Just Add Bacon on Oct 31, 2013 wrote:

The small island was decorated beautifully - the trees' golden leaves sparkled in the pale moonlight, and the water fountain in the courtyard glittered from the flickering candles. The crisp night air felt wonderful on the skin of all of those that got to experience it, and it seemed to be a perfect night, a cloudless sky revealing blazing stars and a full moon. It was the night of the costume party, and a young girl stood before a tall stone building. Gargoyles guarded the corners silently, and fake spider webs dangled from the trees. The girl walked inside and gazed around.

The place was magnificent. The golden wood floor shone in the firelight and the stone walls had a wonderful warming feel. Ahead of her was a stage for musicians to play, and to the left was food while to the right there were many tables, each one decorated with a beautiful white silk cloth with silver thorn embroidery. The main section of the room was for dancing, completely empty of tables and chairs, allowing room for swaying couples. It was about an hour before the party, so no one was there yet, but out of sheer excitement the girl had come early.

The girl, dressed as a Valencian duchess, twirled onto the floor, a smile on her face. She was so excited for the party and also wonderfully nervous, and she held up her arms to an invisible partner. She swayed and spun and twirled in the Waltz, the smile never leaving her face, her eyes closed. Her dancing was interrupted, though, when she bumped into someone.

"Whoops! Sorry about that, Liz!" Both girls stood up, blushing and brushing back stray strands of hair that had come undone in the collision.

Lizzy laughed, helping her friend up. "That was my fault Alura, I should probably be dancing with my eyes open next time."

"Yeah, that would be good idea, but it's not nearly as fun!" Alura picked up Lizzy's arms and the two spun around, laughing and smiling. The two broke apart, each of them still spinning until their momentum stopped. The two girls swayed for a moment, holding their heads and trying to stop the world from spinning, laughing and laughing.

"Whew!" Lizzy cried when she finally regained her senses, stumbling towards the stone wall and resting her hand on it for balance. When they each had caught their breaths, Lizzy spoke. "That was a great idea of yours, hosting a costume party!"

Alura, dressed as a Marleybonian Maiden, grinned, her eyes darting around from still being dizzy. "Thanks, but it wasn't entirely my idea. Rowan thought of it first as a tease. I just made it come to life!"

Lizzy chuckled, walking over to the table and grabbing some drinks for the two of them, handing one of the plastic cups to Alura. "Tell Rowan I said thanks, that was a great idea of hers."

Alura smiled and graciously accepted the cup of fruit punch. She held it up in the air to make a toast, Lizzy mimicking the action. "To a successful costume party!" Alura cheered.

"To a successful costume party!" Lizzy echoed, and the two girls drank.

Just Add Bacon on Oct 31, 2013 wrote:

The small island was decorated beautifully - the trees' golden leaves sparkled in the pale moonlight, and the water fountain in the courtyard glittered from the flickering candles. The crisp night air felt wonderful on the skin of all of those that got to experience it, and it seemed to be a perfect night, a cloudless sky revealing blazing stars and a full moon. It was the night of the costume party, and a young girl stood before a tall stone building. Gargoyles guarded the corners silently, and fake spider webs dangled from the trees. The girl walked inside and gazed around.

The place was magnificent. The golden wood floor shone in the firelight and the stone walls had a wonderful warming feel. Ahead of her was a stage for musicians to play, and to the left was food while to the right there were many tables, each one decorated with a beautiful white silk cloth with silver thorn embroidery. The main section of the room was for dancing, completely empty of tables and chairs, allowing room for swaying couples. It was about an hour before the party, so no one was there yet, but out of sheer excitement the girl had come early.

The girl, dressed as a Valencian duchess, twirled onto the floor, a smile on her face. She was so excited for the party and also wonderfully nervous, and she held up her arms to an invisible partner. She swayed and spun and twirled in the Waltz, the smile never leaving her face, her eyes closed. Her dancing was interrupted, though, when she bumped into someone.

"Whoops! Sorry about that, Liz!" Both girls stood up, blushing and brushing back stray strands of hair that had come undone in the collision.

Lizzy laughed, helping her friend up. "That was my fault Alura, I should probably be dancing with my eyes open next time."

"Yeah, that would be good idea, but it's not nearly as fun!" Alura picked up Lizzy's arms and the two spun around, laughing and smiling. The two broke apart, each of them still spinning until their momentum stopped. The two girls swayed for a moment, holding their heads and trying to stop the world from spinning, laughing and laughing.

