Open The Azure Festival

[Elysium]

88th Day of Winter, 512 AV The Azure Festival is an annual celebration of the heavens. Weeks prior natives of Lhavit hustle in preparation for the coming event. Local bakeries bake unique pastries in the shape of suns, moons and stars, and many men and women follow suit. People clamor to buy and fashion gifts for those they care for. Tailors and seamstress also generate a great deal of revenue fashioning costumes for the nightly camaraderie that follows the daytime worship. When the day in question arrives, a customary pilgrimage is made from the Temple of Time, to the Temple of the Sun and ending at the Temple of the Moon. Inhabitants leave small offerings and pray for the favor of the respective deities for the coming year. The temples flood with people for the greater part of the day. A common custom is to exchange gifts with the loved ones before the evening bells. The gifts are usually small but numerous and relevant to the chosen profession and deity of the person. They can be anything from a small silver ankle charm to a fresh calligraphy set. This is also when many children are bestowed with sweets. Young people also follow this trend and exchange treats in order to show favor with one another. Lovers will do much the same. The favor is especially pointed when the baked good given is homemade. When night falls, the atmosphere shifts significantly. Those participating don costumes of blue and silver to honor Zintila and her stars. Masquerade masks are also customary, generally crafted to represent one aspect of their patron deity - stars, moons, hourglasses and sundials. The whole of Lhavit turns into a large party. Though optional, the masks are a popular addition, and many assume an alternate identity for the night. Brightly colored paper lanterns are hung out from every window, the reflection from the skyglass casting a prismatic, ethereal glow on to the crowds below. The streets are lit with hues of rose, turquoise, teal, gold and green. These lights are maintained throughout the celebrations which extend far into the wee hours of the morn and are only snuffed at daybreak. Local musicians busk on street corners and merchants openly sell certain wares - mostly food and alcoholic beverage. Small curio stands are littered amongst the fare, enticing the visitor and native alike into purchasing memorabilia for the annual occurrence. Lilting laughter echoes through the various regions, as friends, neighbors and relatives lose themselves in the joyful debauchery. Each of the five peaks offer a different flavor to enjoy. OOCThis is an open thread and all are invited to post here!

[Alses]

