middaeg | Little Ladies' Day! [OPEN]

Entry tags:

Little Ladies' Day! [OPEN]

Who: Tataru & EVERYONE
When: March 22nd, from 10:00AM to 2:00PM.
Where: Sylvain's Manor
What: It's Little Ladies' Day! Come celebrate!
Warnings: N/A

🌸Little Ladies' Day🌸

🌸Tea Time🌸

After all the fussing and effort put into decorating Sylvain's ballroom, Tataru and her "assistants" have transformed the area into one worthy of inviting princesses to high tea. Tables have been set up throughout the ballroom, flowers and other decorations adorning the tables and walls. Little Ladies are invited to sit where they please to be served while live music plays. When it comes to tasty treats and drinks (both alcoholic and not), there's a special menu to choose from, along with your standard high tea fair of scones, tea sandwiches, petit fours and of course, tea. Loyal Seneschals are at the beck and call of their Ladies, whether they're focused on one particular individual or a group.

Socializing is encouraged and if Ladies tire of sitting at the tables to snack and sip away at their tea, they're encouraged to relax and recline in the Tête-à-Tête sofas set up in another area of the room, either with another fellow Lady or a Seneschal who's willing to charm them or show off their listening skills. There is, of course, space free for those who wish to use the ballroom as it was intended to be - for dancing - and with the lively music filling the room why not take the opportunity to? It's all in good fun, after all.

🌸Lights! Camera! Action!🌸

Prompto finally has his camera working again and Tataru's decided it would be a great idea for him to participate as a photographer and get new clients for his photography business! One of the activities of Little Ladies' Day back in Eorzea is Ladies posing in front of backdrops that are set up around the city-states. To emulate this exciting experience, various backdrops have been set up outside in the yard for Little Ladies to have their photographs taken. The main attraction? A chocobo drawn carriage for that special princess aesthetic. Yeah...

There is also a dressing room area for Ladies to get dressed up or borrow a few donated outfits for the event (from local shops), if they were unable to get their own gear to wear, if they so wish to do so. The room itself that contains said outfits has been turned into a makeshift powder room with a mirror and vanity space for touch ups. Every Little Lady ought to look their best, after all.

🌸Adorable Adoption🌸

Hector has volunteered to bring a few well-behaved fuzzy friends along (cats and dogs) for Little Ladies to play with and pet. All the animals will be up for adoption, and would make good Familiars for Witches who might need one in their lives. His makeshift petting zoo is set up in a segregated area of the yard, to make sure no animals go missing. Everyone who is an animal lover is encouraged to play, pet and love on the animals that have been brought along. If you do wish to adopt one, you'll have to be up to Hector's standards however. They deserve to go to good homes, after all!

🌸Notes🌸

What does it mean to be a Loyal Seneschal or Little Lady?: The role of Seneschal is quite fluid; ultimately it hinges on making sure no Lady goes without a smile on their face during their special day. Whether that's through serving them, entertaining them, being a companion or maybe going home with them to help them do a few chores around their house...it's seriously up to you! Get creative! If you're a Little Lady all that means is that you're a woman and it's Your Day to be Appreciated. Own it. (And no, don't even think about trying to be a Seneschal if you're a Lady - Tataru will hunt you down.)
How will my character find out about the event?: If your character didn't see Tataru's post about it on the network for whatever reason, she's also been sticking flyers up around the city for it. Tataru's quite the busybody so if you need to come up with an excuse for your character/their business to get involved feel free to have them either have heard of it from local businesses that are participating in the festivities, the flyers or even Tataru herself if they have CR of some kind.
Plotting Post: If you wish to see what people have plotted thus far or reach out to others for CR the plotting post is here!
I want to play around with Little Ladies' Day after the tea event!: Go for it! Tataru's been working hard hustling local businesses and Mirrorbound alike to participate in the Eorzean tradition. Making a compelling case to incorporate it into Eostre's festivities, she's managed to arrange a few collaborations for the Ladies of Aefenglom to enjoy. Feel free to play around with local cafes or shops that may have special menus or deals on made in the spirit of the holiday. Also go wild when it comes to playing up your Little Lady and Loyal Seneschal roles. It's All Women Are Queens Day, after all.

