EVENT LOG: Strangers Waiting

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✦ STONE FESTIVAL SOIRÉE ✦

... And when my good dream came to an end, I woke up more than ready to bend ... Full Game Navigation

Watch on YouTube Who: All player characters What: The Stone Festival Soirée that marks the end of the celebration When: July 4th Where: Krajina Božstiev Rating/Warnings: Warn in subject lines, please i. Arrival Everyone has been preparing for this day, fussing with hair and makeup, obtaining fancy clothes and shoes, and perhaps even finding a way to make their entrance in style. This is the night everyone’s anticipated, and some of the Different may even think it’s the night they’ve earned. Upon entering the grounds of the castle, the Different who are attending the soirée, along with all the others from this universe who are attending, are met by the court jester, who greets them with a tip of his hat. "Good eve to you, good personage, and welcome to the annual Stone Festival Soirée here in Krajina Božstiev! We do hope the amenities and the environment of the party will delight your senses and engage your spirit." With a deep bow, after the jester checks for invitations, he lets the invitee in. There are more performers and entertainers than just the jester here in this courtyard, the Different begin to realize. It practically has the same ambiance as a circus: trained elephants follow their trainers and perform here and there, standing on their back feet; sword-swallowers jeer with fire-swallowers as these entertainers vie for the audience’s attention; acrobats and jugglers perform from small stages at opposite corners of the courtyard. They are obviously proud of their craft, and happy the corruption has ended—their performances are delivered with genuine and grateful smiles. Hats or baskets are set in front of each performance area for tips. And the patrons of the party appear, so far, to have been generous. The baskets are overflowing with bills and coin. At the back of the courtyard, past the entrances to the castle, there is another jester holding court. The jester’s hat isn’t sitting out collecting money, however; no, the jester reaches toward the audience, where he is collecting the semi-precious teardrop-shaped stones that people collected earlier in the week, one by one. With a momentary sleight-of-hand, the jester makes the stone disappear. And should the stars align, the jester will grant them a wish. Between these pronouncements, the jester’s tricks include fireworks, rising into the air and popping with a delightful shower of sparks. The astute will notice that most of the wishes that are being granted are related to the soirée itself—wishes for dance partners, reunions, special treats to be consumed, or an emotional feeling of completion. Should your character truly desire something that would affect the soirée positively, they should choose wisely. Just one wish will be granted per customer. ii. Food It's when the people who have come to the party enter the castle that they find that the ambiance has become more formal and contained. This is the location of a sumptuous feast filled with delightful foods of all kinds; from finger foods fit for a charcuterie plate, to heftier cuts of meat—a boar with an apple in its mouth, a side of beef, goose, lamb, rabbit, and fowl; from fruits such as grapes, apples, oranges, and plums, to nuts, cheeses, and dishes of honey; from basically anything you could possibly think of to anything you could desire. This is the party to end all parties in Krajina Božstiev, after all. In addition to the food, the wine and mead are flowing. Settle in at a table after choosing whatever you want to eat and drink, and the party hosts will keep everything you desire coming to you. Whatever you need to sate your pleasures. iii. Dancing The dance floor is in the next room, and if decorations can be described as ‘sumptuous’ well, that’s what these are. Silken buntings festoon the walls, with dangling ribbons and flowers trailing from each join in between them. Crystal chandeliers dangle from the ceiling with candlelight bouncing in between them as the bodies move on the dance floor. There are many styles of dance represented here, from the more traditional, to the more interpretive, to the casual. And among the beaming faces, characters might see some familiar ones—Nádej and Strach and all the other gods. No one at the party seems to be taking any particular note of them. The gods don’t seem inclined to speak this time around—they just hand your character another of the teardrop-shaped stones and move on. The opportunity to couple up here is constant, and it’s important to plan ahead. Do you want to dance with him during the slow dance, and with her during the faster one? Make sure to choose wisely. iv. End of the Night Things are winding down now. One by one, the candles are being snuffed out, the plates and the glasses are being cleared—even the smiling performers in the courtyard are going home. It seems this is your signal to make your way home. Only one way for that to be done, at least until you make your way to New York City—you have to walk. So join your fellow travellers as they make their way—you might learn something new about them. Points Bonus Participation in this log will grant a special points bonus: Top-leveling: 2 points The first 5 tags in a thread in other character's top-levels: 2 points

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Comments

[bearshermark]

Food

Elliott spent the majority of his time flitting about greeting people he recognized with a smile and compliment for their attire. Dressed in a pale orchid tunic and trimmed in yellow, he managed to avoid looking out of place, and happily chatted up the locals as well.