The Glorious Eighty-Eighth. That was the term that some Lhavitians used for the Azure Festival, that topsy-turvy day of piety and debauchery where all work was suspended and the city gave itself over to revelry of all kinds. Parts of it were a sort of practice-run for Aviakittis, or at least had become so over the years even if that hadn't been the original intent, and some aspects of the festival remained an abiding mystery to Alses, even after years of living in Lhavit. Communal worship for instance, that was one which particularly exercised her. Prayer was, surely, and by its very definition, a fundamentally private concern – traipsing around the Temples of Lhavit like a herd of sheep to offer thanks in a big group seemed wrong somehow. That was only her own personal view, though, and not one that seemed to be held by the majority of Lhavit's citizens, given the ebbing and flowing waves of the crowds time and again following brilliantly-attired Taiyang, Chandra or Akka priests and priestesses, heeding the powerful call to worship. Alses, though, had no interest in joining them; she'd performed her own Observances for the season before Midwinter, even, and there was only so much organized religion she could stomach at any one time. Thankfully, the Festival had enough parallel activities that she was never bored in the daytime, even before the greater party roared into full and boisterous life all along the peaks. Preparations for the Glorious Eighty-Eighth had been going on for weeks among the industrious housewives of Lhavit, and the air every dawn had been cargoed with the scents of sugar and caramel, chocolate and spices and the yeasty, bready smell of baking on a grand scale, rising from thousands of homes and shops alike. As the date drew nearer and nearer, the rest of the city had begun to metaphorically sit up and take notice; for the last few days, the streets had been particularly clogged with citizens of all shades busily decorating – from hanging up the spiky glow-lanterns that represented the stars to honour Zintila to stringing streamers of suns and moons from tower to spire to erecting stalls and pavilions that would offer rest and easement from the excitement of the main festival. Anticipation crackled pleasantly in the air, and wherever one walked there was always the faint buzz of conversation revolving around the festival theme. Tailors and clothiers of all shades had done a roaring trade in recent weeks, selling bolt upon bolt of cloth and silver braid: grist to the sewing mills of Lhavit's families. They'd also done well out of innumerable alterations and commissions from those too lazy, busy or otherwise disinclined to spend time with thimble and thread. Come to think of it, so too must have some of the more delicate metalworkers and jewellers, preparing and modifying the masquerade masks that many in Lhavit sported when the first bells of the evening sang out, sweet and clear. Alses cast a glance at her evening costume, glittering in the sunlight streaming through her open window. Blue and silver did not suit her celestial form in the least, no – the coldest colour she could generally get away with was a rich tyrian purple. Red and gold predominated in her wardrobe, along with the occasional splash of white for variety and the aforementioned purple shades. As a Konti, though, the corpse-white paleness of her skin meant that it didn't matter what she wore; white, as with black, went with everything, sooner or later. Whatever else one might say about them, the clothiers and metalsmiths of Lhavit were undeniably skilled in the more delicate, more civilian aspects of their crafts – and a prime example of that was her mask, a beautiful creation of burnished metal, carefully engraved with extravagant sunbursts and hourglasses and polished up to a high shine. She trailed absent fingers over the curves and hollows that matched her own features – at least, her own features as a Konti - noting with approval that the sixth sunburst – one for every year she'd passed since her Fall – blended perfectly with the others. Warmed to the core from her morning bath - a rare treat that she took full advantage of, not having to haul herself up to the Shinyama Peak and the Dusk Tower for chores and/or lessons – Alses dressed quickly in her customary crimson and gold, aiming to keep at least a bit of the residual heat from the Respite's hot springs as a guard against the chill winter weather. There would, after all, be time in the twilight to come back and change into her evening guise. There was no working for anyone today; the Respite's reception desk was empty and unmanned, the door to the upper offices closed and securely locked. 'Staff must have already made their way out into the plazas,' Alses thought absently, making a beeline for the doors and following their metaphorical trail out into the bustling city that thrummed pleasantly with joy and goodwill. Alses' lips curled into a catlike smile, richly reminiscent, as a thought struck her. It was probably rather too early for the Summer King to put in an appearance; Sivah would surely favour the more uninhibited and decadent evening phase of the Festival if His gaze turned towards the starry city at all, but there was always the outside possibility that He of the naughty eyes and mirthful voice might turn up during the more solemn, pious part, to make merry mischief and liven up the day, something that, as Alses had already made her seasonal devotions, she would be quite happy to see. Especially if the tales and legends were true about his powers and influence on proceedings. As she wandered through the streets, heading for the grand processional parade of squares and plazas that made up the forecourt of Koten Temple, she cast experienced eyes over the decorations going up on all sides, listening out with a careful ear for a cry of 'Ware below!' from the toiling steeplemen overhead, stringing wires and streamers between the soaring spires of the city's buildings. Accidents happened, it was an unavoidable fact of life, and a quick ear and quicker reflexes could be vital. As it was, she made it to the grand expanses of skyglass flags unscathed, and still none the wiser as to what the actual theme for the Zintia Peak actually was this year. Stars, of course, were ever-present, from the paperchain examples the children made right up to the Glyphed skyglass lights that the Akka priesthood distributed en-masse around Surya Plaza and some way beyond. Morpher mages from the Twilight Tower had told her that Zintila's priests took care to mirror constellations so that, when seen from the air, looking down on Lhavit from on high on the night of the Glorious Eighty-Eighth was to look down on a microcosm of all the heavens. Alses had had to suppress a fiery stab of jealousy at that, and had made her excuses before she'd said something she'd undoubtedly have cause to later regret. Stars, though, meant nothing – all of Lhavit was bedecked in the blasted things – stars, moons, suns and hourglasses made up the bulk of the city's decoration. The clues to the actual theme of the peak were more subtle, and it was a source of mounting (although minor) annoyance to her that she couldn't actually seem to spot any concrete clues. 'Hang on,' she thought suddenly, stopping by one of the many fountains. 'They might not even have finished the decoration yet! I might not be seeing any evidence of a theme because they've not strung the clues up yet – they're always so secretive about it.' Thus buoyed, she went on her way with a spring in her step, stopping to chat every now and then with the less-busy merchants heroically manning their stalls and the workmen as they assembled the long trestle tables in readiness for the evening banquets. Those were generally Alses' least favourite part of the festivities, since it was almost a guarantee that some paralytically-drunk and chatty citizen would try to make her stuff her face with some delicacy. She'd learned that the Shinya overlooked the judicious use of an elbow in those sorts of circumstances, but it still made a scene, however minor, and that was something she generally looked to avoid. Aimless and amiable, speaking to all and sundry as the whim took her, Alses wandered the crowded Plaza, drinking in the sights – off to her left was the Scholar's Demise, or more precisely the narrow street that led to it, a haven for any self-respecting cocktail-lover (amongst whose company Alses counted herself) or simple idler with a few bells to spare, whilst just to her right was the bulking mass of the Ethereal Opera House, finely bedecked in festival bunting and shining brightly under Syna's warm light – truly a jewel in the crown of the City of Stars. It was one of her favourite places in all of Lhavit, the gilt and marble halls of the Ethereal Opera, and one of her commonest pastimes was to buy a ticket and simply drink in the panoply of pomp and pageantry each and every performance afforded – and, inevitably, to wonder at the singers and the extremes to which the voices could reach. The inevitable mingling during the intervals was a side-benefit, and it surely did her reputation amongst the wealthier echelons of Lhavitian society some small amount of good. She smiled happily – she hadn't had a chance to ask any of the Opera House's Powers that Be whether or not they'd be giving a festival performance of some kind, but the setting-up of – she squinted – chairs, perhaps? in the courtyard, and the occasional flash of a costume from the Balcony-level terraces (a pleasant place to spend a summer's evening's interval) – tipped the odds cautiously in favour.