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You won't know what kinds of diseases I have until you try it, I guess! Let's do it.

[He's not a lightweight, but it's kind of amazing what a glass will do once it settles in his system. Mildly buzzed is the best way to put it, just an edge to take away the gloom, perhaps.

...Or, to make it more intense and familiar. He hasn't felt anything like it since the last time he used dark magic. Just a taste of the lingering darkness feeling more warm. How odd! Henry doesn't connect it with drinking. Just a nice feeling. He grins at her.]

So, come on. I need to try a lemon pie! Oh, did you pick it 'cause it'd go with the drink? I've never been good at coordinating fancy stuff like that. I just shove food into my gullet without too much fuss.

I didn't think too much about it but lemon is citrus so it'd naturally go well with it.

_{[Henry that's...that's not something you should say. It's not charming at all but Tataru will just let it slide. Yeah. She doesn't want to kill the mood simply because you're bad at stringing your words together. Popping open the bottle Tataru takes a swig from it without hesitation, enjoying the taste on her tongue before handing it over.

Once her hands are free she's readying the pie for consumption, taking a knife to it to quarter it up. The idea was to eat it from the box so she sets it in the middle of the two of them, holding a fork out for Henry to take.]}

Here, want to do the honours? You can try it first.

[Henry doesn't say things to be charming... He says things to be jarring, to be blunt, or to be creative. That she glosses over his words has him grinning, silly and impish. Of course she'll tolerate his manner of speaking... A good reason to have Bonded with her, in comparison to some of the others here, who blanch and balk at his colorful language.

When she hands over the bottle, Henry idly takes a drink. It's a dainty drink if anything, the kind one might take of an unfamiliar, questionable drink... But it's only done to pace himself, in a way. The warmth is enough to get him to focus on the water of the river, reflecting light in dancing embers against the darkening sky. The air itself feels both warmer, and chillier because of it.

Tataru almost catches him by surprise when she offers up some of the pie, and he jolts. Then, he grins.]

Oh, sure. [He balances the bottle between his knees like a clown and takes the fork, like this is an activity that requires all of his hands.] You cut 'em up so cleanly... I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you carry a blade around on you, huh? I may be a mage, but even I carry around a dagger.

[Idly, the dark mage takes a piece of one of the quarters — once more a dainty amount, as though not to waste any. The fork and its payload are popped into his mouth, where it's left for appraisal... But he doesn't seem to dislike it, at any rate, given that hes eating it.]

_{[She's not expecting him to sip at the bottle so timidly, used to men more or less taking a large swig of, well, anything they decide to drink. There's no mocking though that comes from her, it's just an observation she makes. How polite.]}

Well, it's a handy thing for one to have.

_{[Granted it's the small blade Felix lent her but it's still handy. She watches him curiously as he pops a forkful past his lips.]}

How is it?

[He's a bit of a more frail sort than most men, as it stands. Any of Henry's crudeness is manifest in his manner of speech rather than his mannerisms in behavior.

Except that he talks with food tucked in his cheek.]

Good! Sweeter than I thought.

[He has his head tipped a little bit as though still trying to take it in, and he nods shortly, as if to suggest that's all he has to say.]

It does kinda go with the drink. [Pause.] I like that the drink isn't as sweet.

[When One Reaches The Point Of Drinky And Just Starts Saying Stuff,]

_{[Well, she's happy he's enjoying himself more than anything. Sure, it's Little Ladies' Day but Henry has been ever so helpful throughout the entire process. He deserves to wind-down just like she does.]}

I don't think I'd be able to drink it if it were as sweet as the pie.

_{[At least as an alcoholic drink, that is.]}

Eat up! As much as you'd like.

