bluh bluh huge ball

[thalassino]

Characters: Vatheon
Location: That Castle
Time: Evening, on Sunday
Style: Any
Status: OPEN. Threadjack, threadhop, spam away!

[ Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen of Vatheon— whatever your newfound stature may be, Prince, Princess, Knight, or Peasant, you will all receive a message on your SFC on the eve of Saturday regardless:

You are cordially invited to the castle for this evening's ball. In addition, you are all welcome to try and solve the riddle if it fancies you. It just may break the curse!

The invitation is unsigned, but its intentions are clear. Maybe you hadn't quite noticed the sizeable castle in the distance of the city that had sprung up, but this message would surely garner your attention toward it now.

Should you arrive at the castle, plenty of attractions await you:

Ballroom ❧ A very large and beautiful ballroom is lighted up, complete with a playing violin orchestra. While the curtains will be drawn during this event, there is a windowed view and exit on one side of the ballroom that leads to:

Smee's Rose Garden ❧ A broad and colorful spanse of a garden, complete with many paths and turns. Plenty of roses are arranged in great arches, which provide perfect little places should you need some privacy with your sweetheart. Anyone familiar will even tell you that the garden was purposefully designed for just that sort of thing.

The Riddle ❧ There is an inscription located on a noticeable plaque set in one of the garden's benches. It reads:

Two are necessary to break this curse
Riled up, upset, what kind of love?
Only this kiss will stop it from getting worse.
Look for a winged one is push comes to shove,
Look for a glance slightly dark,
Search for a pair in reluctant love.
One answers a call; that's your mark;
One longs for patria though adverse.

Dining Hall ❧ Connected to the ballroom is an extremely long hall that stretches as far as the eye can see, elegantly arranged as the dining area. Expensive and exquisite cuisine seem to be on the menu— try something new? Chances are you won't be eating from a selection such as this again anytime soon!

Dais ❧ There is a noticeable raised dais that is easily visible via any area within the ballroom. It's locked off from guests, though— what is it for...?

Do enjoy. ]

Comments

[a_violent_end]

[Seeing Zelda jogs Shizuo's memory, just a bit. He's still in his role, but he recognizes Zelda as someone for whom he cares. He gives her a small smile.]

You look lovely, Zelda.

[The compliment is easy for Shizuo, because that's simply how one treats a lady.]

I could be better. I failed an important mission. Well. Almost. I might still be able to get what I need.

[His voice sort of trails off at the end of that statement, becoming thoughtful. Then he pulls himself out of it.]

How have you been?

[zelda_hylia]

[She winces. Let's not talk about how she's been. Before kissing Sola and talking to Summoner, she'd been busy trying to lure men to their doom. Or to her bed, she wasn't sure.]

I haven't been too terribly off. You took a quest? What was it?

[a_violent_end]

[He studies her face for a moment.]

It's been a little dangerous out there. I hope you didn't wind up in trouble. If I hadn't been so focused on my task...

[He remembers, now, that he wants to make sure Zelda stays safe, especially with such a curse - his mind had been too wrapped up.]

The quest...I needed someone's heart.

[He shouldn't discuss such a thing with a lady, but he feels comfortable with Zelda. And it's lucky that she should find out now, because when Shizuo is fully himself, it will be difficult for him to come to terms with how his task played out.]

[zelda_hylia]

Someone's heart?

[Usually that statement would not be worrisome, but this curse combined with the expression on Shizuo's face... it seems like he almost means it literally.]

Do you mean that in a figurative sense, or did you actually try to remove someone's heart?

[a_violent_end]

[He's surprised by the question, because it seems perfectly logical to him.]

Literally.

[Then it occurs to him that this might sound scary.]

I'd never hurt anyone unless I had to, of course. It wasn't my choice, I just - I needed to -

[He sounds confused, and shakes his head, trying to clear it. He can't really remember why it had been so important.]

[zelda_hylia]

Oh Shizuo, I'm sorry. We should have tried to stick together for this, shouldn't we? My mind wasn't right...

[She shakes her head.]

