Oh what a beautiful afternoon!

[cyan_maid]

Who: Jane Crocker and YOU! (Open)
What: A relaxed garden party
When: May 16th, beginning around noon.
Where: The castle gardens
Rating: G for GARDEN PARTY

If you enter the castle's garden today, you are met with the sight of a party!

There are blankets laid out on the grass, and numerous, various outside activities have been set up - games like croquet and bocce are joined by various sport balls, Frisbees, jump ropes, and anything else you can imagine. Nearby a table has been placed, holding various foods prepared by the attendees and the nice kind of disposable plates and cutlery, the sturdy kind with little flowers on them. If none of this tickles your fancy, there's always the actual garden to keep you occupied.

Chances are you heard tell of this party and came to participate! Though no one would begrudge you for just taking food and leaving, much less the hostess. Jane will welcome you with a smile no matter what.

Comments

[bravelittlegirl]

Ib lets out a little noise of surprise, careful to hold her rose well out of the way. Even after a couple of days, human contact still feels pretty bizarre compared to absolute sensory deprivation. But she returns the hug, at first hesitantly, but then with a little more confidence. It really does help.

"I'm sorry," she says after a moment. "If I made you worry."

[cyan_maid]

Jane is sure to be very gentle about this hug, don't you worry Ib. She chuckles weakly. "Everything worried me," She says, "Think nothing of it."

[bravelittlegirl]

Ib nods, then holds onto the hug just a little longer before letting go and stepping back. She also has a question or two about the gathering here.

"So... what's going on out here?" she asks.

[cyan_maid]

Jane stands up when Ib steps back, and she bounces a little on her heels. "Oh! Well, I've thrown a bit of a party," She says, "I think people need something nice and happy after all we've been through lately, don't you think?"

[bravelittlegirl]

It feels out of place, she thinks automatically, but stops short of saying it. Even thinking back to the last party is difficult. It feels like it happened so long ago, or in another world. With a pang she remembers dancing with Garry at the Maypole, all the friendly faces she met, the savory food. Maybe that all was another world, where terrible things never happened and roses bloomed forever.

Or maybe she did dream it all. Like she wondered, for a few days, if she had only dreamed the gallery. But she certainly didn't dream up all she's been through lately.

She drops her eyes, nervous. "I guess so." She could certainly use some happiness right about now.

[cyan_maid]

It was out of place. Jane knew it was odd, she wouldn't deny it if someone said so. But it was also a distraction, an opportunity to take the bad and put it on the shelf for a while to remember that good, nice things did exist. It wouldn't do to forget that, after all.

Jane smiles, and kneels down so she can talk to Ib eye-to-eye. "Is there anything you'd like to do?"

[bravelittlegirl]

"Um..." She shifts uneasily from one foot to the other, trying to recall what games she's liked in the past. "Do you like... charades?" she asks tentatively.

[cyan_maid]

Charades, huh? Jane has no strong feelings either way about charades. But if that's what Ib wants to do, she's game for it. "Charades are fun! Is that what you'd like to play?"

[bravelittlegirl]

Ib nods. "Yeah. Let's play that."

[cyan_maid]

"Would you like to start?" She offers partially because she's not sure what to start with.

[bravelittlegirl]

Put her on the spot, why don't you. Ib squints a little, trying to think what she should be, but after a second she comes up with something. She nods her head again, then backs up to where she has a little room and holds up one finger. One word.

[cyan_maid]

Really, she just wants to know what kind of opponent she's up against!

Jane sits down on the grass to make herself comfortable, and she nods at Ib's finger. One word, got it.

[bravelittlegirl]

Ib holds her hands up more or less like this, and strums her right hand rhythmically. It's not that difficult a word, really.

[cyan_maid]

Jane smiles. "Oh! Guitar! It's a guitar, isn't it?"

[bravelittlegirl]

She nods. "That's right." Was it good or bad if they guess it really fast? She wasn't really sure. "Your turn?"