[The focus is still on her for today, though! And Henry's modest when he takes another bite of the pie. He doesn't quite eat it right away, opting to let Tataru take it back for her own enjoyment while he takes another drink. This bottle sure does go a long way, he thinks... It feels like they've hardly put a dent in it.

His fork comes out clean, and after another drink, he places the bottom of the bottle against the grass between them. She's free to grab it from there, if she likes, but he'll stabilize it in the meanwhile.]

Huh. I just realized. [With the hand he holds a fork in, he rubs his arm.] I don't know if I'm warm or if I'm cold, on a night like this... How about you?

[His voice is airy, and he fixes his attention on the river's torpid current.]

_{[With the bottle freed she moves to take it and have another go, treating herself to a small swig. It's set back down though between them when she's had her share, her gaze settling on Henry as he shifts a bit in place.]}

Mm...well, it is a bit chilly down by the river...but the thing about alcohol is that it warms you up.

_{[Don't ask her why it does, she just knows.]}

I think I'm a little bare but it's bearable.

_[Haha.]

[sasuga tataru, and her knowledge of alcohol's effects... a seasoned little lady...

Her wordplay gets a laugh out of Henry. A bit bubblier and less restrained, if that were even possible from the sinister sorcerer.]

Maybe that's what it's about. I feel like I should be cold... But I'm also not? It's like a potion of some kind. A cure-all!

[Henry shifts closer to Tataru.]

For the cold, aches and pains, unseemly thoughts, social inhibition... How do you feel, besides bare, but not too bare?

[That was a hiccup in his speech and he doesn't catch it. He meant to say "not to cold." Henry......?]

_{[If there's one thing about Henry that Tataru finds endearing it's his laugh. Without fail there's just something about it that leaves her tickled pink, like right now for example. Her clothes and her cheeks are both various shades of the color as she watches Henry lean in a bit closer, catching his choice of words.]}

Delighted.

_{[Is the answer she gives, a small smirk sliding easily in place, her large eyes half lidded, long lashes curtaining them.]}

Do you know what else is quite the cure for a chill?

[The questioning hum he gives her is short and light, carried on his high-pitched voice.]

Do I? Maybe... But I wanna hear your answer.

[The kind of smile he gives is both sweet, yet perhaps impish, dark and deceitful. Like he might know her answer, but he also might just be thinking of some silly way to cure a chill, like wrapping oneself in a cape. A cape which he so fortunately has, and grips the edges of in his seated position.]

_{[Ah yes, that devilish smile. She's into it, almost egged on by it even, as she places the box of pie aside to push herself up on her knees. Out stretch her little hands as she cups Henry's cheeks between her palms, smoothing her thumbs beneath his eyes before she tugs him close to press a kiss to his lips. Despite the daring behind the action the contact is unsurprisingly soft. Her own smile is present as she plants the smooch on him, the curve of her lips detectable against his own.

That's her answer, by the way. Who said it had to be a spoken one?]}

[Even though Henry expected it in on the fringes of his awareness, as Tataru shifts her posture to grasp his face between her hands, fingers a delicate caress against soft skin, he finds himself reeling. In a pleasant, giddy sort of way, not too far a call from the rush of a spell — though not as risky or insidious, just one that hikes his low, subdued pulse. Something enough to make him a little lightheaded.

Her lips press to his, and he first drinks in the way she smells softly flora and fruity, like their drink, like Tataru. Her lips, next — their suppleness, the light curve of them. It's a fragile moment that can't be doubted, because it's lighthearted, fun and not something he needs to weigh too heavily on.

So he doesn't, dizzy as he is, and he presses back in the slightest of degrees. A kiss chaste, but not necessarily restrained. Just because it's so tender doesn't mean it doesn't make his skin prickle.]