"Whew!" Lizzy cried when she finally regained her senses, stumbling towards the stone wall and resting her hand on it for balance. When they each had caught their breaths, Lizzy spoke. "That was a great idea of yours, hosting a costume party!"

Alura, dressed as a Marleybonian Maiden, grinned, her eyes darting around from still being dizzy. "Thanks, but it wasn't entirely my idea. Rowan thought of it first as a tease. I just made it come to life!"

Lizzy chuckled, walking over to the table and grabbing some drinks for the two of them, handing one of the plastic cups to Alura. "Tell Rowan I said thanks, that was a great idea of hers."

Alura smiled and graciously accepted the cup of fruit punch. She held it up in the air to make a toast, Lizzy mimicking the action. "To a successful costume party!" Alura cheered.

"To a successful costume party!" Lizzy echoed, and the two girls drank.

Just Add Bacon on Nov 2, 2013 wrote:

"Glad you like the punch." Lizzy said with a smile. "Although I do feel a little bad, I didn't really have the stomach to make anything more than vegetarian food..." She chuckled at Alura's enthusiasm for the cookies that she had made earlier. Alura's hand suddenly retracted from the cookies, though.

"Of course, I wouldn't want to get crumbs on my dress prior to the party. After all, we're the first pirates to host an event on the Isle of Hounds after the war with the armada." Alura spoke to Lizzy, turning on her heel and marching back over to her friend, who was still nursing her cup of fruit punch by the table of which she had gotten it.

Lizzy's expression fell, and she took on a sad look, suddenly gazing down at her own white dress while thinking about the past. Don't be so sure that the war with the armada is over. Lizzy thought, turning to look out the window. The most eye-catching thing in the skyway was the remains of Beachhead, and there were still armada ships roaming the sky. It's not really safe yet.

"Oh, Lizzy, Alura," A girl exclaimed, making Lizzy jump and almost spill the punch onto her dress. She just barely managed to avoid the accident, spinning around and quickly setting the cup on the table before anything else could happen that might endanger her costume. "What a wonderful idea! No danger, no intrigue, just music, friendly companionship, and lots of dancing!" Anne, an excellent friend of Lizzy's, twirled over to the two girls. "Oh, I hope we do the minuet!"

"Hi, Anne!" Lizzy smiled, hugging her friend. "Of course! We're going to do all sorts of dancing tonight." She picked up Anne's arms and twirled with her as well. "I'm so excited!" She squealed, spinning away.

When she stopped spinning, Lizzy glanced upward to find Kai jumping into a pile of hay, showering her with stray straws. She giggled and plucked off the pieces, then smiled to Kai and said "Thanks for coming! I hope you have fun!"

Lizzy, still smiling, strode to the door to greet any more guests that would be coming to the party.
~
OOC: Hey guys! I'm so glad that you're going to be participating in the roleplay. I'm looking forward to what all will be in store. This idea was originally Alura's, I just had the honor of creating the thread. I hope you enjoy it! By the way Emma, Alura and I turned down a few ideas about our costumes before we came across Marleybonian Maiden and Valencian Duchess, maybe they might help to give you some ideas? Viking (Lizzy, staying true to her Grizzleheim past), Mooshu Monk, Yum Yum Fruit, and several others that Alura and I can't currently remember (we're talking on the phone right now XD).

Here are a few more ideas:

Cool Ranch Bandit

Samoorai

Marleybonian Admiral (considering Emma, not quite a costume, but still something fun to wear)

Those are everything that I can come up with right now. Good luck finding a costume, Emma!

Just Add Bacon on Nov 2, 2013 wrote:

"Glad you like the punch." Lizzy said with a smile. "Although I do feel a little bad, I didn't really have the stomach to make anything more than vegetarian food..." She chuckled at Alura's enthusiasm for the cookies that she had made earlier. Alura's hand suddenly retracted from the cookies, though.

"Of course, I wouldn't want to get crumbs on my dress prior to the party. After all, we're the first pirates to host an event on the Isle of Hounds after the war with the armada." Alura spoke to Lizzy, turning on her heel and marching back over to her friend, who was still nursing her cup of fruit punch by the table of which she had gotten it.

Lizzy's expression fell, and she took on a sad look, suddenly gazing down at her own white dress while thinking about the past. Don't be so sure that the war with the armada is over. Lizzy thought, turning to look out the window. The most eye-catching thing in the skyway was the remains of Beachhead, and there were still armada ships roaming the sky. It's not really safe yet.