Don't feel too badly. I lured a ship full of sailors into the rocks. We can't let ourselves feel too much responsibility for what the compulsions of this curse. The blame lies on the ones who have done this to us.

[Zelda reaches out to pat his arm.]

How is the person that the quest directed you to? Are they alright, too? I still possess some healing magic.

[a_violent_end]

We should have...

[A glimmer of clarity, then, as Shizuo realizes that they had discussed something similar in the past.]

We could have helped each other...stay controlled...

[Everything is so foggy, though. He can't fully break that hold on him.]

I'm sorry too.

[Then he thinks of Snow White.]

I think he's okay. I couldn't cut him deep enough...It was too hard. I shouldn't have kissed him, I think...

[He sounds confused again, like he can't quite grasp exactly what happened.]

He was kind to me, even though I cut him. I don't know why. He said I could still have his heart. I have to find him. In a week. I won't have to try to kill him. I'm...glad.

[zelda_hylia]

[Even under the influence of a curse, Zelda's mind is quick. Why would Shizuo's target specify that they would give him their heart a week later? Wasn't that the usual duration of curses? Was this person unaffected?

Wait. He kissed them? Her next thought tumbles right out of her mouth.]

You kissed someone, too?

[a_violent_end]

[Shizuo looks sheepish, even a little ashamed.]

I shouldn't have, I know. But I wanted him to wake up. It didn't seem fair to take his heart without him knowing. And they say a kiss can wake those who sleep deeply...

It worked.

[And Snow White had kissed back, albeit briefly.]

[zelda_hylia]

I see. I was thinking much the same, that it might break this curse.

[And now it's only going to be awkward forever.]

This place can be terribly cruel, can't it? What it has caused us to do, what must be done between the two reluctant lovers to lift the spell... Those things won't simply fade away when the curse is over.

[a_violent_end]

No. I guess they won't...Next time, we should stay together. I don't want this.

[Shizuo has the sense to know that he'll be unhappy when he remembers.]

I wonder if he'll remember.

Sorry Zelda and Shizuo, the muns want things to happen. You'll be separated EVERY TIME.

[zelda_hylia]

Perhaps. It sounds as if he is aware that this due to the curse, at least. Hopefully he will be kind to you afterwards, as well.

[She stops patting to squeeze gently. It'll be alright, Shizuo. It's not like the person you kissed is a horrible, horrible troll who will never let you live this down, right?

...oh.]

Sad times for them, fun times for us!

[a_violent_end]

I hope so. I did stab him.

[He sighs.]

But I didn't kill him, and he said he didn't hate me. I feel like that's important.

[He looks down at her hand.]

You're a good friend, Zelda.

[zelda_hylia]

[Don't look so sincere about it, that's embarrassing!]

T-thank you. I hope so. I haven't really had a friend before now. I think that you are a good friend as well.

[She smiles shyly.]

It's easy to talk to you.

[a_violent_end]

[Sorry Zelda! He didn't mean to fluster you. It's easier for him to talk openly while under this curse.]

Thank you. That makes me happy. I never really thought of myself as good friend material before.

[He returns her smile.]

[zelda_hylia]

Did you want me to get anything from inside? It's been a little difficult to find food during this curse.

[And she knows that he's not a fan of crowds. She can deal with it, though.]

[a_violent_end]

It has.

[Even under this curse, Shizuo is a terrible huntsman. He can't bring himself to kill anything. And Zelda is absolutely right, Shizuo isn't big on crowds, huntsman or not. But what he doesn't want to admit - to himself or otherwise - is that he's hoping to bump into the very man he tried to kill. Under normal circumstances, Shizuo would translate this desire to mean hatred, or bury it so entirely that it wouldn't surface at all. But huntsman Shizuo is a little more open...and that promise...Even though it's supposed to be days from now, and not in a castle, it's what drew him to the gardens to begin with.]

I'll probably go in there in a little while. Thank you.

[zelda_hylia]

Alright. I think I'll head in now, I'm getting rather hungry.

[She lifts her hand up in a wave before turning to go inside. Maybe a little meal would help her with that riddle!]

[a_violent_end]

I'll see you later.

[He, too, raises a hand and offers her another smile.]