Of course, it wouldn't be a party without the food, and Elliott made several trips to and from the center of the feast itself, always sampling something or other with the occasional wistful look toward the more alcoholic beverages on offer.

When he did finally commit to a table, his plate was piled high with a little bit of everything.

"Hey," he said, flagging down the next person looking like they might be in search of a place to sit. "Got a few free spots here if you want."


Dancing

Elliott didn't know many dances, and certainly not the ones native to this world, but he wasn't shy about asking to learn and swiftly put that new knowledge to use. The pressure to couple up didn't bother him in the slightest. Any time he finished a dance with one partner, he was perfectly happy to turn to the nearest available soul with a smile and outstretched hand.

"Dance with me?"

[inquiryguqin]

Wangji was studying the decorations throughout the castle from the dangling ribbons and flowers to the crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling with candlelight bouncing. The music the people dance to was a strange one.

It was then Elliot approached him, he was a bit surprised. "Huh? Do you want to dance? I'm afraid I'm the wrong person. I don't know how."

OTA

[inquiryguqin]

I. Arrival / The Soirée
When he heard of the Soirée at the palace grounds, he came dressed formally for the occasion, but he is casual. A light blue business suit over a white shirt. He is very surprised at the entertainment in the courtyard, from the dancers and the performers with their animals, to the stunts that no average human can do, he is enchanted by the shows. He has little money, but he did give coins as a tip for their acts.

He went to the back of the courtyard to find more entertainment offered. He found the jester took his stones, and Lan Wangji doesn't have much wishes, other than perhaps a company of good friends who can fill his heart. With a party like this one, he never wanted to go back to the emptiness of his home where his parents are distant in his life, and a long night of studying for his final thesis where he's close to graduating, and perhaps, a moment of anyone's time.

II. Dinner and dancing
Further later in the evening to the dining hall, he joins the others in their company for the food. It was quite a feast over the table being served. He eats quietly, minding himself, as there's so much to eat and drink all over, and minding to avoid drinking the wine, lest he wants to go home stumbling drunk. He remains at the table with no one to dance with, since he's too shy and he doesn't dance, though he wouldn't mind dancing if asked. But he'll happily strike up a conversation to whoever is sitting close to him.

III. End of the Night
Hard to believe this adventure is over, and this is the final day of the night. At the end of the night, when it's becoming dark, he turns to whoever is by side and part of the group, leaving the castle to find the portal, with his hands in his pocket.

"Let's go home before the portal closes. Back to the city."

IV. Wildcard
[Anything else? Write up any starter basing on the scenario above!]

III

[bearshermark]

Elliott does a double take, then grins, a little sheepish.

"Didn't realize you were from New York, too. But yeah, this was a lot of fun, right?"

ii;

[traceofeffort]

Lisa drifts from point to point over the course of the evening; she's in her element here, and enjoying feeling human again. At some point as she returns from the dance floor, energy flagging a tiny bit and with a small plate of food in her hand, she catches a suit that both belongs and doesn't belong, and changes course.

"Mind if I join you for a bit? I'm trying not to be a wallflower tonight, and there are so many interesting people to meet!"

[chenqing_player]

Arrival

Wei Wuxian stands in a crowd, dressed in a flamboyant red jacket, with black skinny dress pants. This is a party and he likes to have a touch of sparkle. He stands there watching the various performers as they do their art. It's a colorful and exciting sight. When they finish he applauds enthusiastically, always appreciative of fellow performers. As he gets to the jester, he tosses one of his extra stones and wishes for a bottle of the worlds finest wines.

It's fun to just lazily walk through the area towards where the rest of the event is occurring.