[Seleucus]

Azure festival, early evening, 88th day of Winter. The streets glowed with soft, beautiful gemtone hues. Crowds surged through the streets, a city alive with bustle. Walking through the crowded Lhavitian squares was Seleucus the Lethborn. Tonight he cut a rather dramatic figure. Tall and shining, his alabaster skin reflecting the variagated hues of the lanterns He had absconded his usually more reserved form of dress for a night of party wear and finery. His typical crimson scarf exchanged for one of silver which was tucked into a vest of dark blue velvet. Framed by Seleucus' white hair and violet horns was a mask of midnight blue, a crescent version of Leth upturned like horns, mirroring Seleucus' own, on the top and decorated on the edges with four of Zintila's silver stars. Striding through the crowds the Ethaefal's senses were assaulted by an onslaught of aromas sounds and colours. Fresh baked pastries, glowing lights, merchants hawking wears in loud and exclamatory voices. If it wasn't for all the preparation for this festival I would have never known. However, even the most unobservant couldn't not find something amiss in the frenzied baking and party planning that had set in weeks before the Azure Festival. Being still fairly new to the city Seleucus hadn't known quite how to prepare, but luckily the Annals of Lhavitian History in Bharani had told him quite thoroughly what and how things should be done for the festival. Looking around Seleucus couldn't quite decide what to do. At this bell he had no stomach for sweets, nor no close friend with which to trade gifts. He wandered in an aimless, meandering fashion, taking in scents and sounds. Fortuitously he spotted a figure bedecked, not in blues and silvers, but blazing crimsons and golds. The figure walked through the currents of people, cutting towards a larger crowd in front of the opera house. A musical performance, or competition? I guess I will find out. Seleucus drifted in behind the fiery stranger.

