Come dance away the night with me~

[thequestgiver]

Characters: Any and all!
Open? Yes!
Where: Castle grounds by the East Bridge
When: Evening of the 9th of Rebirth's Height
What: The Height Moon celebration


The field between the castle and the East bridge has been decked out, tall poles with flowing bright colored cloth, tables full of food and drink, a stage where performers play cheerful and mostly on key tunes that can be almost heard over the din of so many voices talking and laughing. There's a large area full of dancing couples, whirling skirts and brightly colored jackets mingling freely.

Any empty hands will be either pulled in to dance or given a large flagon of ale to join in the revelry. Come, eat, drink, dance and forget the cares of the world outside the town's walls!

Comments

Rulers of the Coming Moon contest

[offyougonow]

Come an hour into the festival, when the bonfire and lanterns have been lit, there is a sudden change in the music, as a fanfare is played before the players vacate the stage and King Erasmus the Randomly Biased steps onto it.

"My people! As you know, tonight, we are truly fortunate to have with us royalty from worlds beyond the vale of this world!"

He pauses with a grin to allow for the cheering and stomping (and some cat calls) of the towns people.

"Now, as you all know, normally, my son, your prince, chooses a young girl to be the Princess of the Coming Moon. But as he is away off on a quest of great importance--" He pauses again, grinning as the audience breaks out into laughter. "--He will be unable to chose a princess for this celebration as he's off making some of his own!"

Another round of laughter and rude calls later, he continued. "So! In his absence, this celebration, we shall chose the Rulers of the Coming Moon out of the attending Princes and Princesses!"

Another pause as the crowd breaks out in cheers and calls.

"Choose your favorites well, my people and enjoy the celebration!"

And with a flourish of his robes, he turns and steps down from the stage, the music starting up once more.

[schrien_die_raben]

Rue had debated with herself a long time about coming to the Moon Festival. She was certainly not in any mood for festivities, not when her husband had become a monster, and the castle and the village were abuzz with rumors about him. But for that very reason, she knew, she could not afford to miss it. There was no way he would be able to resist a place so filled with eager young girls.

So she wandered about the grounds, searching, listening for any snatch of conversation that might hint at his whereabouts. Thus far it appeared he had yet to show himself, but the night was long, and she was very, very patient.

[loyalbeyonddeath]

Fakir, meanwhile, was not so patient. He prowled the square with a hateful scowl, already thoroughly sick of being offered beer and merriment. He followed Rue like a specter, hoping Mytho would be drawn out by her presence.

[schrien_die_raben]

"Is there any reason you feel you need to follow me?" Rue asked irritably, turning around after only a few minutes of being shadowed.

[pas_de_ducks]

"Wait up, you two," Duck nearly wailed, gathering up her fluffy, dawn-pink skirts in both hands. "This thing is really heavy!"

Of course everyone had insisted that she dress like a proper Princess. Which wouldn't have been so bad if it had been a romantic tutu or ballet wear--at least in one of those you could move, and move gracefully. As it was she trailed behind Fakir like a clumsy pink cloud: charming, in her own way, but stumbling over her gown.

[a_wider_world]

As far as celebrations went, this was relatively tame compared to the bulk of Obi-Wan's experience. There was no minefield of alien diplomacy to negotiate, no mission to pursue, no one to impress--only his children to keep an eye on, just in case. And even they, he suspected, would do well. A capable Knight and a wise Magician should have little trouble with this party.

It was, however, distinctly odd to be at a party where he had no hidden agenda.

Some of the local women--and one or two of the gentlemen--offered to show Obi-Wan the traditional festival dances. He studied them with interest and even joined in one or two of the group dances (thankfully far less complex than the Alderaan Weaver's Reel), but whenever someone with a flushed face and eager eyes approached him, he declined politely.

It wasn't that he was sad. Nor was he lonely; he had a family, a world that allowed him a second chance to explore and re-evaluate the lessons of the Force, a task to keep him occupied.

But he did, sometimes, miss having a particular presence at his side.

[loyalbeyonddeath]

"I'm your escort," Fakir said matter of factly. He was so very relieved when Duck broke the tension with her dopey cheerfulness. "Hello, Cupcake Princess."

[pas_de_ducks]

She stuck her tongue out at him in an extremely mature manner, then let go of her skirts and tried to smooth them out.

"Some escort you are, leaving a girl behind," she grumbled before turning her attention to Rue. "I came to help out. And make sure you're okay."

[schrien_die_raben]

"I am fine," Rue said, trying to smile kindly. "And I do not need an escort. Do you really think he will come out when all three of us are here searching for him?"

[loyalbeyonddeath]

"He's been just as careless in the past," Fakir said, shrugging. "It isn't as if running around alone has worked yet."

[pas_de_ducks]

"And there are so many hearts here--" Duck blurted, before she could help herself. She regretted it immediately, clapping both hands over her mouth to stifle an embarrassed quack.

[schrien_die_raben]

"We don't know if he'll do that," Rue said sharply, reprimanding. "Father isn't here, so there's no reason for him to try."

