❀ 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

[ofhope]

If it was by someone I liked, and was a good day.

[hellofist]

What makes for... good day, for you?

[ofhope]

A quiet day. Little noise... Good energy.

[hellofist]

Is it ever quiet, living with Lucrezia? Would think she makes home... not loud, just...

[What's the right word, here? Lucrezia always is so full of life, so vibrant, that Cass can't imagine living with her would ever be quiet, but it would be not quiet in a good way. She trails off and frowns, shakes her head.]

Don't know right word. Happy is... closest I know.

[ofhope]

Vibrant.

[ He chuckles. ]

You're thinking of a different type of noise.

[hellofist]

[She smiles too.]

Probably. Still learning words, where they go.

[But she's really more interested in learning about him.]

Did you dance any?

[ofhope]

Others call it telepathy.

[ He rolls to the side a bit, just so he can watch a bird go by. ]

With Diana, yes... Just one.

[hellofist]

[She goes very still then, eyes wide behind her mask as she looks down at him.]

What?

[Her track record with telepaths is not a good one, so she can only hope he didn't really mean that, that he didn't just reach inside her head and pick out what she meant without her knowing about it.]

[ofhope]

[ Her just smiles quietly for a bit, though it's not a happy one. ]

I don't control it, so it's just...noise. Crowds are bad. Cities are the worst.

[hellofist]

[She understands now what he meant when he said quiet, she's able to appreciate that for what it is but it's at the back of her head for now.]

If you... did control it, would you... look in people's heads? Change things?

[She'll see if he lies, and like him she can't change that or turn it off. Right now, though, she wouldn't. This is something that she has to know.]

[ofhope]

[ He just shrugs, rolling completely on his side for a moment before slowly sitting up, pushing away from her. She'll turn out just like Stephanie, won't she... He has to assume. ]

It doesn't work that way. I just hear the loudest. And usually, the loudest is rage. Hate. Fear.

[hellofist]

[If it's only hearing, it doesn't matter. She would be a hypocrite if she refused to be friendly to him because he understood people in a way that was different, intrusive. She does the same, she can't help it either.

Her body relaxes slowly and she nods, because she can accept that. She doesn't feel rage or hate often and her fear is fairly well under control, except for perhaps right now, but that's fading.]

Before, there was... telepath, who changed my brain. Didn't ask first, just did. Gave me words, but ruined everything else. Fixing it again... don't think I can.

[She's probably the only one to count her current state as fixed, but it's what she's comfortable with. She'd rather be unable to speak at all and still able to read body language, be able to fight, than have all the words she could ever need.]

[ofhope]

[ Joshua is as good at reading body language as reading minds, and that's intentional. He has to be to fight as well as he does, even if sometimes the eyes and faces are lost on him. She's more stoic than most, though.

Even so, he wonders why she's telling him this, since he didn't ask. Or would she rather he find out this way than the other way? ]

I'm not a telepath. Or human. Or a monster. I'm just Joshua.

[hellofist]

[Just Joshua. That hits home more than anything else, makes her nod one more time before giving him a small smile.]

Okay. Would like to... be friends, with just Joshua.

[ofhope]

[ That makes him laugh, genuine but not necessarily soft. "Friend", sure. He calls Spike a friend, and he always uses the term ironically. ]

You're being sincere, so I'll reward you by saying I don't have those. We aren't the same, Miss Cassandra. There's no one like me.

[ He looks back to her finally. ]

Is there anyone else like you?

[hellofist]

Something else, then. Whatever is... nice to each other, doesn't mind company.

[The actual label doesn't matter to her, just how they treat each other. And his question makes her frown.]

No.

[ofhope]

Then I guess we can be alone together. Whatever that's called.

[hellofist]

Will probably still say friend. Don't really have... better word.

[ofhope]

For Diana?

[hellofist]

Friend, too. What do you call her?

[ofhope]

[ A beat. ]

Family.

[hellofist]

[She smiles.]

Good. Everyone should have that.

[ofhope]

[ He smiles back, but again it's displaced. ]

Apollo has to have his sister around, after all.

[hellofist]

Don't know their story. Want to tell it?

[ofhope]

He's the sun, and she's the moon. The gods and goddesses have a lot of stories. Unless it's her and Orion you want to know about. You know, the constellation?