[Elysium]

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The whole of Lhavit was fit to burst, only its narrowest byways unclogged by the mass of human traffic. Paper lanterns of vibrant hue were strung from dome to dome, the parade of colors pouring across every imaginable surface. The music of laughter punctuated the air, a counter-weight to the otherwise serious activity. Turgid debates were staged in some areas, street music in others. Verbose poets meandered through their tripe while the real artists stood back, indulging in the mass anonymity. Indeed, the flash of pomp and circumstance was everywhere, Surya Plaza sitting at the heart of it.

The crowds were enormous. Stands ringed their respective businesses, hawking food and drink right on the street. The celebration was in full tilt. From the orgy of preparation, The Opera House in particular seemed out to make this one truly unforgettable. Employees bustled to set out chairs and lay out blankets. Bodies clustered around the spectacle, eager to be the first to witness whatever was set to transpire. Chairs were placed to face the crowd as well, a makeshift podium erected in their midst. One could infer the philharmonic was readying to perform - normally was a costly affair. This however, was a special occasion.

There could be no words, except to call her radiant. Lili A'realia drifted toward the podium, readying to speak. Her lithe form was hugged by a mermaid-style dress, gold as her tumbling locks. A gilded mask adorned with a single, blazing sun framed her piercing green eyes. Every man (and even some women) hushed at the sight, gazes dewing over with adoration. Lili was universally appreciated for both her looks and the House’s success. With a wave of her hand the rest of the crowd stilled, eager to listen to the opening speech.

”Welcome,” she called. ”Welcome to the Azure Festival!” The sentiment was met with an uproar. Her arms rose grandly, gesturing to all laid before her. ”We are all blessed to be here on this day, amidst the Diamond of Kalea.” There was murmured assent to this. A wry smile crept across her face. ”Despite your inferences, we have a very impromptu performance for you all tonight.” Excitement began to ripple in heated whispers. ”In fact, I’ll need some volunteers.” Hands began to wag in the air.

Her eyes danced from face to concealed face, settling on a pair who’d just emerged from the back. There was a woman in a golden gown, her bloodless skin contrasting beautifully. Just behind her stood an Ethaefal with lustrous dark hair. Lili arched a perfect brow. ”The beautiful lady from the back and the man beside her,” she gestured to the two. Those around them turned in awe. ”You're both perfect. Please come forward!” She called.

As she waited for their consent, she continued the explanation. ”Tonight we shall play through a classic tale, a tale of two lovers.” Her grin widened. ”In honor of the masque we shall have these volunteers act the main roles, pantomiming as action unfolds around them. They’ll be quickly briefed and the actual event shall begin in a bell’s time.” She winked at them expectantly. Cheers erupted everywhere and strangers urged them to come forward, their selection being an incredible stroke of fortune.
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[Alses]

