiles shyly, shrugging]

A little. Lucrezia and Anne have been trying to teach me. I'm not all that good at it.

[hellofist]

Lucrezia taught me, too. Come on.

[She holds her hand out, is already taking a few steps toward the dance floor.]

Can practice more together.

[whichwayyoulean]

[Oh dear god she wants him to dance with her. A moment of absolute panic crosses his face for a moment. Okay. Okay. He can do this. Anne has been teaching him how to do this, he can't screw this up.

He'll nervously take her hand, following her out]

Yeah, sure, sound good.

[He is so going to screw this up]

[hellofist]

[She squeezes his hand, leads him to a less populated section of the dance floor and then stops to turn and face him.]

Don't be nervous, you'll do good. Which dance... do you know best?

[whichwayyoulean]

[Oh dear god why can't he remember any of their names? WHY DIDN'T HE WRITE THIS DOWN?!!]

Errr. The one with less...jumping?

[hellofist]

[Maybe this was a bad idea. She doesn't want him having any heart attacks, she just thought a dance might be nice. But they'll do something easy, something modern that everyone can figure out. She steps in closer and takes his hand again, has to reach way up but she rests her other hand on his shoulder.]

Put hand on my waist. We can just... do one like this. You just... move in square.

[And there are other people in the crowd dancing with less spinning and lifting and jumping, so they don't even stand out. Well, much, considering Once is incredibly tall, but no one's even watching them. Probably.]

[whichwayyoulean]

[Poor Cass, that's an awful lot of reaching for her. Still, he'll carefully follow her instructions. Okay. He can do this. He's danced with girls before. Anne and Lucrezia drag him into this sort of thing all the time. He can totally do this]

Okay. Moving in a square, that seems...pretty easy.

[He does give a cursory glance because he knows exactly what his friends are like, but that done, he will crefully try out that dancing thing]

[hellofist]

Very easy.

[She starts them off, taking a step back and drawing him with her before taking a step to the side. That's half the square without anyone exploding or both of them falling over, there's no catcalling or feet stepping on, so she squeezes his hand lightly.]

See? Fun, too.

[whichwayyoulean]

[Hey look at them, they managed to start dancing. It takes him a moment, but he eases into it well enough. After all, it's not a difficult dance]

Yeah. It really is fun. [It wasn't this fun with anyone else. Weird]

[hellofist]

[She looks far too pleased to hear that.]

Good. There's spins too, but... this is easier.

[Probably best to keep it simple, right?]

[whichwayyoulean]

Spins huh? Well, I'm pretty sure I'd have to crouch to get under your arm, and it wouldn't look graceful at all, but I'm game if you are.

[He's joking of course a smile crossing his face, this really was fun]

[hellofist]

[And she grins right back up at him.]

I'll jump, then.

[whichwayyoulean]

[That gets a laugh out of him]

And just like that, we'd make a new dance. It could be a craze.