It had been the talk of the Academy for months--Genevieve Degrasse was going to formally pledge to her wonder at nineteen and take on the role of Squire, so soon after her latest grand tour of the Cosmos. Few were the days when the Grand Gallerie opened her doors to guests, but it was well understood that the seventh Chauvet had made it their life's work to collect the finest in galactic art for preservation, and that Genevieve herself was approaching nearly half his collection as merely a page. For the upper echelons and old blood surrounding the Academy, attendance was simply a must, but there were rumors that the addition of a true Venusian window would even attract the presence of senshi, pulled from their sacred stations on their worlds to dance and mingle with the rest of the rabble.
Though your reasons likely vary, you arrive on Chauvet just as the party is getting into full swing. Guests chatter and laugh and clink glasses as a team of servers mill about the area, offering strange and delightful appetizers for the entertainment of the tastebuds, as well as wines of all colors to ease the mind. Lanterns bob overhead the gallery floor like starlight, animated by magic, and a quartet of Neptunians plays something sophisticated and lively in a corner on a stage. On the walls of the gallery are a small collection of the finest relics known to be present at the wonder, taken from all across the galaxy. Each one comes with a small placard written in impeccable cursive, describing the name of the planet and a bit of the culture producing the object. Double doors lead into an open patio, what will eventually be a foyer to some future Chauvet--the wheel turns, and the cycle continues as always. Above the gallery and the foyer, the stars dance--at present, there is no roof, but to hear Genevieve tell it they should have one installed by the next solstice.
The wonder is yours to explore. Where do you go?
Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2019 9:10 pm
Welcome to the Eighth Gala.
In another time, many many years ago, Genevieve Degrasse opened the doors to her wonder and swore herself in as the Squire of Chauvet, in keeping with the traditions set by seven others before her. Behind the mask, you could be anyone, but you have a reason for observing this special event:
Quote:
The Benefactor - As a philanthropist or friend, you have freely given an artifact from your wonder to the gallery for preservation. You were invited as an honored guest and have a positive rapport with the new squire, as well as most of the gallery. Wherever you go, eyes are watching, always watching...
Quote:
The Tradesman - During her travels, young Genevieve Degrasse approached you for the purchase of one of the relics currently on display in the gallery. You suspect that she's invited you here to broker another deal for something you weren't willing to part with the first time.
Quote:
The Aesthete - You have no artifact on display, nor any strong connections to the family of knights in residence at the gallery. You just recognize art when you see it, and you wish to be seen in the presence of such masterpieces. More than anything, you're here for the love of art, and perhaps the free food.
Quote:
The Diplomat - Perhaps you're a foreign dignitary, or a previous classmate looking to network, but in either case your visit is more business than pleasure. After all, there's no better place to secure a new alliance than over drinks and fancy little finger sandwiches.
Quote:
The Thief - Where there's smoke, there's fire, and when the upper crust mingle there's always a heist to be had. There's something being stored on Chauvet that you feel would have a much better place in your hands, so you decided to reach a compromise and take it when no one was looking. Careful you aren't caught...
Quote:
The Victim - You know a terrible truth, though most wouldn't believe you. Genevieve Degrasse has risen to prominence in record time on account of her brilliance at bartering, but it's more than that...if you have something she wants and you stand your ground, she will outright take it for herself. The rumors have all been nipped at the bud or otherwise frowned upon--think of the scandal, ousting a respected knight from her community!--and many of the others who have experienced it themselves were vetted well before entry. Somehow, you've managed to sneak through the security measures, and you're in. The artifact she took from you is in view, labelled poorly and out of context. You have to play it smart--one violent move and you're booted from the wonder. But you have to do something.
When first posting, please select a role from the list above and include it as part of your intro. This will inform how Genevieve and the NPCs will act, should any identities be revealed during the course of the event. For simplicity, all areas of the Eighth Gala will be played in this singular thread--however, you are welcome to make breakout threads as needed for privacy, just the same as the modern day thread. Unless otherwise noted, all of the rules from the modern Gala also apply to this previous iteration.
((If you would like to clarify the nature of your character's relationship to the wonder or just want to talk PL plots, please hit me up on Discord!! I would be happy to hash out some details on request to personalize the experience.))
AMItotic Captain
Nebulous Trash
Offline
AMItotic Captain
Nebulous Trash
Offline
Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2019 9:24 pm
Genevieve Degrasse was the belle of the ball and she knew it.
