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

[withoutasign]

[Signless listens intently to Karkat's description, then looks down at his paws.]

I've always wanted one.

[His voice is soft and wistful.]

[bethehugejerk]

[Karkat falls silent a moment at that answer. For all his own annoyance at the idea, apparently it means something to him. And so, after a little hesitance, he strokes one finger gently down his back.]

I'm not going to lie; something like that sounds way weird to me to want. But at the same time, you were raised by a troll yourself, and you're not exactly the most usual beyond that.

[withoutasign]

Yeah.

[Signless arches into the petting, not thinking it's weird at all that his enormous fairy son is petting him.]

It was something I always hoped for... that someday, Di and I would be able to have a grub of our own. [sigh] But I knew it was never going to happen.

[bethehugejerk]

[It is completely weird to Karkat, but then, the whole situation is right now. Not that it stops him.]

Di? ...Oh, Disciple. [He breathes something like a sigh.] It's not something I can help with.

[withoutasign]

I know.

[Signless is quiet for a few moments, just enjoying the petting.]

I've always known, on some level, that I would die before them.

[His voice is hesitant and small; this isn't something he's told anyone else.]

[bethehugejerk]

[Karkat sinks down to his knees then, sitting against the path, legs folded under him. He holds Signless closer to his chest, palm stable, finger still stroking slowly. He doesn't look at him; instead, his gaze finds the ground beyond them both.]

[For a long, long moment, he says nothing. Something like that... He may not lead the Signless's life, but he knows that fear, moot though it is ever since Aradia was killed.]

We should talk about something else.

[withoutasign]

Okay.

[Signless leans against Karkat's chest, close to the slow, comforting beat of his heart... and keeps talking about it anyway.]

In one of my visions, I saw Di as an old troll, living in a cave, all alone. And then I saw Lulu, somewhere dark and cold, and I could hear water dripping... and Psii...

[He shudders. Unless Karkat presses him, he's not going to say what he saw for Psii.]

[bethehugejerk]

[Karkat's eyes close to hear it, and as soon as he mentions the Psiioniic--]

Stop. Dad, stop.

Please.

[withoutasign]

[For Psii, all I could see was the space between the stars, completely empty and alone and dark, and you can't imagine the loneliness, the endless, eternal darkness and loneliness...]

I'm sorry.

[He presses tight against Karkat then, hiding his mousy face in a ruffle on his dress.]

[bethehugejerk]

I know it couldn't have been easy. I mean, it's never... never something I've seen or been through, but only an empty-lobed idiot wouldn't realize that.

[He cups his palm against him, holding him as he can for all sizes make a real hug impossible.]