Food
This is more food then he has seen in a long time. He has enjoyed trying everything and that big bottle of wine ends up finding it's way to him. Looks like his wishes have come true. He grins as he pours it into a glass and gives it a first taste. It certainly is a very good wine.

"Does anyone else think that this place throws better parties then most of the ones back home?"

Dancing
Wei Wuxian leans against the door frame as he watches everyone dancing around the room. His type of dancing is far different from what he is watching right now and generally doesn't involve a partner, but he is a quick study and that is what he is doing right now. He's studying the dancers and learning the dance moves so if he decides to join in then it will be easy.

Dancing

[bearshermark]

Elliott thanks his dance partner and weaves his way out of the crowd toward the familiar face lingering outside of it.

"Hey," he says with a grin and an offered hand. "Surely you don't plan to be a wallflower all night."

Wildcard

[inquiryguqin]

His flamboyant bright red jacket is hard to miss. Among the crowd, Lan Wangji was watching the performers and the Jester was entertaining everyone. It was then the Jester took his stones. After Lan Wangji made his silent wish, probably an impossible one, he is uncertain if wishes do come true. It was then he noticed him. The red jacket is hard to miss.

Pushing his glasses up, "Hello. Did the Jester took your stones?"

Food

[darkforcerising]

"At least the food," Anakin said.

He'd been to a few music festivals that had left his head spinning for days, but the food was incomparable.

"New goal, figure out how to make enough money to hire a chef to cook for me every day."

Arrival

[howkickassiam]

York sees Xian from a distance in the courtyard and smiles, heading straight for him. He's dressed in a blue garment he'd bought on this side of the portals that resembles an Indian kurta, with white linen pants and brown dress shoes. He sees Xian drop a stone in the jester's hand and, having newly arrived, gives Xian a questioning look when he arrives by his side.

"I figured you'd want to save those," he says.

[smilingarmor]

Arrival

Emberto had opted to wear something he already owned, rather than something from the city. But that doesn't mean that he doesn't look stylish in his tux with a vibrant purple suit jacket. For once, however, his attire doesn't make him the center of attention. Not with all the various performers plying their trade on the way in. He made sure to toss a bit of money into the basket for each show that he stopped to watch, clapping enthusiastically when a performance concluded and laughing or gasping at appropriate points. For some reason he found himself particularly taken with a man who was juggling knives, staying by that stage a bit longer than the others, but he could really be found anywhere among the various performers.

Food

Emberto wasn't at all shy about investigating the food table, trying a little of many different dishes on his own, and occasionally inquiring with the servers when he came across a dish he was especially unfamiliar with. It all proved as delicious as it was intriguing, and eventually his plate was piled with a bit of many different dishes and he was all set to wash it down with a good glass of wine or two. "Now this is what I call a party, eh?", he said to the person next to him as he returned to his table.

Dancing

And what was a party without music? Emberto was clearly having a wonderful time, dancing with anyone who cared to partner with him. He didn't know any of the specific dances, but he was good enough at dancing in general that he could fake it reasonably well most of the time, and improvise when he couldn't. And the current situation was much more about the fun than the skill anyway, so even if someone had two left feet, he'd be happy to sweep them off of them. Or be swept off himself, if his partner could manage it.

End of the Night

Alas even the best parties must come to an end, and this one was no exception. Still, as Emberto headed back for the portal he was filled with the sort of warm afterglow that came from being full of good food and drink and spending the evening having fun in good company. He wouldn't object to a little more company on the way back though. In fact, it would be the perfect way to cap off the evening if anyone chose to walk with him.

Dancing

[bearshermark]

Elliott laughed as he found his next partner in someone he recognized far more easily than anyone else.

"I didn't know we were dressing to match."

Food

[howkickassiam]

York smiles, holding his fork up at a jaunty angle in acknowledgement. He's dressed in a blue garment he'd bought on this side of the portals that resembles an Indian kurta, with white linen pants and brown dress shoes. On his plate, there is a selection of meats and roasted vegetables. Rabbit, boar, goose, and lamb, alongside roasted turnips, carrots, pearl onions, and asparagus.

"I think I could just live here forever," he says.