Surrounded by attendants with a slender champagne flute in hand, she put a hand over her heart and laughed at a joke, bundled in a new iridescent fur cloak that draped over her entire body. She chattered excitedly with old schoolmates, an idle hand playing with pearls at her throat--and when she caught eyes with a stranger under the golden whorls of her mask, she lifted her eyebrows and winked.
This was going to be her year. Her decade, if she had any say in it, and Genevieve Degrasse had many, many things to say. She reached behind her and her champagne was refilled. It would be filled many more times, just like that, before the night was through.
Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2019 11:47 pm
Quote:
The Benefactor - As a philanthropist or friend, you have freely given an artifact from your wonder to the gallery for preservation. You were invited as an honored guest and have a positive rapport with the new squire, as well as most of the gallery. Wherever you go, eyes are watching, always watching...
Kethra Mirani, Page, almost Squire, of Cheomseongdae, stood to one side of this grandiose event, her curly black hair done up in an updo that tamed the curls, for once... She rarely took the time to truly bother. Loose bits of frizz were more the norm for this lady. Tonight, however, her curls were entwined with a silk ribbon in the colors of her Princess of Cosmos, and pinned in place with silver stars to hold everything. She wore a sleeveless black dress that flattered her curves, and a mask of deep blue, shaped like an exotic bird. She was watching the party goers, taking in the movements and the excitement. She had noted their hostess, in the center of the attention, as perhaps some would say she should be.
Kethra was unsure how she felt about the other woman, but she had, nonetheless, donated a work from her Wonder at the Chauvet Squire's request. She wondered where, in all of the excitement, the finely made telescope was displayed. Would it be put to use, or was it only there to oo and ah over, Kethra wondered?
She also wondered where one of her good friends was, because she had not spotted him yet... But he had promised he would be here, and she truly hoped he would come, because if there was one thing Kethra was not very good at, it was pushing herself out into a crowd to interact with strangers. She was far better in the fields of study or battle.
She sighed, and pushed herself away from the wall, and began to move with care towards their Hostess... Heels were not her forte either... Because it seemed fitting to congratulate the latest Squire to join the Cosmos ranks.
The little b***h had stolen something that ought never have left Camlann. Saturn's unassuming executioner--one of many, she supposed--glowered at the stolen artifact. A fan. A fan! As if the thin, slatted disc were something so prosaic. Every vein in her body vibrated with her rage, but none of that anger was visible beneath the black veil that shielded Camlann Knight's scowling face. Only the twist of her downturned mouth showed beneath the opaque fabric.
Chauvet's squire had no claim to any kind of chivalric title. Thieves had no place in the vaunted order. But that was something for Camlann to handle later, when she wasn't being so closely watched. She wasn't leaving this bourgeoise excuse for a Wonder until she had her artifact back in her manicured hands.
Camlann Knight snapped her fan--this one black and ivory rather than the sheen of gold on the pedestal--open and stalked away.
Quote:
The Victim - You know a terrible truth, though most wouldn't believe you. Genevieve Degrasse has risen to prominence in record time on account of her brilliance at bartering, but it's more than that...if you have something she wants and you stand your ground, she will outright take it for herself. The rumors have all been nipped at the bud or otherwise frowned upon--think of the scandal, ousting a respected knight from her community!--and many of the others who have experienced it themselves were vetted well before entry. Somehow, you've managed to sneak through the security measures, and you're in. The artifact she took from you is in view, labelled poorly and out of context. You have to play it smart--one violent move and you're booted from the wonder. But you have to do something.
Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2019 7:56 am
Quote:
The Tradesman - During her travels, young Genevieve Degrasse approached you for the purchase of one of the relics currently on display in the gallery. You suspect that she's invited you here to broker another deal for something you weren't willing to part with the first time.
Alexia leaned against the Gale Staff, the staff of her Tower and her Wonder and marker of her station as Andronicus Knight, a small smile on her face. Her old toe shoes, the one she'd worn for every change of seasons ritual until last standard year when Chauvet had offered to house them in her wonder - with a handsome sum paid to Alexia of course. She wore a set of ceremonial robes that her ser had left her when she took over the mantle, and a full mask covered in swirls of irridescent colors.
She had the sneaking suspicion that Genevieve wanted to purchase yet another 'artifact' of hers, and had an idea of what that was.
