EVENT: The Budehuc Ball

[quicksmart]

(( PART 2 has started! ))

The day of the ball is finally upon Budehuc, and there is a distinctive hum of excitement in the air at new life entering the quiet castle. The evening has just begun, and the weather is fantastically clear outside and still light. All day there has been the hustle and bustle of curious traders flocking to the castle to assess whether it is now a worthy trading place again, and there are many unfamiliar faces walking the castle grounds, exploring. Extensive preparations have been made, directed by none other than Sir Euram Barows himself!

“The ball will be an impressive display of the wealth, ingenuity and importance of the people of...what's this castle called again? Oh right, Budehuc. The theme: Bright new beginnings. Everything must be bright! Spread conversation pieces across the room; sculptures, art, a tapestry or two, that sort of thing. The oppressive grays of the stone need to be polished until they shine, or covered with more aesthetically pleasing tones. There must be a tablecloth, embroidered preferably, on every table and contrasting but matching drapes and flounces on the walls!”

These were the instructions given to the workers, and every detail, word for word, has been carried out… to the best of the workers’ abilities, anyway, because Euram’s vision is quite grandiose and Budehuc has hardly the materials available for such an event! The consequences of such instruction has resulted in Budehuc castle looking fairly colourful for a change, although the alterations appear to only be visible in well-traversed paths that lead to the ex-war room, which has now been transformed into a ballroom. The changes outside of the room include having moved any remaining sculptures and paintings still there from after the war to the front so that they can be seen. 

Opening the door to the war room, however, is like opening the door to another world. It's an assault of color, all of it clashing quite horrendously. There are brightly colored tablecloths, rugs and flounces. If you look closer some of the flounces are in fact bed-sheets because they ran out of material due to the short time frame, and some of those bed-sheets appear to have been painted the appropriate color by the workers, probably to please Euram and get him to shut up.

Still, there are finger foods, fine wine and tankards of ale spread upon the tables at the outer edges of the room and a small band tucked away in the corner playing live music for the dancing guests in the middle. Waiters and waitresses are constantly moving around to set items of food or drinks down and pick up glassware. 

The room is relatively quiet right now, with people sure to be trickling in and out as the night goes on!

(( OOC: Whew! Thank you very much to Junabi for providing an excellent description of the alterations that Euram has made to the castle! This post is basically a mingle post, so thread-jumping and replying to everybody is encouraged! You can start multiple threads wherever you want and everybody can reply to anyone! For re-reference, most people's outfits can be seen here.

Depending on when the first part of the ball slows down, a comment will be posted indicating "PART 2" and then you can play out the events at the conclusion of the night, after the ball has died down! ))

Comments

[quicksmart]

Me too.

[ She smiles... shyly? It's not in Agnes' nature to be shy, but she certainly feels that way right now. ]

... I'm glad you are no longer angry at me... I said things I shouldn't have.

[aloof_savant]

So did I... [ Recalling his remark about her being a poor strategist, he thinks that was a low blow. ]

...
[ He is silent for a moment, suddenly finding it much harder to ask her a simple question that he's been rehearsing for such a long time now. His heart is pounding loud again, this time easier for him to hear his pulse, given how quiet the ballroom has become. ]

H-Hey, Agnes. [ Time to muster up that confidence that he likes to show off; it's now or never. ]

[quicksmart]

Y-yes, Caesar?

[ She's still actually really unused to using just his name like that, with the last time she did it being out of anger. She looks up at him now, sort of having an idea of what's coming since he did blurt out his plan of action during their argument. She has never felt so self-conscious in her life, especially since she's usually able to lead conversations, but right now she seems immobilized with a sort of fear. ]

[aloof_savant]

I was wondering if...

[ Gulps. Let's try that again. ]

...
Would you like to dance with me? [ Good... just like he imagined. Sort of. It sounded more grandiose in his head. ]

[quicksmart]

[ Upon hearing his question, she actually giggles. Not at him! But she's still giggling a little nevertheless, possibly unable to handle how bad they both are at interacting all of a sudden even though everything was so easy before... this. ]

Y-Yes. I would... I would love to.

[ Her giggle is probably not helping. ]

[aloof_savant]

[ Lets out another huge sigh of relief. He doesn't even notice the giggling! ]

You would? Phew!

Uhh, please give me a moment. The band was just about to leave, and-- j-just a moment!

[ Ceasar sets his cape aside and approaches the band, whispering something in the frontman's ear and slipping him some extra potch. ]

[quicksmart]

O-oh! Right.