Food

[not_as_i_do]

"It's certainly not like any party I've ever been to," Martin agreed, as he filled his plate. "Most of those are cookouts or cocktail parties, nothing this huge. Even the Whitly family reunion back in '98 wasn't this big."

[serpentinthegarden]

Arrival

He had gone a bit flash with a patterned red blazer but kept it casual with a loosely fastened white shirt. White wasn't his usual color but it went better with the red scarf, which for overly sentimental reasons he felt compelled to wear. After all, when you really thought about it, hopping into these portals together was like his and Fell's first overseas vacation. The scare was a token from that as he had bought Aziraphale a matching blue one.

He glanced to the Jester accepting stones for wishes but what did he have to wish for? He had everything he wanted. A piece of gum was pressed into the Jester's hands rather than any stones... Anthony had seen that in a movie once and it seemed appropriate.

Food

Anthony looked over the spread with happy approval and nudges the person sitting closet to him.

"I'm glad to see they managed to get over their egg obsession but..."

He glanced at the table again.

"Is that a boar? Has anyone here ever actually eaten a boar before?"

Dancing - Closed for Fell

When the dancing began Anthony looked to the ladies but searched through their ranks until he finally caught sight of Aziraphale. It looked like he was after another dessert, and who could blame him, they were amazing... but Anthony had an empty dance card and a hope that a certain fussy gentleman might just monopolize his time.

With a mischievous smile he stepped up to Aziraphale and held out his hand.

"The music is playing and the evening is young, do you dance Mr. Fell?"

Dancing - Everyone else

Most of his evening was spent in the pursuit of Mr. Fell but between songs and after a refreshing sampling of the local wine Anthony might be found off on his own. Standing by the side of the dance floor and watching the fun.

Dancing

[temptationaccomplished]

Aziraphale was trying to not monopolize Anthony's time too much, as much as he'd like to. (Oh, he'd very much like to. Sometimes it felt like he could have a hundred years with Anthony and it still wouldn't quite feel like enough). Still, he understood that Anthony was an attractive man and undoubtedly a great many attractive people here would be honored to dance with him, so Aziraphale could just learn to politely share.

He was just trying to choose between a delightful looking little tart and a pudding that had been topped off with a slice of plum. Aziraphale put the pudding back in favor of this more tempting offer and glanced out at the dance floor. He wasn't familiar with their style of dancing, but he could probably figure it out. He had, after all, ultimately learned to swing dance back in the 90s when it hit its revival here in the States.

"That would depend entirely on who is doing the asking."

Food

[neverjedi]

He's wearing a lot of green and satin - with black, which is not his usual color choice. Together they look like Christmas.

Gone very, very... flamboyant.

"I have no idea," he admits. "I'm not sure I'd be able to tell a boar from a regular pig. I
am pretty sure that if my social life doesn't stop revolving around food I'm going to have to replace my entire wardrobe, though."

[chenqing_player]

He is staring at the boar as well as he enjoys the glass of wine that was his wish from the jester. He kind of feels like the boar is staring at him.

"I have not..and I'm not sure I want to. Yet I'm also mildly intrigued."

And if he gets drunk enough he won't care what he is eating.

Food

[darkforcerising]

"I don't think I know what a living boar looks like outside of The Lion King," Anakin said. "No, wait- that was a warthog. Amendment, I don't know what a living boar looks like. I don't think I'm capable of assessing a dead one."

[darkforcerising]

Outside of his Air Force dress uniform, Anakin didn’t understand the first thing about dressing for a ball. A poor kid from a barely there desert town in the middle of Arizona, he didn’t exactly get an education on decorum and fancy dress growing up.

He fortunately had a friend who had a bit of knowledge about fashion. Ben had tried to get Anakin into dress pants, but at the last minute, Anakin rebelled and opted for the jeans instead. Though he did like the vest, even if the rolled up sleeves made him selfconscious. And he picked out his own tie. And to be polite, he'd left his air pods at home. But his phone was tucked in his back pocket, he couldn't forget that.

Food
Anakin gravitated mostly towards the food. Sure he'd tossed a few stones at that one jester, but he didn't believe his wishes would come true. Okay, maybe the one where he wished to have a good evening would. But with food like this? How could it not. He was practiced enough with his robotic hand by now to be able to hold the plate steady while he picked at finger food.

