❪ mini-event ❫ THE OLYMPIA-WYVER HOLIDAY BALL

[natha]

A TIME OF CELEBRATION     Despite the biological attacks in both Wyver and Olympia, the morale in either kingdoms is hopeful. Both cities have been ramping up their winter celebrations this month, and though they both have customs and holidays specific to their people, the themes are the same: embrace the spirit of giving, celebrate friends and family, and express gratitude for all that Thesa has given you. As a gesture of goodwill and gratitude for the shocking display of cooperation between the two kingdoms, Empress Simwe and King Shanrian have agreed to host a joint luxurious Holiday Ball at the South Outpost. This is quite unusual, as the kingdoms tend to stick to themselves, and the large and lavish celebrations are typically reserved only for the noble classes. Throwing a party on this scale is no small feat, so if you can lend a hand, leaders of either kingdoms will look upon you favorably. Submit any AC eligible thread of participating in this month's holiday events for three (3) REP points to EITHER Olympia OR Wyver. THREADS MAY BE SUBMITTED HERE FOR WYVER OR HERE FOR OLYMPIA by JANUARY 6th 11:59 PM EST. ONE WEEK UNTIL MIDNIGHT     A party doesn't just put on itself, you know. There's resources to be gathered, lavish outfits to be made, food to be prepared... don't just stand around uselessly! In the days leading up to the ball, various vendors will approach you and ask for your assistance. Yes, they can and will offer you Silver, but embrace the spirit of selfless giving, won't you? COLLECT THE RHOCEA, THE COVETED HERB OF ICE — There is a special herb that grows deep within one particular cave just south of Murkwell Hollows. Appearing to be more of a bulbous vegetable than a herb, Rhocea cooked into a batch of hot chocolate will give the pot an irresistibly delicious and earthy taste. It is an absolute must for any Wyver winter gathering, and bringing even just one bulb will net you a hefty 200 silver. You manage to find the cave with some difficulty, but even finding one bulb requires you to wander deep, deep into the cave. The openings become less spacious. At times, you can barely crawl through. Just when you've managed to find the damn herb (or perhaps you've given up and want to go back), you hear an ominous rumble and a loud crash. A part of the cave you need to pass through has collapsed, and you're now trapped! You better hope there's a passerby who can help you out, or maybe your phone can get enough reception out here to frantically call someone for help... BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE     On the day of the gala, there are paths of magic-powered, candles that line up the ways from either Wyver and Olympia that can lead even the most directionally-challenged toward the South Outpost. The sun is low on the sky when nobles begin to arrive with the lavish carriages, winged stallions, and scaled beasts, all filtering into the the Grand Hall of the South Outpost. With warmth of the sun rapidly fleeting, the dark clouds begin to tower over the Outpost. It's thanks to the tireless efforts of both locals and refugees that the town is so done up. The once-barren outpost is now decorated with evergreens and crystalline lights. By the second half of hour sixteen, the buildings have all been lit in a dazzling display of blinking, colorful lights, making the Outpost lively again as the festivities begin. The Grand Hall looks completely different inside than it does outside. It's obvious that it's been decorated for the occasion. Once-wooden pillars are now lined with blue glass-like structures to imitate the look of ice. Exotic plants hang low from the ceiling, right various tables filled with hors d'oeuvres and cocktails - some familiar; others, not so. But hey, this isn't about the food, is it? The party is just getting started. There is live music, playing tunes native to both Wyver and Olympia. Don't just stand there! There is so plenty to do. Although the gala is hosted by both Wyver and Olympia, the differences between the factions are still apparent. While all of the decorations are lavish and impressive, it's obvious at a glance which areas of the Outpost were "claimed" by which faction; Olympia favors white and gold, Wyver, red and black. The natives have dressed up for the occasion, taking their customary fashion styles to the next level in order to show off: Olympians are dressed elegantly in fine, opulent fabrics, while Wyver citizens dress to impress more subtly, dressed in rich colors trimmed with fine furs that show off their body before their wealth. Everyone is having a great time on the surface, but at points the tension between factions can show through. This isn’t enough to spoil the evening, but judgmental glancing and thinly-veiled insults are not out of place between the groups, reminding everyone that this truce is temporary. A. SPARKLE AND SHINE — A beloved and unique custom from the Olympian side of the party is to ensure any gathering is as sparkly and cheerful as possible. The people are heavy into holiday glitter, and it's all in good fun. Even if you didn't bring your own, it's highly likely you'll be caught in a glitter shower just by chance. Most of the glitter is purely for decoration, but there are those who splurged on a little magic. 1. Red Glitter: Red glitter will fill you with the spirit of giving. You will feel compelled to give something to the next person you see. It may be a plate of dessert, some Silver, or your trusty weapon. You'll feel good about it at the time, of course, since gift-giving is a lovely part of the holidays. But, will you still feel the same tomorrow morning? 