The great table in her office would stay exactly where it was, no matter what amount of money the squire wished to pay.
The Tradesman - During her travels, young Genevieve Degrasse approached you for the purchase of one of the relics currently on display in the gallery. You suspect that she's invited you here to broker another deal for something you weren't willing to part with the first time.
In most situations, there was little reason for Aunè to travel offworld, no matter how hard she pled; she was still a child yet, and the universe was a dangerous place for a Senshi who had barely come into her power at all. But it would have been unseemly, her minders said, for her to not appear just this once -- her predecessor as Sailor Warhol had provided art to Chauvet a generation ago, and technically she had too, although it'd been back when she was only newly-awakened and she really hadn't handled a single inch of whatever negotiations there had been.
So who cared if she had stewards behind her? It was all about appearances, or something or other she hadn't paid that much attention to. There were so many people here! And they all looked different, wildly varied, draped in the colors of a dozen worlds or more she'd never seen. Maybe Aunè had the suggestion of politeness to guide alliances behind her (figuratively and literally; the women had hair less vibrant than her own, but they had guiding hands, and they'd taught her of diplomacy before), but that didn't mean she couldn't make friends to write to some other time.
Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2019 10:55 pm
Quote:
The Diplomat - Perhaps you're a foreign dignitary, or a previous classmate looking to network, but in either case your visit is more business than pleasure. After all, there's no better place to secure a new alliance than over drinks and fancy little finger sandwiches.
It felt weird, Daryn found himself thinking as he strolled into the Gallery wearing formal robes from his Wonder. Standard fare for formal occasions, most of which he absolutely hated going to particularly because he had to wear formal wear, but at the behest of his Wonder's leadership he acquiesced and here he was. His hair was even neatly kept this time, up in the usual do but tonight there were no loose strands in sight.
His practiced smile was flawless as he greeted familiar faces from the Academy, though thankfully most of his face was hidden behind a blood red lion-shaped mask. Lion-themed? In any case, it only covered half of his face so he had to be careful. He was here to network and potentially reconnect with old classmates and build more bridges, so he was told, as well as to maintain the ties his predecessor had worked hard so hard to create for the betterment of his Wonder. Just from the sum of his task he was already bored out of his mind, but still he smiled and made small talk as he made his way across the crowd.
The star of the evening was just some feet away now; he'd spotted her as soon as he entered. Just past her, though, he spotted someone else sort of skirting the sidelines. A good friend, and someone as hard to miss in their regular garb, he thought, so he took a detour around the center stage.
"Headed off to make nice with your fellow Cosmos knight?" he asked as he sidled up beside Kethra, brow quirked at the way she took such careful steps. He looked down. "And in heels, no less." There was amusement hidden in his smile, and he lowered his voice some so only she could hear. Genevieve wasn't too far off, after all. "I can imagine you're about as miserable as I am right about now..."
Aria Starstone
itspao_
Witty Punching Bag
Offline
Sleet Tempest Snape
Noble Vampire
Offline
Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2019 12:52 am
Quote:
The Diplomat - Perhaps you're a foreign dignitary, or a previous classmate looking to network, but in either case your visit is more business than pleasure. After all, there's no better place to secure a new alliance than over drinks and fancy little finger sandwiches.
It was very strange being off his planet and at a knights wonder, especially a Cosmos knight. The senshi of Gorgon's had come though in order to perhaps offer up his own planets services. They were craftsmen and very skilled. Marble, stone, anything else you could give them they could, and would, carve into some sort of masterpiece. He was there to perhaps work out some agreement with the knight of this wonder. He had come personally, rather than send anyone else, in order to work things out as well as to run into someone...someone he was looking forward to seeing.
Dressed in his finest, sheer and flowing fabrics, his mask was gold with snakes carved into it, a few sneaking back into his hair to hold the mask in place. The senshi of gorgons was dressed in his finest, he wanted to impress people especially the knight of this wonder, as took his time to find a drink.
Sipping slowly, he didn't care much for drinking when he wanted to talk business, he made his way around the room almost absently. Green eyes behind his mask looked over everyone he could see. Looking...looking.
He couldn't see the knight nor who he was looking for. Were they here yet?
Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2019 11:38 am
Quote:
The Victim - You know a terrible truth, though most wouldn't believe you. Genevieve Degrasse has risen to prominence in record time on account of her brilliance at bartering, but it's more than that...if you have something she wants and you stand your ground, she will outright take it for herself. The rumors have all been nipped at the bud or otherwise frowned upon--think of the scandal, ousting a respected knight from her community!--and many of the others who have experienced it themselves were vetted well before entry. Somehow, you've managed to sneak through the security measures, and you're in. The artifact she took from you is in view, labelled poorly and out of context. You have to play it smart--one violent move and you're booted from the wonder. But you have to do something.
Viminal was here to retrieve the statue and nothing more. Inside it housed, the prized opera of the past knight of Viminal, rumored to have been performed for the royal family when the squire reached her knighthood. He honestly wasn't sure whether that was true, but he did know the statue and the opera were prized possessions of the opera house atop Viminal and the theft of the items put the poor page in a bad position.
How to get it back posed a problem and whether it was known to the squire that the gold and silver statue housed the prized opera.
The Diplomat - Perhaps you're a foreign dignitary, or a previous classmate looking to network, but in either case your visit is more business than pleasure. After all, there's no better place to secure a new alliance than over drinks and fancy little finger sandwiches.
"All they really need is a bit of wilderness to be loosed into!" Sylmare said, loudly, and with a gradiose gesture that nearly slopped wine over the rim of their cup. Still slender as a blade and tall, there was only the slightest stoop to their shoulders. Age rested lightly on them, despite how much of it they carried. The light in their face now though, talking about their favorite subject to a less-than-rapt audience, made them seem half their age.
"And they have such an incredible benefit to the ecosystem! They can find the slightest imbalance and that knowledge is key when repairing damages and encouraging growth. I mean, sure, they are a tad high maintenance... and a bit willful... but all you really need is a trained handler and a small, dedicated support staff! The benefits far outweigh the costs."
The man and woman they talked to glanced at each other, a tightness around his mouth under his mask while she covered hers with her fan. Sylmare never noticed... or willfully disregarded it. It was hard to tell sometimes. Conservation mattered. Their charges mattered. It was terribly hard to find people willing to care about a rare species on another planet, but the loss of the unicorns would be a detriment to the universe, and not something Sylmare would allow if they had their say.
Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2019 5:11 pm
Quote:
The Diplomat - Perhaps you're a foreign dignitary, or a previous classmate looking to network, but in either case your visit is more business than pleasure. After all, there's no better place to secure a new alliance than over drinks and fancy little finger sandwiches.
Zoji La grieved.
Of course, she put on a happy face for friends and colleagues, and no Uranus knight could truly keep their feet on the ground for very long. But tonight she wore black and gold in memory of someone important, a lavender sash wrapped around her waist. It was said that something about the Gala of Chauvet could bring closure by remembering and honoring the past, and while Zoji didn't know much about the elusive and well-travelled squire hosting the event, she was willing to give just about anything a shot at this point. It did not do to linger in sadness when there was still so much to be done.
She lingered at the edge of the gallery, hands folded in front of her in gentle repose. Windswept hair was pinned down by a mourning veil, though her gaze was soft even as she watched the milling crowds, the glittering artifacts. Did Chauvet care for the people who made these things, or just the things themselves? It wasn't a question Zoji had the energy to seek out an answer for, but she wondered all the same.
Quote:
Zoji La is open for interaction!
AMItotic Captain
Nebulous Trash
Offline
AMItotic Captain
Nebulous Trash
Offline
Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2019 5:29 pm
Genevieve glanced up from one of her attendants and saw a figure that made her squeal in delight. "Kethra, is that you? Oh my stars, it's been ages!" She wiggled her way free of the throng of people and jogged her way over, holding tight to the edge of her furs. "My goodness, don't you just look stunning! Oh, and you've brought a friend? Do I know you? Oh, thank you so much for stopping on by to our little soiree!" She shimmied her shoulders with a happy little wink at the couple, looking pleased as punch.
"What do you think of the gallery? Have you seen all of the pieces? Oh, I was thinking--and the telescope you sent me would be just the most darling piece to join the ninth floor when it's finished construction. It'll go with the Venusian window, in the--listen to this, it just sounds so grand--The Astrarium." She spread out her hands as she said it, like she was imagining the name in lights. Given the reputation of Genevieve Degrasse, there were few times where she wasn't imagining a name in lights, but usually it was her own.
