paradisa | ❀ May Day Masquerade ❀

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 }

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[If anything, it makes it a little easier. He's not the best at emoting anyway, he doesn't have to worry so much about trying to explain his feelings during the telling. Something until recently he didn't even realise he was doing wrong. But he doesn't have to worry about that with her. She's probably even a few steps ahead of him in understanding what he's feeling.

He glances down at their hands for a moment, before taking a long steady breath]

Okay. Well, you know I'm an inventor? Well, I had a great idea for something that would be revolutionary. [He tugs the pink 'scarf' out from under his costume, where it always remains around his neck, his little fuzzy cross to bear] It's called a Thneed, and it can turn into anything you need it to. Anyway, I needed to find the perfect material to make it with, so I left to travel the world to find it.

[The... thneed? It's interesting, she reaches with her free hand to feel it and inspect it a little better, but she sees so many bad feelings for it it's hard to actually like it very much.]

Must have found it. [Since the thneed exists now and everything.] What is it?

[He glances down at it] It's...it was going to be my greatest work. I'm not so sure about that any more.

[Still, he'll continue] I found this place called Truffula Valley. It was a beautiful place, full of wildlife, and these trees called Truffulas. They don't have leaves, they have tufts. Softer than silk. I chopped one down, to use the tufts to make my thneed.

[His shoulders slump a little] But doing that summoned a forest guardian, the Lorax.

[She drops her hand back down so she can hold his with both of hers, scooting a little closer because for some reason it seems like that should show extra support. When his shoulders dip, she squeezes his hand and smiles at him, encouraging him to go on.]

[He stares down at his hand in hers for a moment, trying to tell himself the thudding in his chest is because he's telling the story. Yeah. That has to be it. He takes a deep breath, and carries on]

The Lorax was mad that I chopped down one of his trees. When I refused to stop or leave, he threw my bed...and me into the river. ...Then rescued me from almost going down a waterfall. [Beat] It's complicated. Anyway, after that, I swore not to chop down another tree. I kept my promise...until I finally managed to sell my first Thneed. I called my family to help me and...well, business took off, I needed to get the tufts quicker, so I took the easy route and started chopping down the tees again.

[He glances down at the ground]

And for five years I made my living from that valley. It made me rich and powerful, but I destroyed the place in the process. I made it polluted and uninhabitable. The Lorax kept trying to stop me, but I didn't care enough to listen. I was too arrogant and proud to listen. Until the last tree fell, but by then it was too late. The animals left the valley, my family disowned me, and then the Lorax left...and I was alone. Something it looks like I'm going to be for a very long time.

[She listens to his words, but more than anything she pays attention to what his body is telling her. There's sadness and regret, not a bit of happiness or pride over what he'd done, so there's really only one viable reaction to hearing this story.

She lets go of his hands, but it's only so she can lean in and hug him.]

You're not alone.

[He's surprised for a moment, before carefully returning the hug]

Not here, but back home... There's a kid here called Ted, he's from the future of my world. From what he tells me, I'll be alone for at least fifty years, in the middle of nowhere.

[The concept terrifies him. He knows he has to do it, that it's his path to redemption. But it still terrifies him all the same]

But the kid...he fixes everything, all the damage I did. I had a seed, just one, and he'll plant it, and bring the trees back.

It will be okay, then.

[It might not be now, but that can change. It will change and that's the important part.]

You can't... let mistakes make you. Have to... become more, because of them. And for now? Not alone. You're here, with people... who care about you.

I know, it's just...hard some days. That's why I keep myself away up in that tower. So that I reduce the chances of me actually hurting anyone else ever again.

[Still, that does get the smallest of smiles] Yeah. I do.

[She pulls back from the hug just in time to see that smile and she's glad it's there, after such a sad story. It's good he's not buried under all his guilt.]

Don't think you can. You're too... focused on it, on staying good. Trust yourself, more. Come outside more. Might surprise yourself, in good way.

[When he first came here, he certainly was. But a year with people who believe in him, who won't give up on him have done him all the good in the world]

People keep telling me that. I'm still scared of messing things up, though. After all, I'm really good at hurting people, if I want to or not.

[Zelos is a good example of that]

Hiding won't fix that. Will only... make it so you don't learn. You'll stay scared, instead of... growing.

[Speaking from experience, here.]

But, go at own time. Trust your friends. They'll be there, for you... when you're ready.

[He gives a sad sot of laugh] Sometimes I wonder if I'm past being able to grow.

[Still...he'll offer her a smile]

They are pretty good, putting up with me and everything.

Everyone you meet will... change you, help you grow. So, still time to.

[When he smiles at her, she smiles back.]

Cause they like you.

God knows why, one day they might comes to their senses.

[He isn't saying it to be self indulgent, it's just something he's come to accept as a truth. Everyone leaves him eventually. It's an inevitability]

...But maybe. I'm not a big fan of hoping things will get better. But I think I can cope with a 'maybe'

You'll just have to... find way, then. To make them better.

[He gives her a sad sort of smile]

I'm not sure I know how.

❀ May Day Masquerade ❀

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