"I don't know what this is, but it tastes amazing." Something with vegetables with some kind of cream - who knew vegetables could taste this good?


Dancing
At the moment, Anakin wasn't dancing. This wasn't a rave so he was a bit lost. He was, however, trying to understand how people were dancing. Maybe if he could work out the steps in his mind, he could join in. But to be honest, he didn't have a plan to ask anyone- it was easier to not feel rejected when he didn't set himself up for that kind of failure.

At the very least, he was enjoying the music - strange though it was. And it was an interesting dance, it was cool to watch.

[neverjedi]

He was trying to keep an eye on Anakin, without being overbearing. He wanted Anakin to have a good time and that meant balancing his desire to make it happen with giving him some room. He knew this was not really Anakin's wheelhouse.

Sort of like ice-skating.

Hence not putting up too much of a fuss in light of the choice to wear jeans.

He made his way back to the food table and filled his own plate, before settling beside Anakin. "I'm not sure I know what any of this is, but it's better than granola bars." That was... sure a night.

[consortofalderaan]

Two months ago, Bail had a normal life. And it was a life he enjoyed. The biggest events he had to look forward to where his daughter's milestones.

Now he was at a fancy ball in another universe, dressed in an outfit made from fabric he'd purchased somewhat on a dare from another universe. (Hoping to please one person in particular with this choice.) And he still wasn't quite sure this was his life.

And he wasn't even unfamiliar with formal functions. The son of a New York heiress, he'd been to more than his share of black-tie events. This was something entirely different.


Arrival
Bail stopped to watch what could only be described as a showdown between two bizarrely throat-talented individuals: a fire swallower and a sword swallower, both vying for the crowds approved whilst trying to show up the other with ever increasingly dangerous stunts. And if he understood the subtle cues between the two, these two were rivals. Maybe even bitterly so.

He clapped and oh'ed along with the crowed, but when the sword swallower reached for the seventh sword to add to his throat, Bail had to walk away. There was a line past which it just started to get weird.


Wishes
Slightly more amused, he listened to the jester's speech about wishes, then the entertainer's request for stones as payment.

Bail had a few stones in his pocket. He took out a duplicate.

"Suggestions for what I should wish for?" He smiled, "Is asking for the universe to make sense again too much?"


Wild Card
Where else do you want to find him? Food? Dancing? Watching fireworks from a balcony window?

[neverjedi]

He was, in fact, very pleased with Bail's choice of outfit - and pleased to note that, yes, those colors did suit him beautifully.

Obi-Wan himself was in shades of rich, dark, teal and green that were reminiscent of a peacock. He was currently giving not a single, solitary, thought to how he looked, though. Too preoccupied with how Bail looked.

He slipped in beside Bail, took his hand and gave it a brief squeeze. "Come with me."

He let go of the hand, and moved off toward a balcony- just expecting to be followed.

[hardtoignore]

Arrival
Clarence had commissioned clothes for this occasion... but he chickened out at the last minute, feeling dressing up as nobility would be rather tacky for a simple artisan such as himself. Instead, he went on and wore the same outfit he had found in his closet back in May; the black suit and tie combo that made him look even thinner and sharper than ever. He wasn't going to complain, though. Eventually he'd have his nice outfit and he would wear it on other festive occasions hosted in Krajina Božstiev. For now, he was willing to play the exotic foreigner in a foreign land.

After tossing quite a bit of money to the performers, Clarence was ushered along with the other arrivals to the last jester and found himself brought to a halt. A wish? In exchange for one of his stones? That would be nice but... He found himself suddenly nervous, blanking on what he could wish for. Looking down at the array of pretty stones in his hand, he finds his eyes drawn to the labradorite. "Success" would probably sum up Clarence's experiences here in Krajina Božstiev very well. Pocketing the rest of his stones, he passed the labradorite over and considered his words carefully.

"I wish... for others to feel the pride in their accomplishments here." The jester smiles his way as he leaves, perhaps already feeling the effect of his words.

Food
The riches of this world would never fail to entrap Clarence. The food was always so divine, whether it was elaborate or simple, and the variety of tea and juices he had tried over the past weeks only amplified the experience.