This was what she had told herself, for the past few days. It helped to think that, even with all the horrible things her foolishness had caused, at least no one would lose their heart.

[loyalbeyonddeath]

"It's safer to assume he will than to assume he won't," Fakir said. "We can't be caught unaware."

[pas_de_ducks]

Duck's hand moved reflexively to the pendant at her throat.

"We won't be," she murmured. On a sudden impulse she moved forward to take each of her friends by the hand. "I know we won't."

[schrien_die_raben]

"Yes," Rue said, nodding with a cautious smile. "We have eyes all over the castle and the village. There's no way he can hide from us for long."

old hippies are the best v-day surprises

[loveistheanswer]

Qui-Gon was getting well and truly sick of closing his eyes in one place and opening them in another place entirely. It happened less and less as he grew older and wiser, but the last two or so incidents had thoroughly shattered his patience for it. Still, he tried to take on every new experience, however unexpected an inconvenient, with a healthy curiosity. And this world - or planet, or dream, or whatever it may be - had plenty of curious things to go around. The hat and walking stick made up for it somewhat, if only in that is was funny. The sword would take some getting used to, but so would everything else.

During his explorations outside the castle, eh was drawn to (and more or less herded toward) the gathering in the field. The glow of familiar presences emanated from the stirring mass of revelers, which was a great relief. He didn't expect any of them to have answers he hadn't already been given, but at least they were safe.

there is literally none better

[a_wider_world]

A woman Obi-Wan recognized from the castle stables caught him by the hands, attempting to drag him out closer to the bonfire to dance. He laughed, more to hide his sudden awkwardness than anything else, and began to pull back. "No, really, I'm too old for--"

There, just coming into the glow of the bonfire: a figure, at least a head taller than most of the other revelers, who moved with a Jedi's self-assurance and uncannily familiar body language. Obi-Wan felt his heart turn over, felt a sudden and impossible hope shoot through his entire body like an electric shock.

When his would-be partner noticed him staring, she too turned. Which caught the attention of a handful of other people, if only in a half-interested, bemused way.

SIX FOOT EIGHT WEIGHS A FUCKING TON

[loveistheanswer]

And there was one of those familiar presences now! Qui-Gon raised his walking stick in greeting and smiled in his usual lopsided way just a second before registering the near-audible ping of emotional surge running over their connection. Something was amiss, he suspected.

HE'S COMING. HE'S COMING. HE'S COMING.

[a_wider_world]

Never mind the ridiculous hat, or the inexplicable walking stick and sword. This was a rare reunion, and Obi-Wan had learned too much from his mistakes to waste another opportunity.

He moved with quick, businesslike strides to his former teacher--and, without a single word of greeting, pulled him down for a kiss. There was no veil of oppressive misery around his feelings to lift this time: it was simply a gesture to welcome him home, to acknowledge to both the two of them and the world around them that what existed between them was comfortable and joyful and right.

Several strangers began to applaud. After all, the people of this world knew a kiss of true love when they saw it.

[trappedinatower]

Rapunzel looked on in amazement as the vast variety there was at this place. She had never seen anything quite like it in all her life, then again when you live in a tower that's to be expected when all you see is a tower.

Rapunzel had gathered up her hair, since people kept stepping all over it, making moving around rather hard as she started to walk around, looking rather happy at everything, it was so new and excited she couldn't wait to get started to the dancing and taste the food and drink.

hey uh have an ash-lass :D?

[snow_night]

Ironically enough, someone tripped over her feet, not her hair. A very small girl--dark-skinned, with stark white hair and eyebrows--nearly collided with her and went sprawling, dropping everything that had been tucked up in her arms.

"Oh no--!"

[forgloryandpower]

The whole place stank of humans. There were dozens of the lesser race milling about, all of them taller than Pharaun, all of them perhaps holding powers and abilities of which he did not know the full extent. Of his own kind, Pharaun believed he was the only one. It was strange to him, being in such a place, but there was really nowhere he had to be, and no reason not to attend and sample the local culture. He'd been among humans before, and he knew how they expected others to act and behave. Though it was alien to his nature to behave so... cheerfully, Pharaun forced himself to do it.

There was no point in making enemies, at least for the time being. Finding allies seemed to be the best option open to him. There were plenty of new things to see, and new foods to (cautiously) sample here, after all.

If only he could pick out a human that would be too hideously annoying to converse with, he thought things might be a little more tolerable.

=D

[trappedinatower]

Rapunzel jumped slightly at something on her feet, it wasn't something she was expecting at that moment. Looking down, over the gathered hair she smiled.

"Hello there, do you need help?"

[whatmuttiforgot]

Momiji didn't mind being snatched away to the celebration, though in hopes to keep from transforming he stayed away from the dancing. He instead stuck near the tables of food, content to watch the happy couples dance and stuff his cheeks with meat and ale.

\o/

[snow_night]

"Oh--um--I--"

The little girl blushed, fidgeting, and then nodded shyly. She seemed a little frightened to have been noticed at all.