Aria Starstone
_ p a o cx
Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2019 10:49 pm
Quote:
The Benefactor - As a philanthropist or friend, you have freely given an artifact from your wonder to the gallery for preservation. You were invited as an honored guest and have a positive rapport with the new squire, as well as most of the gallery. Wherever you go, eyes are watching, always watching...
Hvergelmir had never imagined this particular tapestry in a gallery. She had given things away before, certainly -- gifts were easy enough things, to people that would accept them, and tokens too -- but sometimes, when her hands skipped over her loom, drawing colored threads together, it was meant only for herself. Sometimes an image caught in her mind and could only wind itself free onto the thread.
She had never intended to give this one away. This tapestry was personal, perhaps not so grand in its scope as many of the ones she'd done before or since, and its subject close to her heart, but now . . . when Chauvet had come collectingfor her grand Gallery, Hvergelmir had thought: better to let this one go, perhaps. She couldn't bear to walk by it every day, even to know it was there somewhere in her Temple, if she folded and packed it away. He'd given her keepsakes aplenty that she'd held onto -- but this tapestry was not a keepsake. It was a painful memory, and of her own make. It would be easier to see it go to some distant home, far away from her eyes and heart.
Tonight, though, Nephthys was not alone in mourning, nor the foremost among them. There was Zoji La -- beautiful, windswept, Zoji La -- netted in a veil and grounded in black as she should never be grounded, her sorrow on her like a stormcloud. Misery floated around her like a fog.
Hvergelmir envied her that much: she was unafraid to wear her grief for what it was, to give it the space it deserved. To honor it.
For her own part, Hvergelmir only ever mourned privately. So much of being a knight of the Cosmos, for her, was the lifelong work of showmanship, of poise, of charm. However deeply she felt things, what she worked to express was always a matter of careful calculation, however hard-fought. Anger should never be too aggressive; sadness should never be too burdensome. Any emotion that might put people off was a liability, something to be boxed away and only unsealed in isolation.
Zoji La wore black and lavender, her loyalty a part of her inside and out. Hvergelmir wore pale silver and a misty grey, and a lonely smile that beseeched company.
They were not the same -- but who else would understand?
The knight of the Cosmos approached the Uranian knight with an extra wine flute in hand, and held it to her outstretched. "It's good to see a friendly face," she offered. "How are you?"
Kethra turned, startled, when she heard Daryn's voice, a smile appearing on her face. "Daryn! I had begun to think you were not going to make it." She blushed at his words and said, in an equally low voice, "Heels are the invention of a depraved mind. Of course I hate this." Her voice went back to normal, however, because she did not want anyone to get the wrong idea, and she did want to make the best impression on people that she could... She was here as a representative of Cheomseongdae, after all, and a provider of a beautiful artifact for the gallery. She needed to act like these things. "Going to give proper congratulations, of course."
She was about to say more, but the squeal of delight had her turning back to their hostess, because she knew THAT sound quite well, and she was not about to be rude and offend Genevieve. She put on a warm smile... One that Daryn might recognize as a mask, but so far, he was the only person outside of her family who had learned to recognize that. Everyone else believed her masks quite thoroughly. "Genevieve! It's a delight to see you. Congratulations, my dear. You look gorgeous yourself. This is Daryn Pryce, of Tiryns, one of the Mars kindred. We met a little while ago, and he has become a good friend, and when we get the chance to be in the same place long enough, an excellent sparring partner."
Her cheeks went a little pink, for a moment, at that, because she was not sure how things were going to go long term, but she was definitely more then a little fond of her friend.
"Daryn, this is our hostess and the star of the knight, Miss Genevieve Degrasse. She is also the one who has organized this most amazing collection of artifacts from so many different cultures and Wonders." She refocused on Genevieve, now that she had done the Polite Thing and introduced the two. "I have not had a chance to see everything yet, no. I was waiting to see if this man decided to show up. It's always nice to have someone to escort a lady around, after all, even if it's just as friends. If nothing else, it keeps anyone from trying for an unwanted flirtation." She glanced at a few of the non-powered folk who were still important figures, and thus People Who Mattered. Sometimes, people Who Mattered thought they Mattered More then others, and she hated dealing with those.
"The Astrarium. That is a delightful sounding name. I look forwards to the day when it is in it's proper place, because it is a wonderful telescope. It's not just beautiful, after all... It's quite fully functional. Have you any little favorites yet, though? I'm sure you do... You always have." Her words were said without spite or insult, innocent sounding indeed.