As she drew closer to the imposing bulk of the Ethereal Opera, her eyes were able to pick out more and more of the details; those were chairs, oh, and there were blankets, too, the whole façade of the opera house getting ready for a grand spectacle. Formally-dressed people milled about under the arches, every one of them masked, in accordance with Festival tradition, and many of them holding fine instruments of one flavour or another: doubtless the famed Lhavit Philharmonic Orchestra gearing up to provide an aural fantasia for the gathering crowds – and the crowds were gathering, drawn by the activity from all across the grand expanse of Surya Plaza. Alses quickened her pace, so as to be in the vanguard and so secure herself a prime position, but others had evidently had the same idea and so by the time she arrived at the Ethereal Opera's forecourt there was already a small crowd there, drinking in the festival atmosphere and the near-palpable anticipation which scented the air, speculation drifting up from the chatting citizens – would it be the impressive pomp, exuberant majesty and full-bore sonic bombardment of Falkenhayn's Catastrophe suite, from the Ballad of Two Kingdoms, or maybe the delicate, wistful strains of the Whispers aria? Perhaps even Sunrunner's sweeping Grasslands symphony? Alses smiled and let the chatter wash over her; it was rather like being at one of the Opera House's innumerable functions, only with less champagne, and that thought was a rather soothing one, especially when coupled with the fact that it was pleasingly anonymous behind her burnished mask, no-one to recognize her or judge her on the pallid blankness of her mortal chain. She kept a weather eye out for Chiona Dusk, just in case, certain that she would be at the Festival somewhere, helping to hold up the banner and honour of House Dusk in the city. There was some sort of commotion at the Opera House's imposing frontage, a ripple of attention which ran through the crowds. Alses scowled – yet another disadvantage of being a diminutive Konti – and craned her neck to see just what was going on under the marble and skyglass colonnades. Ah. Well, no wonder there had been that appreciative intake of breath – holding the gathering audience in the palm of her hand simply by her presence as she moved towards the makeshift podium that had been set up in the centre of a half-circle of orchestra chairs, was the laurelled Director of the Ethereal Opera, resplendent as ever in a numinous costume that would have put the raiment of Queen Kova to shame. Alses indulged herself, and cast a warmly appreciative gaze over Lili A'realia, safe behind her mask and mortal chain both. She'd seen enough of the Ethereal Opera's owner – albeit generally from a distance – on various visits to the Opera House to recognize her, even if she was masked. In truth, her figure was rather a sight on the order of 'once seen and never forgotten', especially given those delicious form-fitting dresses the mistress of the Opera happily tended to favour. Acting as gold-gowned compere to the evening's prospective entertainment only cemented her identity, too, not that it mattered much; she was rather unique, well-known (to say the least) around the city. She was shocked out of her comfortable appreciation of Lili A'realia's splendid features in short order, though, when the shining star of a Director proclaimed: “In fact, I'll need some volunteers,” quickly followed by a grand gesture straight at her and: “The beautiful lady at the back and the man beside her.” Quickly, Alses whipped around to see who Lili had been meaning; rather than finding anyone, she was met instead by a line of encouraging, beaming faces and a wave of sound urging her forward with an almost physical force. She turned to the side, already moving forward by the pressure of the crowd, and her vision was struck by celestial glory. A sharp stab of that oldest of pains went through her heart even as she drank in the sight of a Lethaefal in full glow, moonlight making a spangled corona of lights around his glassy, half-there horns and leaping to gentle moonstone fire on his skin. Soft light gleamed on his lips and pooled in his eyes, detailed the exquisite classical proportions of his body and highlighted every fluid shift of the perfect musculature beneath his shining hide. It was less sudden, less immediate than when she was confronted with another Synaborn, the wrenching pain and prickling loss, but in its own way more cutting; when she saw another child of Syna they were both at least on an even footing, but before the gently-shining Lethaefal next to her, she felt small, insignificant, and even more wretchedly imperfect than usual, and never mind that the nacreous scales which wound up her arms and legs, washed over her back and belly and merged seamlessly into corpse-white skin at her forehead were brightly iridescent tonight with the many and conflicting light sources all around. 'Is this how mortals feel when they see an Ethaefal?' she wondered. 'If so, I don't know how they stand our collective presence in Lhavit!' “Oh, no – that is, I can't...” she muttered feebly, against the tide of encouragement that was sweeping her – and presumably the other unfortunate sacrifice to the altar of theatre – along. It seemed futile to resist; from every side there came murmurs of encouragement and envy and even admiration, inexplicably not all of it directed at the Lethaefal, presumably bobbing in the crowd close behind her; she didn't dare look for fear of doing something...unfortunate. The crowd closed up ranks as she passed through its heart, cutting off avenues of escape, and in short order she'd been surfed from her nice, safe, anonymous position at the back to right in the limelight, as it were, under the expectant golden gaze of the Director of the Ethereal Opera and what must have been several hundred people. Alses felt herself wilt and give in under the pressure of the gazes, choosing, as so many others had down the centuries, potential delayed humiliation over the here-and-now embarrassment of making a run for it. There was a roaring in Alses' ears at the thought of being seen by so many people at once, and time and again she fervently blessed whichever deity had decided masks and masquerades were a good idea; hers covered more of her face than was precisely usual, following every curve and contour, and didn't show her shock and fear to all and sundry. “Syna defend me, I must be quite mad,” she gulped, and gave a flutteringly nervous smile to Lili, made all the more wavering by the butterflies which generally hatched in her stomach when she was near the woman. She snuck another glance at the Lethaefal, in the sure and certain knowledge that the sharpness of regret would cut through the nerves and the butterflies both.