2. Green Glitter: The effects of green glitter can be very comical! Coming into contact with it will temporarily (about 10 minutes) transform your nice gala outfit into a Holiday-themed costume, even if it isn't a getup you're entirely comfortable with. 3. Gold Glitter There's no escaping this one. Gold glitter is expensive, but Olympia has saved for months to have enough to lightly dust on everyone. About two hours into the gala, gold glitter will sprinkle from the ceiling, giving everyone present the urge to dance. Regardless of how you feel about dancing, it'll be hard to resist impulse to grab the person nearest to you and dance! Or maybe you just prefer dancing alone and make a show of it. Whatever your style, there's a song and a dance for everyone. It's not a party in Olympia without it! B. HOLIDAY CHEER — It isn't only the city that's been done up in these tiny sprigs of green and red. They're spread all over the venue of the Gala, as well, sometimes even slightly out of sight. The person putting these up obviously had a field day, and it's (un)fortunate that you're a victim of their mischief. There are two types of these plants. 1. BERRIED: This type has smaller leaves and pale colored berries attached to them. They will those underneath to become more affectionate with one another. Maybe you'll suddenly want to hold the hand of the person next to you, or kiss them on the cheek? Either way, it's all in the spirit of things, right? 2. FLOWERED: The ones that have darker berries and tiny flowers sprouting out of them are a bit peskier. Those caught underneath this plant will feel compelled to kiss their partner. Some of the more stubborn victims will notice that they feel unfulfilled until they do. A simple peck won't suffice— that may be enough for the pale colored berries, but not for these. It isn't a proper gathering without food, drink, and snacks. There will be small candies offered in the traditional colors of Wyver and Olympia. You may or may not know them as candy canes. Most of them are simply a delicious sugary treat, but some have been created using a special Wyver recipe. Eat one of these special Wyver candy canes, and you will find yourself craving a certain something. You have, in short, either been inflicted with an impossible to ignore oral fixation, or oddly willingly to indulge in someone else's. We don't have to go into anymore detail here, do we? You get the picture. Please warn threads appropriately for adult content. C. TEAM REPRESENTATION — As you entered the festivities, Wyver and Olympian volunteers alike will have accosted you and demanded you pick out a pin; a small, elegant ribbon in either white/gold for Olympia or red/black for Wyver. They want you, dear refugee, on their team! What does this "team sport" everyone is talking about entail? Basically proving that you're better than the other side in any way possible: while Wyver is the kingdom more interested in intense competition, even the Olympians are getting into the competitive spirit tonight. When you see someone sporting a ribbon in the opposite color, you'll be encouraged to challenge them—to whatever you can think of! If you look around, you might see some people engaging in drinking contests, dance competitions, displays of power... and even sillier things like fastest cookie decoration. Toward the end of the party, many people gather to hear about an event these volunteers have cooked up - an almost capture the flag-like game, where (if you decide to play) you'll be trying to steal the pins right off the other team's outfits. The more pins you have when the game is over, the more enticing goodie bag you'll get! If you have no pins when it's over, not even your own, don't worry... your goodie bag just won't be as cool as everyone else's. A NIGHT TO END THE YEAR     At the end of the night, most of the guests wander outside into the gardens, or into the balconies. All eyes are up to the skies. As your gaze falls upon Thesa, the sacred moon that you know to be your home space station, where you woke. It doesn't seem that the planetside is the only place that is celebrating. Up on Thesa, light begin to spill from the pores of station and then completely enveloping it. Slowly, the light dance across the skies in a slow waltz. Even the music from inside the hall have stopped, all to listen to Thesa. The natives will not have heard her as they might claim, but Darma, in conjunction with of all her Natha peers, are whispering in the wind, in an indescribable tune that you can't make out the words to, but you understand. During the light show, you will feel their gratitude that you are keeping your promise to them. They will assure you that they will hold true to their promise in the year to come. FINAL OOC NOTE     An AC-eligible thread for THREE (3) REP POINTS FOR EITHER WYVER OR OLYMPIA may be submitted from this log. SUBMIT THE THREAD HERE FOR WYVER OR HERE FOR OLYMPIA by JANUARY 6th 11:59 PM EST. We will no longer be providing overflow posts. In an event where the post hits CAPTCHA, players are advised to move threads to an overflow post on their character journals or create their own catch-all post. These threads remain eligible for AC, AC Rewards, and REP. QUICK NAV premise ● faq ● lore ● map ● npcs taken ● atp/emp ● application ● rep/acp calendar ● hiatus/drops ● modbox [ FULL NAVIGATION ] elnysa nysalogs nysaisles nysaooc elnyan

