vatheon | bluh bluh huge ball

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. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You want to see us happy?

Aheh. You know. I don't think he'd be very happy with me at all. He's the one who hates me, remember?

[He turns around a bit more entirely to look at Zelda. Well. It's not that hard to talk about it.]

I know that I probably would be. But I don't really bother with thoughts like that. It's a little juvenile of me. And I already went through that in high school.

[She tucks her hair behind her ear. This is a difficult line to tread on - how far can she go before she's betrayed Shizuo's trust? How much is being helpful, and how much is exposing him to someone that he considers an enemy half the time?]

...I do not think he hates you. I don't think he knows what he feels. It seems to be the same as what you feel, though. Confused. Afraid of what that confusion might mean.

[Luckily for Zelda, it doesn't really seem like it's going to be this way. Because Izaya shakes his head at her.]

I know exactly how I feel. And I'm pretty sure that I know exactly how he feels. I've known him for seven years. You've known him for a month at most. I know him better than anyone else. I've observed him constantly. I'm not confused about anything. And if he's confused about something, then I don't know what.

[She wants to tell him how lost Shizuo seemed after that confessions curse, wants to show it to him... but that's definitely going too far.]

Perhaps you're right. I haven't known him for long. But you know, Izaya, I've learned something since coming to Vatheon.

[There's a smile on her face, but it's not a pleasant one. It's almost painful.]

You can't completely understand people just by observing them. You have to open yourself to them, too. It seems counter intuitive, doesn't it? As if one should be able to see more if they don't get involved in everything personally. But it's not that way.

[He has to laugh. It's no more pleasant than Zelda's smile.]

You think I don't know that? Trust me. I do. I try to get close to him in the only ways that I know how to. And if that's through his rage, then fine.

And what about you, Zelda? You seem like the preoccupied type. You're a Princess of where you come from but you're still focused on the ways of your world that you seem to forget you're not in that world anymore. What about your happiness? And your love? Isn't that something worth consideration?

Even if it were, the person that I love is not here. My happiness lies back in my world.

[She closes her eyes, tilting her head back.]

That isn't the case for everyone, though. For some people, their happiness lies here. The constraints of their world are removed in this place, and they can pursue it.

That's too bad. It seems like someone loves you here in this world. Oh well. I guess hearts get broken all of the time though, huh? Unrequited love and all of that.

That's right, isn't it? Vatheon is open to possibilities. Very unique place it is. But that doesn't necessarily make it easier.

[He becomes quiet and walks over to Zelda a bit more directly, invading her personal space. He looks down at her and reaches a hand up to put his finger to the center of her forehead.]

You really are a princess.

[He smiles and leans forward and removes his finger to instead press his mouth against her forehead in a simple, platonic kiss.]

I don't like to talk about him like this. It reminds me of things. And it's easier to just hate him back. I'm sure you understand, nn?

[She blinks exaggeratedly a couple times, surprised by the gesture. It's not long before she offers him a soft smile.]

I do. It's a difficult thing.

[Her hand reaches out to touch the plaque. Reluctant love. Who wouldn't be reluctant? It hurts...]

[He watches her. Zelda truly is an interesting woman. He's met plenty of women and none of them were ever quite so unique and effortlessly strong in ways they didn't even know. Even Celty who was the oldest creature he'd ever met didn't have such an air about her.

Maybe that's why he decided to talk to Zelda about it tonight. That and maybe he was just breaking a little more than he cared to admit.

After all, appearances mean everything.]

Thank you, Zelda.

[It's for everything, really. And never saying his name directly. It made it easier, that's for sure.]

I think I'm going to go to the gardens, nn? Roses are a favorite flower of mine. Especially the red ones.

[The princess felt much the same about Izaya. He had an easy air of intelligence about him, and she didn't need to dumb herself down at all. She had been wary of him at first, but she's come to recognize his own brand of kindness and considers him a person to be respected in many ways. She smiles again when he thanks her, inclining her head.]

Anytime. You should enjoy the garden while it is here, it's lovely.

[She raises her hand in a small wave, wondering if Shizuo ever did leave the gardens or not.]

bluh bluh huge ball

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