"Oh, Lizzy, Alura," A girl exclaimed, making Lizzy jump and almost spill the punch onto her dress. She just barely managed to avoid the accident, spinning around and quickly setting the cup on the table before anything else could happen that might endanger her costume. "What a wonderful idea! No danger, no intrigue, just music, friendly companionship, and lots of dancing!" Anne, an excellent friend of Lizzy's, twirled over to the two girls. "Oh, I hope we do the minuet!"

"Hi, Anne!" Lizzy smiled, hugging her friend. "Of course! We're going to do all sorts of dancing tonight." She picked up Anne's arms and twirled with her as well. "I'm so excited!" She squealed, spinning away.

When she stopped spinning, Lizzy glanced upward to find Kai jumping into a pile of hay, showering her with stray straws. She giggled and plucked off the pieces, then smiled to Kai and said "Thanks for coming! I hope you have fun!"

Lizzy, still smiling, strode to the door to greet any more guests that would be coming to the party.
~
OOC: Hey guys! I'm so glad that you're going to be participating in the roleplay. I'm looking forward to what all will be in store. This idea was originally Alura's, I just had the honor of creating the thread. I hope you enjoy it! By the way Emma, Alura and I turned down a few ideas about our costumes before we came across Marleybonian Maiden and Valencian Duchess, maybe they might help to give you some ideas? Viking (Lizzy, staying true to her Grizzleheim past), Mooshu Monk, Yum Yum Fruit, and several others that Alura and I can't currently remember (we're talking on the phone right now XD).

Here are a few more ideas:

Cool Ranch Bandit

Samoorai

Marleybonian Admiral (considering Emma, not quite a costume, but still something fun to wear)

Those are everything that I can come up with right now. Good luck finding a costume, Emma!

DS Devereaux on Nov 2, 2013 wrote:

OOC: By request, Warwick meets another roleplay!

Warwick Orleans, upon a flight of stairs overlooking the decorated courtyard, sighed uncomfortably, reading over a scroll. Six months had passed since he had traveled off in search of his parents - of course, to no avail - and had gotten a letter from his dear friend Lizzy. Warwick didn't necessarily have the time to dress up, but he did make do by giving his Aquilan armor a good polishing and by buying a newer helmet.

If anybody asks, Warwick reminded himself, You're supposedly dressed as a Spartan eagle, minus a good spear. Walking down the stairs, the scales of the armor clinked against one another, providing for all but a silent entrance. A playful breeze interrupting the humidity of the evening blew Warwick's cape back, revealing messy patchwork and the crests of three different ships; A Marleybonian golden bone adorned with red spots for jewels; The crest of a ship called the Golden Gryphon; And a crest of his own, a sitting fox surrounded by stars. Taking a cup of fruit punch from a table, Warwick slid into the small crowd, looking for familiar faces. Even if he did see one, though, he decided not to address it. Slowly, he recognized faces - Alura's, Keira's - and shied away from them.

You ought to remember, if they do, Warwick retorted, You're no more of a brute than you are one...who belongs here. The fact seemed to grow in Warwick's mind as Lizzy and Alura wrapped up a twirling waltz. He knew the steps, having watched it when he had spent time in Marleybone. Maybe I should go...

Just Add Bacon on Nov 5, 2013 wrote:

Lizzy stared at the piece of armada sail protruding from Warwick's helmet, her face white with horror. "We need to go outside." She said abruptly, and without further notice, she sharply grabbed Warwick's hand and led him to the door. Lizzy turned and gestured hurriedly to Alura, her expression reading Please! Do something! Distract the others!

She then hastily turned and followed Warwick out the door. They brushed past some kid dressed as a wolf, and he seemed familiar, but Lizzy didn't have enough time or collected thought to greet him. The crisp chilly air of the small island known as the Isle of Hounds was such a contrast from the warmth of the ballroom inside that Lizzy instantly got chilly, running her hands up and down her arms and then hugging herself to keep warm. Lizzy looked at Warwick, trying to contain her look of alarm and fear but failing. She opened her mouth and closed it several times, trying to produce some sort of response, but she ended up just looking like a goldfish.

Lizzy finally managed to say something. "I can't believe it!" She rubbed the back of her neck, the festivities of the party that her friend was throwing now at the back of her mind. "That unmarked stormgate leads to Valencia. Remember? There was a war between the powers, Marleybone, Monquista, and Valencia. They must have had direct passages to each of their worlds. That stormgate probably leads to Valencia, and I bet there's another stormgate here in Marleybone that's the same way."

