Let The Spectacle Astound You

[tidesnpcs.livejournal.com]

Characters: OPEN
Progress: Continuous
Summary: The party you've all been waiting for: the Grand Ball of Alexandria!
Location: Palace Alexandria
Date: June 21st, 1803
Warnings: TBA. Eventually, Violence.

For weeks, the palace had been abuzz with activity; even more so than usual. On top of the usual hustle and bustle of daily life, there were the extensive preparations to be done for the festival, and this, the grand finale. The palace's largest ballroom had been decorated from floor to ceiling, wall to wall. Long elaborate draperies of silk and chiffon in white and cream, the stairs lined in a rich, crimson carpeting. Gold and silver everywhere, framing the large windows and the door opening out to the courtyard. A warm summer evening, with the roses in full bloom. Flowers adorned every table, column, and doorway. It wasn't just the ballroom that had been decorated, however; the entire palace was decked in regalia, the staff having obviously anticipated the crowd to be much larger than usual.

All around the palace, inside and out, the guard was on high alert. Every guest was greeted, checked, and in the case of the higher-ranked, announced to the company at large. The sun had not quite set, and already the ballroom was half full; nobles and low-born alike, natives and foreigners, all dressed in their best. The guest of honor had yet to make her appearance, but no one seemed to be fussed by the fact.

But the night was young, and there was bound to plenty of seeing and being seen before the night was over.

[[ooc: Here we go, everyone! Party style still applies. Tag in, tag each other, mingle, HAVE FUN!... while you can. Thread jumping and ninja tagging is encouraged. ^.^]]

Update: A fist fight broke out on page two. Feel free to ninja in to spectate, generally comment or gasp, or just read it and have a laugh. Appropriate authority figures... Squall, Steiner, etc may need to step in.

Comments

[artemistardust.livejournal.com]

Rosa looked up at the sound of her name, face breaking out into a smile once she noticed Rydia. It would be very good to see her friend again since so much time had passed since they had last spoken. They'd both been rather busy and then preparing for the celebration had taken up everyone's time.

Once Rydia reached her side, Rosa blushed at the compliment, pulling her friend into a tight embrace. "Thank you, Rydia. You look lovely yourself. How have you been?"

[eidolon-soul.livejournal.com]

"I've missed you!" And she had. Of anyone from home, with the possible exception of Cecil, Rydia felt most comfortable in Rosa's presence. The woman was gentle and kind, with a motherly presence that the orphaned Rydia had needed when she was young. The years had passed swifter for the Summoner than the White Mage, but some of that sentiment still held true.

Moving away so that she could meet Rosa's gaze again, Rydia smiled. "I've been well! Did you go to the festival earlier? I was there for a while but with such crowds, it was difficult to spot any familiar faces!"

[artemistardust.livejournal.com]

Rosa had always considered Rydia as a friend and she'd willingly been there for the tiny summoner when they'd first met. Being the only two females in a large party of guys (until the twins had come along) helped that, too. Pulling back, she offered Rydia a gentle smile. It had been strange to find Rydia again all grown up, but in some respects it was better this way. Rosa could see her as a friend, a companion, and not as someone who needed a little protecting.

"I was there for a little," she admitted with a nod. "It was so hard to find anyone, though. This place is so large. It reminds me of Baron." It really did, and the thought made her a touch homesick, but she brushed the feeling away and focused on holding her smile. "Have you been here tonight for long?"

[eidolon-soul.livejournal.com]

"Not very long, no. Enough to snag a few dances here and there, but I was still looking for more familiar faces when I spotted you." Rydia smiled and peered around, nodding in agreement with Rosa's assessment. It did remind her of Baron. "Of those we know, so far I've seen Kain and Theodor." She didn't see the point of using Golbez's name anymore when that only prompted bad memories for her friends. However, she herself didn't say the name with any wariness.

"Edge is...I don't know where he is, but it's his loss." She shrugged, a little irritated and disappointed, but trying not to show it. They weren't each other's masters, after all. "Are you just here for the festival or are you going to be staying?"

[artemistardust.livejournal.com]

Rosa returned the smile, shifting a little on her feet. "You sound like you've been doing more than I have," she admitted. "But that's all right. It's been nice so far."

She glanced around the room, taking in the dancers and everyone present before the names registered in her mind. "Theodor?" She had no idea who that was, as she hadn't really been paying as much attention to things as she should have. And in her timeline, Golbez was still evil.

"I'll likely be staying wherever Cecil is." She paused a moment and then decided to go ahead.

"Rydia, may I ask you something?"