[ Would've actually probably said no if she had known that he would bribe the band, although what was she expecting? She stays put, waiting for him to come back, and she's pretty glad that everybody is gone! She fiddles with something in her pocket as she waits. ]

[aloof_savant]

[ Caesar approaches Agnes with a bit more confidence now, it's a lot easier when he feels in control of something, knowing now that Agnes isn't angry at him. ]

My Lady... [ He takes her hands slowly, he knows he'll mess up if he rushes into this routine, as much as he wants to! The band look at each other for a moment and then start playing a nostalgic tune. ]

[quicksmart]

[ She allows her hand to be taken, and grasps his tightly, smiling as the music begins. Although she had danced with Jeremy before, this feels much different -- less panicky and stumbly. She follows his lead, trusting him. ]

That sounds strange coming from you, Si-- Caesar.

[ Mumbling a little. ]

[aloof_savant]

A bit cheesy? It's my first time... Jeremy's a tough act to follow.

[ Okay, he's got her hands, time for the next step. Think Caesar! Wait, he doesn't need both hands! He lets the other hand go and hugs her waist while still keeping her other hand elevated. Okay... now brings her body in juuuuust a little bit closer his. He's managing to keep his thought process rather well so far, despite the pandemonium in his brain and vital signs. ]

[quicksmart]

[ She still doesn't know how to dance even after dancing with Jeremy earlier! She oversteps a little bit when he brings her body in closer, but manages to correct herself before colliding with him! ]

Is that a mental checklist you have?

[ She also doesn't seem quite relaxed, though, and might actually be forgetting to breathe here. ]

[aloof_savant]

Well, it's a lot harder when there's nobody around to just imitate. I'm going off by memory of what I've seen all night... [ ...Including her dance with Jeremy. Though not gonna lie, another reason he wishes he had her first dance is because she wouldn't notice any mistakes if it's the first time. Luckily war tactics have taught him to adapt to a changed situation and press on. ]

There's something wistful about this song, isn't it? I've never heard it.

[quicksmart]

I thought you picked it...?

[ Thankfully, remembers to breathe when she has to speak. The song has a fairly soothing effect, even if it makes her feel nostalgic for something she doesn't know. She leans in a little closer to him. ]

It's... a little sad, maybe even regretful. Perhaps we're projecting?

[aloof_savant]

I don't know much about music, I just described something "slow and relaxing, but not boring".

Hmm... it makes me think about an old war my grandfather and Apple served in. Well, truthfully, it makes me think about my family. My name... heh, the way you looked at me when you first learned of it. [ He seems amused by the series of flashbacks, though he can't help but wonder if things would be different had he never introduced himself as a Silverberg. ]

[quicksmart]

[ Agnes seems embarrassed at the memory that Caesar is recalling, a faint smile on her face. ]

... You weren't very happy about how excited I was, I recall. But... you gave... a sort of reason to my suddenly being here. Even if that's silly to say.

[aloof_savant]

Really? Do you feel that way even now? Knowing how difficult I can be, I mean. [ Leading the dance with more confidence by now. ]

[quicksmart]

... Yes and no.

[ She follows him with more ease now that she is able to concentrate on their conversation rather than where her feet should be. ]

Yes because I would have tried to find my way back to the Islands or the Empire had you not been here. You were a reason to stay.

[aloof_savant]

So what's keeping you from trying to find a way back now? I assume you don't wish to stay here forever...

[quicksmart]

... L-Lady Elenor died, and I left behind everybody I had met in the war.

I'm... not sure I have a future back there.

[aloof_savant]

[ He's happy to hear she has no intentions of leaving, though he's not going to show that because he knows it's selfish. Her feelings about her situation matter, too. ]

I see... it's a case of this castle being a good place as any, I understand that. You must really miss her, however. To have someone you look up to and care for, suddenly disappear like that... you would feel lost in more ways than one.

[quicksmart]

[ She looks almost pained for a split second, but she has learned to overcome this during the few months after she left for the Empire. ]

That... is a good description of it.

[ She speaks the next few words very hesitantly, having never breached this topic with Caesar before. ]

You're speaking from experience, aren't you?

[aloof_savant]

My experience is not quite the same as yours. The person who inspires me has been dead for decades, so it's not as if I suddenly lost a mentor or anything...


But..

I know you learned of my brother by now. His name came up in your notebook.

[quicksmart]

[ She looks as if she's been caught red-handed at something she wasn't supposed to be doing. ]

I... did not mean to pry without your knowledge. Sir Geddoe mentioned it very briefly.

[ She doesn't know if this is the best time to talk about it, though, even if she's dying to know more. ]

You don't have to speak about it if you do not wish to.

[aloof_savant]

[ Kind of doesn't, but not because he's trying to hide it or anything. He's already been on a moody rollercoaster, and right now he's on an emotional high. ]

I don't want to spoil this moment by admitting his existence. Maybe another day?

[quicksmart]

[ She nods firmly, not really wanting to talk about it so urgently, anyway. There are better things to focus on! ]

Another day.

[ It strikes her now how confident Caesar is in his dancing though. ]

... You practiced...?