Clarence outright avoids the areas with alcohol. While he can't exactly avoid people drinking, he is happy to see that the festive atmosphere had at least managed to curb people away from their darker leanings when imbibing. And worse come worse, he could always run away to a different area...

Plate piled high with treats, Clarence took a seat where he could find one, trying to not intrude on anyone when he sits. However, if you tried to engage in conversation, he's bound to light up about how nice the party has been so far.

Dancing
What surprises Clarence the most is his continued popularity with the people here. It seems no matter where he turns, there's someone native in the area who looks to him for a dance either to repay him for a sketch he made for them, or else just because he was a known face. It wasn't like prom, where Clarence stayed close to one person the whole time and danced only with that one person (Elliott). Instead, he was in the thick of it all, practically bouncing from one partner to the next.

If anything, he barely had time to rest between but while the feeling was somewhat overwhelming, he couldn't help by smile and laugh when he turned and found someone else stepping up with a request.

[[[ooc: If you wanna just bug Clarence in any other way, feel free to jump in.]]]

Dancing

[bearshermark]

Elliott took his hand without missing a beat and grinned.

"For someone who says he isn't good at dancing, you sure are getting a lot of practice in."

[temptationaccomplished]

i. Arrival

Fell's made considerable effort to not look like a dull rock next to the beautiful gem that is his Anthony. His suit-pieces look vintage, with the coat pale in color and just a touch darker than cream. The vest is pale blues with golds, and instead of wearing the scarf with a tie, he's turned the scarf into sort of an ascot/cravat to properly make it a focal point. His shoes are spiffy brogues, and he's of course wearing pants but I've bored you enough with the details so that's enough of that.

The point is, he arrives with his date, Anthony, and does not match him. He looks like a soft vintage dollup of merigue next to Anthony's flashy red modernity. They make an odd pair, perhaps, jarringly opposite, but Fell can't take his eyes off Anthony. It's all adoration. And occasional fond exasperation.

Like when Anthony does his little gum trick. He makes an apology to the Jester on Anthony's behalf, and then presents his own stone with a flourish of self-made delight, pantomimining as if magicking it from behind the man's ear.

His wish is one he doesn't think can be granted. With a sigh, he says, "I wish Alec had come along to the party. It might do him some good to get out. I fear all this nonesense is only going to make him withdraw more." But other than that, he doesn't find himself wanting. He has everything else he could ever want with him now.


ii. Food

Aziraphale has never had boar, but he's more than willing to try it when the staff start serving it up. It's a strong flavor, somewhat nutty and certainly doesn't, as the old adage goes, taste like chicken. He has a moment, as he's savoring it, where he thinks he may have had it before (perhaps his grandfather served it once?) but that seems ridiculous. No one eats wild boar these days...do they? That's the stuff of kings of old: Henry-the-whatever-number and such.

No, he definitely hasn't eaten this before. He would remember.

Now he was a few glasses deep into mead.

"Red is really his color, don't you think?" he says, indicating a man with flaming red hair and a ruby red coat across the room. "Absolutely dashing in red, I think. Rather sinful." He clears his throat, takes a drink, and looks away. "Have you tried these cakes? They're orange and apple! Wonderfully tart. Goes so well with the mead. You should really have at least one."


iii. Dancing

Aziraphale is more than happy to give his entire dance card over to Anthony, but he would certainly not be opposed to accepting other offers to dance. It was a party, after all and he does enjoy spirited dancing!


iv. End of the Night

Pleasantly tipsy, cheeks rosy, he probably walks the way back home hand in hand with Anthony, swaying a little to the memory of music and filled with the joy of an evening well-spent. He looks very much like the a reveler at the end of a very good night, though he still has his shoes on thank you very much, he has standards.

He's probably in a good enough mood to make friendly with anyone who might care to talk to him or ask questions, provided they don't...pick a fight.

Food

[howkickassiam]

York grins in return.

"He does look good in red," York says. "Though there's something about infatuation that makes anyone look good in anything, I'd think."