[Elysium]

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’A fine sight,’ he thought to himself, eyeing the swell of Lili’s hips. It was a very flattering dress in both color and design, though he didn’t know much about women’s dresses. His sensual mouth pulled up into a smirk, imagining her usual reply to his less-than-subtle flirtation. Something prickly, no doubt. For such a stunning façade, the interior was all business. He ran a hand through his dark hair, contemplating moving to the front. That was, until she turned around.

The young Vantha’s eyes widened fractionally, shifting from mercurial blue to vivid green. The woman in question wore a bemused and somewhat wounded expression, glancing back to the other “volunteer” just behind. Her skin was alabaster in the fresh moonlight and her eyes verdant as a dewed grass. Aoru’s lips parted despite his sudden inability to breathe. She was breathtaking. There was something specifically about the slight color in her cheeks that he found intriguing – most would have died a thousand deaths to have a shot at this, yet there she was… Wracked with indecision. The crowd surged forward as she and her Ethaefal companion moved to the front.

Reacting wholly on instinct, he strode forward. The crowd parted like water before him. Before the chosen man could take two more steps he caught him by the elbow and gently pushed him back. ”You’re outmatched,” he breathed coolly, passing by. Not a single moment was spared in consideration of the Lethborn’s feelings. He had all of eternity to court beautiful women. Life for humans on the other hand, was pitifully short.

”Present,” he said with a rougish grin, halting at the woman’s flank. Lili fixed him with a withering look. ”Aoru,” she began in protest, but his focus had already turned. ”Excuse me,” he said, beseeching the woman before him. He wanted to see her face in earnest.

At first glance, Aoru blended well with the crowd. His color scheme was midnight and blue and his adornments, of the night sky. From what one could glean beyond the mask, his gaze was still the same shade of green; pleasure, mischief and joy radiated from almond eyes. There was an aristocratic look about him, from the broad planes of his cheeks to the lithe build on which his clothes hung. Even his demeanor was poised for all his playfulness – both thumbs hooked into his pockets, with shoulders rolled back. He looked quite unflapped by Lili’s ire, despite the fact her stare was boring a hole between his eyes.

”My name is Aoru and I am a violinist of the Philharmonic here.” He gave a florid bow, clearly amused. ”It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Flushed with anger, the Director cleared her throat. ”Well, since you’re so keen, you can play the part of the star-struck lover. It suits you,” she concluded darkly. He brushed it off, still smiling at his new counterpart.

”Anyway,” she continued more quietly. ”Let’s move to the House. From there I’ll show you what to do.” She offered Alses a kindly smile and turned to lead the way. "She's a kitten," he whispered ironically. Her shoulders tensed, but she graciously remained silent.
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[Alses]