[eidolon-soul.livejournal.com]

Oh, right, Rosa wouldn't know Theodor by name...at least, not that name. Not yet. Rydia might have explained, but the question diverted her attention away from such matters. At that, she darted Rosa a curious look and gave a quick, instant nod. "Of course. What's on your mind?"

[artemistardust.livejournal.com]

It became obvious rather quickly that Rosa was both nervous and extremely happy about what she was about to ask. "Have you seen the end of... of the battle against Zemus? I was taken from a time before that and from what Cecil and Kain have said... many things have happened since, things that I didn't know."

It was kind of embarrassing to admit that you didn't know you had a husband.

"Do you have any knowledge of the events after the battle on the Moon?"

[eidolon-soul.livejournal.com]

"I do, a few months' worth. If you want to know, I don't mind elaborating." Rydia wasn't sure how much of the future ought be revealed, but at the same time, she couldn't see any reason not to tell her. "After Zemus was defeated, Golbez and Fusoya joined the Lunarians in sleep. Edward was made King of Damcyan and doing his best to rebuild. Edge became King of Eblan and Yang became King of Fabul. The old king stepped down, though I don't really know why. I stayed in the Feymarch for a time, but...Asura thought I should be with my own kind and sent me back to Mist."

She paused, as that still wasn't the easiest thing in the world for her to speak about. "Kain left for Mount Ordeals, and you and Cecil...well, you got married and took the throne of Baron. We came from all over to see that. Even King Giott and Luca arrived, from the Underworld."

[artemistardust.livejournal.com]

Rosa listened carefully to Rydia's explanation, nodding her head in turn to each friend mentioned. She frowned slightly at the mention of Kain leaving, but she couldn't really blame him, especially if he was going to Mount Ordeals to deal with things.

However, the words about her marriage to Cecil brought a warm glow to her face. "So, he was right... I didn't expect him to be false with me, but... I'm very happy about this news. The only thing I'm uncertain about is how to introduce myself now."

She paused for a moment, looking a little nervous as she tucked a chunk of her hair behind her ear. "Do you think it would be wrong of me to assume Cecil's surname now?"

[eidolon-soul.livejournal.com]

Rosa's reaction made Rydia smile in relief. She didn't think Rosa would be upset with the news, but all the same, it had to be strange to hear about an event she didn't remember participating in. "No, not at all. You love each other and plan to remain together, so even without the ceremony, it still feels the same." She paused, thoughtful. "Do you think you and Cecil might have another ceremony, anyway? It seems a little unfair to you that we all remember it, yet you don't."

[artemistardust.livejournal.com]

It was strange to be sure, but Rydia's response made Rosa, if possible, glow even more. It was like a dream come true for her and she still had yet to actually wrap her mind around it.

"Maybe... A ceremony might help the knowledge of the event sink in for me, but I would need to speak with Cecil. I don't need it to know his feelings."

And if Rydia was right and nearly everyone had attended, then all the better for another one to make it easier for her. Likely, everyone who had arrived here on Gaia would be familiar with more things than just this. She'd need to take a time to pick everyone's brains about things, but for now, this knowledge was enough.

[eidolon-soul.livejournal.com]

"That only makes sense, of course. And if you both agree on it, you know I'll be willing to help however I can, with anything. I won't mind at all." They didn't exactly have Baron castle staff to make all the preparations this time, so Rydia fully expected to pitch in, if it came to that.

[artemistardust.livejournal.com]

Rosa beamed at her friend and pulled Rydia into another hug. "Thank you, Rydia. I'm very excited about the prospect. Cecil seems so much... freer and relaxed these days. I'm happy for him, that he seems to have shed so much worry since I last saw him at home."

[eidolon-soul.livejournal.com]

Rydia immediately returned the hug, of course. "You're welcome! And you're right about Cecil, he does. It's nice to see him without the burden of that quest. I didn't get to see much of that before I was brought here."

She paused, growing a little more serious. "I just hope that he can reconcile with Golbez, in time. I don't know what you know about him, but he was controlled, like Kain. He did his best to make it up to us in the end, at the final battle. I know it must be weird for Cecil to see him here, but...I think he deserves a chance. They're brothers, after all." And there was very little more important to Rydia than family. The fact that she had no blood relations left didn't change that.

[artemistardust.livejournal.com]

All happiness for Cecil was pushed back at Rydia's latest admission. Rosa's eyes widened considerably as she took in this news. She trusted Rydia's judgment and though she was still wary of Golbez, if he really had been controlled, then... he, like Kain, was not their enemy.

"Kain mentioned Zeromus as well as Zemus," she murmured, looking a little confused. "I didn't know..." That Cecil had a brother.

But then she stood a little stronger and took on a determined look. "That just means I'll have to support Cecil even more. He'll be all right. We all will."