knightsoflegend | party! } welcome to the new age

Radioactive - Imagine Dragons

WHO || Everyone ever aka whomever is in the castle
WHAT || Lila is throwing a party
WHERE || Large parlor room
WHEN || Tuesday, July 23, 2013; 9pm onwards
HOW || Actionspam, threadjack away.

This isn't exactly a squiring after party. Lila's never been to a knighting (and the odds are not in her favor) but she doubts this party is much like it either. The invitation comes in the form of a mass text message sent the day before -- she doesn't care who gets it, its not as if Wynn is going to come to her party. A date, a time, a location, and the rules. She doesn't give a reason.

The rules are simple: dress up classy, don't bring a gift, and wear a mask. It's a masquerade, after all, a mask is a prerequisite. Lila is even so kind as to provide them, a porcelain bowl perched on a chair by the door holds an array; running the gamut from Phantom of the Opera white to classic Venetian blue and gold to Dia de los Muertos red and black. Anyone without a mask is subject to Lila's wrath.

The room is entirely lit by tea lights floating in small glass bowls, leaving long shadows across the walls, and strings of red fairy lights draped across doorways and windows. Music is playing somewhere, loud and dark, forcing you to press up against the person you're talking to. A table shoved against the wall is covered with bottles of fancy champagne, wine, expensive vodka and, the odd man out, pink lemonade. She and Faye might have gone a tad overboard with the alcohol. Blue plastic cups sit in a tottering pile off to the side, a jumble of colorful paper umbrellas dotting the free space on the desk. Another table holds a towering monstrosity of nibbles -- chocolates and tiny cream puffs, miniature Madeline cookies and delicate eclairs. Nothing to fill up on if you're worried about drinking on an empty stomach. Not her problem, she is obviously catering to the younger crowd here. Namely herself.

Lila is around, face half hidden by a simple lacy black mask. Her one blue eye and one green eye would be a dead giveaway if her scar didn't already make it perfectly clear who is behind the mask. She's not playing hostess, she had enough of that back home being Daddy's little darling. This is the first birthday party she has had in almost four years, but even determined to make the most of her experience, she remains at the fringes, drink in hand. The combination of pink lemonade and vodka makes her nostalgic.

Don't worry though, she has her gloves on.

For now.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From what I recall, Guardians were in high demand in general.

[Forever humble, okay.]

Yes, there is no one quite like her. [Way to put a positive spin on it, Dimitri.] No doubt she will be angry with me for awhile.

[Whatever, he isn't going to sway her from being a big fan, though she rolls her eyes slightly before she moves on. False modesty, not a good look.]

Why would she be mad at you?

[No, really. Why. Someone has not recognized that y'all are a ~thing.]

She and Lila aren't exactly friends.

[That...probably isn't the best answer.]

[Nope, that is a rubbish answer and Lissa doesn't get it.] And... you're not allowed to be friends with her?

[Oh, apparently Rose hasn't told her...a very important detail.]

Rose and I are together, Lissa. And I'm assuming she sees me being here as a slight against her. She'll come around, though.

[Sorry, Lissa suddenly doesn't care about a lover's quarrel over a bitchy little blonde. Her expression is full of confusion and hurt.]

Together? Like dating... for how long? When? [And most importantly...] Why didn't she tell me?

[The hurt is quickly turning to anger, that Rose could be pissed Lissa would dare keep anything from her -- when she could easily poke around in Lissa's brain and find it through the bond -- but she kept something like this a secret. She kept Dimitri a secret! From Lissa.

That was a friendship built on mutual trust, wasn't it?]

Lissa...

[He spoke gently. This was an incredibly touchy situation, after all.]

Rose barely knows you, and given what's been going on in her head, this has all been difficult for it. Couple that with the fact that you won't talk to her about how it happened or how it works? You should look at it from her perspective.

[There's a pause as he tries to read her emotions. (Sense Motive 20 total)]

If you know anything about that, you should talk to her. Then maybe she'd open up to you a bit more, too.

[She shakes her head slightly.] I meant, before. All of this. [Well, part of her meant before. Part of her means now. All of her is upset. Still, she chooses her words carefully.]

I'm sure that it's very hard for her, having someone with seemingly blind trust and faith in her just show up. Especially when she can just dip into my mind whenever she pleases, without asking or even thinking that she should ask. That is probably terrible, and I do actually feel sympathy for her. And I really do try to keep everything out of the bond.

[She looks down at her drink, suddenly not in the mood for a party and yet still trying to keep those emotions down. She takes a breath like she wants to say something more, but she just shakes her head. Dimitri doesn't know her either, their bond didn't matter anymore.]

I'm trying to protect her.

She doesn't know how to not do it, Lissa. Perhaps the Rose you remember does, but she doesn't know what she's doing now. She doesn't understand anything.

[And that's frustrating for both of them. As for it not mattering, Dimitri would never believe that, if he knew. If anything, it would matter more. Because he felt it unconsciously, even if he couldn't access the memories. He'd felt it when they'd met, he just couldn't understand it.]

Hiding the truth never helps anyone.

I can't teach her how to block me out! I don't know how she does it! It took me half our lives just to figure out how to keep one thing from her. One thing. 'cause she was distracted. How am I supposed to help her keep me out when I can't even keep her out.

Maybe not, but you're the only one who can even begin to explain what's happening to her. You need to work together on this, not push each other away.

[And given that Lissa was the one with the power and the memories, and Rose had nothing more than anger and confusion, Dimitri hoped Lissa would take the high road here.]

She doesn't even know me, she doesn't want to talk to me.

It's going to take time, and she doesn't really have a choice.

[A beat, as he considers things.]

Maybe sometime you can show her. I don't know how much you remember, but maybe there's a way for you to filter some of your memories to her, so she can see it instead of just hearing it.

[He has no idea how the bond works and therefore has no idea if that's even possible.]

Maybe. [Rose has always been the one with the lock on the bond.] I don't even know what she would want to know. I can't tell her everything. Some things... other people should find out first, you know she'll hate that.

[Other people means you, Dimitri.]

[(oh, um, sense motive/wisdom nat 20 so...yeah)]

You can tell to me whenever you like.

[Ever since arriving he's had the sneaking suspicion that there are memories he's lost that he's better of without, but if that is what's holding back Lissa from talking to Rose, then he'll gladly hear it.]

Your friend's party isn't the best time probably, but could we talk, soon? In private.

[He nods.]

Of course. Just call, first. I'll give you my number.

[Rose tends to spend a lot of time in his room, because she hates hers. Showing up randomly and telling to her leave might lead to more fights.]

[Yeah, that would be awkward and Lissa is still firmly ignoring the weird dating revelation.

She pulls out her phone and holds it out, not even batting an eyelash that it was tucked into her bra. Dimitri is literally the last person who would care and her dress doesn't have pockets.]

Is there any time that isn't good for you?

I usually train in the mornings, though I'm a rather early riser.

[He takes it and plugs his number into it so that she can save it.]

Anytime is fine, really. I'll get back to you quickly if I don't answer.

[She is not an early riser. She's working on it, but her body just doesn't agree with her.]

Okay, thanks.

party! } welcome to the new age

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