As if to add to Alses' nerves, there was yet another unexpected development; from out of the left field, as it were, there came a statuesque figure, striding out of the crowd and carrying himself with an air of absolute assurance and total confidence that saw the citizenry in front of him simply melt away. Alses turned from her conflicted contemplation of the radiant Director at the flash of movement, just in time to see a trim and lithe figure effortlessly intercept the Lethaefal a half-step or so behind her. A brief exchange of muttered words – she was too far away, the crowd's noise too great, to catch what was said - saw the celestial figure melt back, perhaps gladly, into the audience. It was an audience, rather than a simple crowd now, too, and internally Alses quailed at the thought of hundreds of people watching, evaluating, judging her. She was distracted however, the very next second, from that awful thought and the concomitant desire to have the ground swallow her up. “Excuse me,” came a pleasant voice, rich and silky and flowing like liquid chocolate, a lascivious invitation couched in innocence somehow encoded in the very tone. Alses turned on the spot, dragging her eyes from the resplendent Lili who, it had to be said, was very difficult to stay annoyed with, especially when in full and radiant bloom, the callous side of her hidden beneath a thick coating of effervescent charm and goodwill. Rather a microcosm for the Ethereal Opera, when one thought about it, though there was no time to dwell on that too much. The speaker, standing companionably next to her – rather closer than she was used to, actually; as an Ethaefal people tended to keep their distance just a little bit, and she didn't have a great deal of experience with her mortal chain – had very, very green eyes, seeming to swirl and dance with a thousand melting variations on viridian, quite a contrast to the midnight and silver of his festival robes and mask. Lili A'realia, still resplendent, seemed to be trying to bore a hole clear through the newcomer via the sheer, unremitting force of her glare, even as he introduced himself more fully, sweeping a courtly, flourishing bow that wouldn't have been out of place in Nymkarta Palace. Where had that thought come from? Nymkarta, Nymkarta...the name was familiar, for some reason, resonating with a whole host of memories, but she couldn't quite place it... With a brief shake of her head, she came back to the here-and-now, her lips curving up into a small smile, even as she returned his bow, operating purely on ingrained reflex. “The pleasure is mine, Aoru. My name is-” a brief, split-second pause, almost too small to notice “-Sela.” It was the name she used – rarely – to separate her two halves. Easy to remember, a simple reversal of her chosen name with a letter removed to make it trip cleanly off the tongue, but it still wasn't quite as natural and instant as 'Alses' had become over the years. “Apprentice at the Dusk Tower,” she finished, quietly, hoping that, with luck they would mistake her stumble for nerves, of which it had to be said she was a jangling, tingling bundle. Fortunately, at that point, Lili stepped in, eyes dark with barely-suppressed irritation at the effortless subversion of her entertainment. “Well, since you're so keen you can play the part of the star-struck lover. It suits you.” And there was the dark underbelly of the shining Director, two spots of high colour appearing on her cheeks and a tightly-controlled verbal snap lashing out at the urbanely confident Aoru, whose rakish grin and frankly appraising eyes were doubtless pitched to annoy Lili A'realia as much as possible – although why he chose to irritate and needle his employer, along with the reason for his hijacking of her choice in 'volunteers', was so much mud to her. Alses didn't dare touch upon her talents to wring so much as a hint of a reason from his aura, not so near the crowd with its massed ranks of auras waiting to wash over her weakened state and take her away on a tide of emotion and passion. The vague, mantling impressions she got from the ever-active low synchrony were already quite powerful enough in that regard; they'd steamrollered over her on a tide of emotions and led to her current predicament, a stand-in actor for one of the glorious Ethereal Opera's shows, against her own better judgement. The die was cast, as a scholar might say, and there seemed to be little recourse but to bob along in the prevailing current until she either saw things through or an opportunity for escape presented itself, a prospect that was looking more and more distant every second. "Anyway," Lili continued more quietly, her anger banked and squirreled away behind the polished mask. "Let’s move to the House. From there I’ll show you what to do." There was even a kindly smile attached to that, proof positive that she in no way associated Alses' corpse-pale mortal chain with the burning Ethaefal of the day; the two hadn't parted on the best of terms the last time they'd met. To the cheers – and catcalls, as Aoru seemed to feel the need to stand closer still – of the crowd, Lili turned, even before Alses could formulate a response, ready to sweep majestically towards the arching portico of the Ethereal Opera and the maze of corridors and practice halls that lay beyond. 'It looks like I'm going to experience the Azure Festival rather more intimately than I'd planned,' she thought, resigned and - as they turned away from the scrutinizing audience and the roar of conversation faded somewhat with distance - with just a frisson of nascent excitement tingling down her spine. Her shoulders came back and down, no longer half-hunched in a defensive, worried position, and her head angled up. “Lead on, madam Director,” she all-but instructed, turning to meet Aoru's amused gaze and pretending not to notice the way Lili's perfect shoulders bunched under the sheer silk of her gown as he murmured, mischievously: “She's a kitten.” “You mean vicious, lazy and self-serving?” Alses whispered back, voice pitched so as to only just carry to Aoru's ears and no further and her face - such as could be seen behind her mask - carefully, theatrically blank, conveying amusement by the sheer lack of its outward expression. Alses raised her clear voice once more as they passed under the shadowed portico and into the Opera House proper. "What, exactly, are Aoru and myself to perform, if you don't mind me asking? I warn you now, too: I'm afraid I've no acting experience whatsoever."