[traceofeffort]

[arrival and mingling]
It's been a week since Lisa's felt this free, this open, this energetic. With her mind unclouded by the haze of the corruption - seriously, how had she missed it for days? - she's enjoying what's left of the Stone Festival, and how could she say no to a party? Really, after everything she'd gone through and the work she'd done, part of her felt like she deserved a break, and she'd absolutely take it. She's not part of the entertainment tonight, so she's dressed like she belongs in the crowd; she'd meant to come up with something fashionable yet period-appropriate, but after the last couple of days before the soirée went to hell, she'd settled for something largely off the rack in the local markets. A red dress, tied in the front and with some white accents, and with somewhat puffy sleeves; it goes to her ankles, but surprisingly it fits fairly well, even if the slight corset is going to be hurting her by night's end. She's forgone the hat and headwrap to let her hair, clean any shiny, hang free. Her usual earrings are in her ears, which definitely don't belong, but if anyone's got a problem they can stuff it. She's wearing a real pair of shoes from home, too, slight heels but ones she'll be able to walk in. She's not the belle of the ball, but she feels good about herself, and that's more than enough right now.

The entertainment is top-notch; she's glad she brought some local money in her pocketbook, to tip the talented performers. She'd been to a renaissance festival once, and this felt like that in some ways, except without the benefits of modern safety and technology. That made what she was watching even more impressive, really, and she could stay here for a while. But there's more to be done, and eventually, she moves on. At one point she can be found with the jester in the back, and after some deliberation and some soul-searching - and some star-searching; she roams with her eyes to the skies for some time - she hands over a labradorite stone and a murmured wish: "Give me the courage to grasp my desires tonight." The fireworks are bright enough to hold her attention a while; Lisa can be found here from time to time throughout the evening, sitting on a bench and taking in the scenery.

[food]
She's glad she hasn't eaten since this morning; this really is a spread fit for a king, and she's not shy about trying a little bit of everything. She'd never get some of this stuff at home, and certainly not on her usual budget! Her dress discourages the worst excesses, but she's absolutely living the life tonight. Lisa decides to skip the hard stuff tonight, though, and settles for a glass of grape juice - she's not stupid enough to drink the water, even at the biggest party of the year. She's got a couple bottles smuggled in, but she'll save those for later, just in case. There's a variety of personages here, and if she was still shaken by the events of the week, she's hiding it well enough, doing her best to make friends and chat up the locals. She passes herself off as a minstrel who plays a rare string instrument while learning to record music in a way that can be read again; it's not even far off the truth, so it's an easy story to work. She takes breaks from mingling with the crowd to stuff her face and find her friends from her own world relatively often, though. While she's sitting down, you might occasionally catch her with her heels slipped off; she's saving at least a little bit of energy so someone doesn't have to carry her home, and she's not used to them, not the way she'd like to be.

[dancing]
...and also saving energy for this. The band tonight is pretty good; she'd hope so with the scale of the event, but even for that, she could get used to something like this. They have a good read on the crowd, and the energy is surprisingly high for what they have. The room is well-appointed, smiles are everywhere, the deities are here, the music is flowing- oh no, the deities are still here. But nobody's causing trouble; at one point she walks to Nadej and offers them a very credible curtsy before walking away quickly to let them enjoy the party.

She's not the kind to sit out when there's fun to be had, though, and Lisa joins more than a few dances, some alone, some with the locals. And she's absolutely looking to the people she knows, too - she's proactive, sweeping in and offering a winning smile. "May I have the honor of a dance?" Her eyes sparkle, and she can't help but admit she's having fun.

[wildcard]
[Let's do stuff! Lisa's back to normal after going mildly crazy earlier in the week; you might be able to pick out some small scars and some bruising on her hands, but she'll downplay everything if asked unless someone specifically asks for the full story. She'll be in go-mode for the whole night, so feel free to drag her anywhere on the castle grounds for more or less whatever.]

Dancing

[darkforcerising]

Anakin was fairly certain he understood the steps by the time Lisa comes up and offers her hand. Still, he hesitated just a moment before taking her hand with what was his right, prosthetic hand. Which was the reason for his hesitation.

But she'd asked, and every Different already knew about his hand.

He grinned and stepped forward and said, "Yes."