Comments

ii + iii + some wildcard to come

[america]

[ A dance or two prior to tonight isn't nearly enough practice for Steve Rogers, but he is significantly less nervous about the whole ordeal when he and Peggy step onto the dance floor for a slow number.

Peggy, of course, is a good teacher: patient and kind and a little teasing when she needs to be. And Steve isn't a bad student either, not when it counts.

He won't be twirling her around or doing anything more fancy than the standard, proper footwork, but that's just because he still needs a little more instruction.

All in due time.

(Haha, yeah right.) ]

See? Not bad, right?

[revlon]

I told you not to underestimate yourself.

[ She sounds immensely pleased — both with him and herself in making good on her promise (made all those years ago) to show him how to do this. Doesn't matter if this is the first time they've danced or the fiftieth. Finally being able to have a moment like this with Steve Rogers is something that won't ever wear off in novelty and she hasn't been able to stop smiling all night.

His hands are warm and sure, one on her lower back and the other wrapped in hers, and they stand closer together than the dance strictly calls for. But she can't help that, either. Mostly, she's glad he's looking at her rather than at his feet. (Mostly, it's the way he's looking at her.) ]

You're a fine dancer, Captain Rogers. And I couldn't ask for a better partner.

[america]

I couldn’t have asked for a better partner either. [ Steve responds, smiling that smile he saves just for her.

First or fiftieth, it’s true, moments like these continue to feel new and exciting and wonderful in ways Steve couldn’t have imagined. Every time he thinks about how much he misses Earth and home, he remembers that it comes with a price. Getting to know Peggy these past few months have been, quite honestly, the happiest he’s felt in a long, long time.

The war had gotten so hard, and life after the war, after seventy-five years spent frozen and asleep, had become harder. He feels a little more at ease with himself here in a place so alien to him he’d never even heard of it before. El Nysa. ]

All these years without dancing. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do.

[revlon]

Speak for yourself, [ she teases, eyes alight. ] This is not my first dance since 1945.

[ She didn't try to dance on V-E Day, grieving as she was. And none of the Commandos, bless them, had offered to take Steve's place on the dance floor during the festivities. Neither had Howard. No, they'd all nursed their drinks and raised them in a silent toast to those they had lost. But the world had not ended that summer; she had danced in the months before, when peacetime had seemed inevitable, when it seemed they would all make it out.

She did sway for half a minute with Jason Wilkes to "I Wanna Be Loved." (Two years later.) ]

[america]

Well, I didn't necessarily mean you or me - definitely not me - but us.

[ As though he'd ever even considered the possibility that they would ever have a chance to catch up - not until he woke up here and they found each other.

He'd accepted his fate those many, many years ago, when he flew that plane into the arctic tundra. And that promise made over radio static was just one of those things you say because 'goodbye' was too hard, too unfair. ]

I'm glad you did get to dance though. I hope you went as often as you could.

[revlon]

Oh, no. I was much too busy.

[ Little does she know that's the same excuse he's likely used in the future. She certainly has with well-meaning friends who wanted to take her out dancing or to the pictures on the weekends. Work was the safer option, was easier for her to navigate. Which is telling in of itself. But she made an executive decision to leave work at the door tonight, to let herself enjoy the evening as entirely as she could.

It's been — surprisingly easy. And nice. Really, really nice. ]

I can't very well use that excuse here, of course. Not in the same way. Not when everyone thinks I was just a humble secretary turned patrolling guardswoman. [ She huffs out a breath, amused. ] Not my best cover, I admit.

[america]

[ Steve smiles with the faintest hint of exasperation.

Of course she was busy. If they'd switched places and Steve had opportunities to go out, relax, have fun, he's not sure he would have taken much advantage of it either. Even after the war, during those years of catching up on pop culture and training a new batch of Avengers, Steve spent most of his time at the HQ training. Work was a safe, comfortable zone.

Now here he is, here they are, and it's a little easier to relax than he thought. Maybe it's present company (okay, it is definitely present company), but he's having a lot of fun tonight. It really is nice.

He affectionately rubs her arm. ]

Given how many stories there are among all of us, I don't think anyone's going to question your cover. [ He shrugs. ] I didn't even think to use one for myself. The shield kind of blows any story out of the water for one thing.

[revlon]

Yes, but that's nothing new.

[ It's teasingly but gently said. The shield has always drawn some sort of attention since it was first put into play; and as a spy, she's always been rather frustrated by it. But she understand the need, too. As the stories of Captain America spread across the front, his shield inspired hope in the troops in the trenches and became something of a warning for the Germans on the other side. Symbols are important — and so is propaganda. Steve Rogers is a soldier. Captain America is a symbol.

But God help her, that shield can still be a little ridiculous. Then again, she is the spy. Attention is the opposite of what she wants. ]

Luckily we're in a place where shields and swords and knights aren't unusual. [ A pause. ] Women who can fight aren't unusual, either. But with how things are between the factions and how quickly everyone seemed to turn on the refugees during the last crisis... [ Her voice softens as she looks up at him. ] I don't think anyone would take too kindly to my keeping a close watch on things. Best keep as low a profile as possible.

[ ... never mind that Eggsy Unwin and John Watson know the truth. But that was unavoidable. ]

[america]

True. You know what's best. [ For her job, and for her livelihood. Where spies are concerned, Steve's never really had the skill or the guff for it, but that's why he does what he does, and it's why Peggy's the best at what she does too.

There was a place for them all during the war; it's the now where finding that place can sometimes be a bit ... nebulous. ]

You bring up a good point about the two cities though. Guess it'd be a little naive to think this party might be the start of something, huh?

[revlon]

[ cont. ]