[Elysium]

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”What a beautiful name,” he mused aloud, eyes effervescent in the muted light. With a knowing stare, he glanced back at her. ”It seems to be missing something, however.” What sort of person had no surname? He internally filed away that position with the Dusk Tower. If all went well, he’d come calling soon enough. Konti were extremely rare in the City of Stars and he had to admit, she’d captured his imagination. There was a quiet strength beneath that beautiful exterior. The challenge was exposing it.

As they strolled, his hand hovered politely above her lower back. For the night, he was dressed as a gentlemen - it was only fair that he acted like one. Lili took the vanguard, keeping a consistent few feet between the pair. It was obvious that she wanted no part of the violinist’s perverse scheme, and that suited him just fine. But startlingly enough, Sela seemed amused at his deprecating remark. A velvet chuckle sprang from between smiling lips. ”I couldn’t have said it better.” He winked at her and in that moment, his identity was clear; Aoru, the loveable rogue. Most likely a womanizer and a scoundrel, but loveable nonetheless.

The journey was mercifully brief, ending onstage in the building’s core. Once within, the man removed his mask with a graceful hand. ”Don’t worry,” Lili replied congenially toward Sela, making her displeasure obviously one-sided. ”We’ve designed this to be short and sweet.” She deliberately ignored his mounting amusement. ”It is a performance piece so you can be as ostentatious as you like.” As Lili plodded on, it seemed they drew closer to the source of that annoyance. The more she spoke, the broader he grinned. ”To summarize, both man and woman see one another from across the stage. They run to embrace and share a kiss.” The word kiss seemed to do it. Aoru had been privy to this information and used it to his advantage. ”From there, you look in love while the music swells. It’s all very moving. This is alright, isn’t it?” She pointedly gazed at her, providing ample time to refuse.

”Shall we begin practice?” He interceded, gesturing to the cadre of musicians now taking their place. ”I believe we’re down to half a bell.” Lili replied with a chilly smile. ”Of course. Let me know if you’d still like to refuse.” With a few floating steps she descended to the orchestra level, from where she’d direct the action.

”Now then,” she said. Aoru seized the opportunity to glance over at Sela. His eyes swept over her delicate countenance, stuttering momentarily to linger at her lips. ”One, two, three.” With a graceful gesture, the music began. He was having a bit of trouble breathing as he found the will to look away. Of course, as a Vantha, his look betrayed him – a sheepish grin and eyes now the color of lush violet. His sensual mouth broke into a very attractive smile. ”Please,” he mouthed, hoping to melt her resolve. If she backed out now, the whole thing would be ruined.

Lili began to talk them through it. ”Okay, follow his lead. He knows what to do. Just mirror his actions.” Her previous displeasure evaporated behind a professional veneer. At a certain chord progression, he began to approach. ”Don’t be afraid,” he said kindly, gazing upon her as a blind man would gaze upon the sun. ”You’re doing great. We notice one another, then walk and meet here in the middle. From there, we just enjoy the music.” He held out an elegant hand.
e

[Elysium]

Alses

Experience
Observation +4
Rhetoric +2
Subterfuge +1

Lore
Lhavit: The Azure Festival
Seleucus, the Enigmatic Ethaefal
Aoru, the Lovable Rogue
How to Perform the "Lover's Pantomime"

Notes
Seleucus, if you ever return I'll be happy to add your grade here. Otherwise I declare this festival complete! If you have any other inquiries, please submit them post-marked to the Offices of Elysium.