This can't be happening.

How would Alura take this?

Not now, please!

No! We all need a break to relax and recruit... we can't handle another war right now.

These thoughts and many others crashed in her mind all at once, but Lizzy silenced them and put her hand to her head, calming herself and thinking. "I think the clockworks are planning..." Lizzy glanced anxiously to the door and although no one could overhear them, Lizzy didn't want to take any chances. She leaned into Warwick and lowered her voice to a whisper. "I think they're planning to conquer Monquista and Marleybone, for good. Beachhead was a major defeat for the armada, yes, but that won't stop them. Have you noticed that for the last several months, armada activity has greatly decreased? I think they were saving their energy for a final attack. Think about it, once they conquer Monquista and Marleybone, the whole Spiral will fall into disarray in terror. The armada will have control of the major worlds of the Spiral, and all the rest of us will only have the option of surrender. Checkmate. The armada wins. Game over."

Lizzy hyperventilated for a moment, then collapsed onto a nearby bench seated to be looking at the fountain in the middle of the courtyard. She had her head buried in her hands, but she looked back upward to Warwick. "I'm probably just overthinking this." She said, a hint of defeat in her voice. "You know more about wars than I do... What do you think, Warwick?"

Sam Underhill on Nov 3, 2013 wrote:

Sam finished getting into his costume and headed off for the party. All that was left was to put the head on, but that made it somewhat difficult to see. So he waited until he was at the door before putting it on. He checked the basket of goodies, which included (although not limited to) chocolate brownie tarts (of which you can never get enough), chocolate cupcakes, and chocolate candy drops. Sam had lined the basket with a crimson riding hood for effect, then donned the costume's wolf head. Bonnie Anne had a good laugh when she told him wolf's head actually meant outlaw in ancient Marleybonian.

He took a deep breath, knocked once, then opened the door and growled menacingly, "Helllloooo, you tasty morsels."

Just Add Bacon on Nov 5, 2013 wrote:

Lizzy stared at the piece of armada sail protruding from Warwick's helmet, her face white with horror. "We need to go outside." She said abruptly, and without further notice, she sharply grabbed Warwick's hand and led him to the door. Lizzy turned and gestured hurriedly to Alura, her expression reading Please! Do something! Distract the others!

She then hastily turned and followed Warwick out the door. They brushed past some kid dressed as a wolf, and he seemed familiar, but Lizzy didn't have enough time or collected thought to greet him. The crisp chilly air of the small island known as the Isle of Hounds was such a contrast from the warmth of the ballroom inside that Lizzy instantly got chilly, running her hands up and down her arms and then hugging herself to keep warm. Lizzy looked at Warwick, trying to contain her look of alarm and fear but failing. She opened her mouth and closed it several times, trying to produce some sort of response, but she ended up just looking like a goldfish.

Lizzy finally managed to say something. "I can't believe it!" She rubbed the back of her neck, the festivities of the party that her friend was throwing now at the back of her mind. "That unmarked stormgate leads to Valencia. Remember? There was a war between the powers, Marleybone, Monquista, and Valencia. They must have had direct passages to each of their worlds. That stormgate probably leads to Valencia, and I bet there's another stormgate here in Marleybone that's the same way."

This can't be happening.

How would Alura take this?

Not now, please!

No! We all need a break to relax and recruit... we can't handle another war right now.

These thoughts and many others crashed in her mind all at once, but Lizzy silenced them and put her hand to her head, calming herself and thinking. "I think the clockworks are planning..." Lizzy glanced anxiously to the door and although no one could overhear them, Lizzy didn't want to take any chances. She leaned into Warwick and lowered her voice to a whisper. "I think they're planning to conquer Monquista and Marleybone, for good. Beachhead was a major defeat for the armada, yes, but that won't stop them. Have you noticed that for the last several months, armada activity has greatly decreased? I think they were saving their energy for a final attack. Think about it, once they conquer Monquista and Marleybone, the whole Spiral will fall into disarray in terror. The armada will have control of the major worlds of the Spiral, and all the rest of us will only have the option of surrender. Checkmate. The armada wins. Game over."

Lizzy hyperventilated for a moment, then collapsed onto a nearby bench seated to be looking at the fountain in the middle of the courtyard. She had her head buried in her hands, but she looked back upward to Warwick. "I'm probably just overthinking this." She said, a hint of defeat in her voice. "You know more about wars than I do... What do you think, Warwick?"