_{[The contact is pleasant, as is the relief she feels when it's apparent Henry is keen on the kiss. It's chaste, sure, but there's a spark beneath the surface, waiting to be ignited into something more. The bond she has with him leaves her feeling tingly, the static residue of her magic and his prickling her exposed skin. It's a nice sensation, an exciting sensation.

Oh Twelve, she's kissing him.

Maybe she should've thought this through more but even Tataru is prone to impulsive decisions, especially when inhibitions have been lowered due to a bit of drink. It's fine though, clearly, as Henry doesn't seem to mind. She'd realize if he did...and hadn't he been the one to chat her up in the tavern months ago in the first place?

When she does finally break the contact she doesn't pull away, leaving her lips to hover a hair's breadth away from his while she speaks.]}

It's warmer, is it not?

[For all that Henry couldn't tell her how he felt, just that he felt, his Bond is far more readable — even if it remains in its early stages of being so fleshed out for the two Witches. There isn't any indication of his minding so much as the flutter of anticipation, a low simmer that matches his energy that settles beneath the surface of his perpetual smile.

What he finds even more enrapturing, however, is when she lingers so close to his face. Something that almost solidifies the moment between them... Something that extends it beyond a kiss as it segues into conversation held intimately, and he hardly tries to disguise a short giggle behind a stupid grin.]

I dunno... [His voice is airy to match.] I'm feeling goosebumps... Isn't that for cold? Maybe I'm chilly after all.

[Only after he says it does it feel like an invitation, and his heart skips a fatal three beats or so. ...It's not fatal, actually. But he entertains the thought.

_{[It's enough of an invitation for Tataru to grin slyly and lean in again, this time pressing a kiss more firmly to his lips. A faint sweetness clings to them from the pie and drink alike, making the whole experience even more pleasant. It's her turn to giggle when the contact is broken, only to throw her arms over his shoulders for an embrace.]}

Surely you cannot be chilly after that! Here, here...I'll warm you up!

_{[Enjoy your lap full of Lalafell and try not to have a heart attack Henry.]}

[Oh no, soff lalafell...... A weakness to anybody, probably. Not to mention the fact that he's reeling from a surprise second kiss exacted upon him. What's he to do?

He laughs again, realizing that—]

Oh, yep, wow, nya ha! You— it sure did get hot out here suddenly. Unless that's just you working your magic charm. Did you curse me?

[Which is to say, getting embarrassed is catching up with him. His hand, numb though his fingers feel, pat her atop the head, before running over her hair with such tenderness that it's almost as though he fears he'll burn it if he touches it too hard.]

_{[They are extremely hard to resist, it's true. What is he to do indeed?]}

Hmm...maybe I did? I have been practicing.

_{[She's kidding, of course. There's no spell, just the inhibition lowering effects of alcohol and a bout of giddiness taking over. The pat has her smiling softly as she settles against him, resting her head against his chest, cheek smushed into his front.]}

Nothing wrong with a bit of heat now and then. We need it.

Well, if that was a curse, I'll consider it a blessing cloaked in dark disguise. Since it IS kinda cold and all...

[Even if he's legitimately feeling warm now, considering his attire, considering his inner warmth, considering the new pressure he has of Tataru's form leaning into his. Henry gently, gently, rests his hand against the shoulder furthest from his body... Once more, a soft touch as though fragile.

But it's just enough to welcome her into his space. His other hand pulls the cape of his handsomely-made outfit close.

It's a nice evening, he thinks. When Henry wonders what he'd be doing were he still in Ylisse... He wonders if he'd be in Ylisse at all, anyway. Being here, sitting with Tataru in front of the river... It's not a bad way to go. It's peaceful, a contrast to the dark of his head in his lonesome. The sorcerer all but drops his guard, a quiet sort of succumbing to this moment that doesn't involve confessions or explanations, just... an innocent welcoming of another person into his space. The feeling of her against his fingertips, against his chest, for all that his nerve sensation's so dulled from abuse. She has a presence big enough not to overlook, and he feels safe.]

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Little Ladies' Day! [OPEN]

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