Quest 225

[primrosella]

[Private || Hackable by Friends]

It's ten days into October, now. We're a whole third of the way done already, and even after a week of the deadly sorts of sins, things still seem...well, almost quiet.

That's strange, isn't it? To have a whole week full of curses one after the other, and called something as horrible as the Deadly Sins, but to have none of them turn out quite so horrible as they sound? Of course, there were plenty of people acting silly--and goodness knows, I was one of them for some days--but they weren't as awful as I might've expected them to be, just from their name. Edmund was a bit ridiculous with wanting crowns and swords and things, and Cain was terribly sleepy that other day, and we all were a bit...er, awful, really, when it came to the day that must've been pride. But it doesn't seem as though the sins struck us for any particular reason, outside of it merely being the day when the came, so I doubt it's anything to really worry about, which one came to whom.

Seven deadly sins. Gula, avaritia, socordia, superbia, luxuria, ira, and invidia, according to the Latin in the book I used to look them up. And how many of them did I track down over the course of the week? The first one was gula, that much is certain, from the way everyone was eating everything in sight, even if I didn't really notice it until the day all of the shops seemed to be sold out of groceries. And then the next one was avaritia, that was Edmund's curse. Socordia was Wednesday, as I recall, since that's the day when I first started looking into all this business of sins, after Cain managed to tell me what they were. And I know Thursday was superbia, since that one was mine--Pride, and far too much of it. Which leaves luxuria, ira, and invidia, and from what I saw on the Network, I think it was luxuria Friday and ira yesterday. Which means I either missed a day somewhere early on, and that was invidia, or the sins aren't over yet and it's coming today.

At least it doesn't seem as though anyone is particularly envious today, though.

The odd thing is the tie back to those stories everyone was talking about a few weeks ago--the ones from the old book, with the garden and the angel of death and the flood and whale. The Library gave that one to me a few times while I was looking for answers on these sins, even though at first glance it didn't seem to be of much help at all.

I wonder, though. Raiden said in that story, they sent a flood to destroy the whole world because everyone in it was wicked--and now, just a week or two later, in the worst month of the year, we have a whole week of acting out the deadliest of sins. It's an odd coincidence, isn't it?

At least here the flood happened before the sins, rather than after.

Even so, it's ten days of October behind us, and only twenty more to go before we can bid this month goodbye for another whole year. And whatever else may be coming for us in the future, at least at the moment there's plenty to be content with. Halloween is at the end of the month and already people are starting to talk about dressing up for it, and it's the right time of the year for a good ghost story to come up again, too.

[/Private]

If there's one thing I've learned in more than two years of living here in the City, it's that one of the few things as constant as the curses is the need to apologize for them when they're over. I know I've mentioned time and again how important it is to be understanding with other people when they're cursed, and to take care not to hold a person's cursed actions against them when it's over, since oftentimes they couldn't help it when they were and feel just as terrible about it afterward. But it's the sort of thing that bears repeating, I think--just as apologies bear repeating, even when you're lucky enough to have the sort of friends that have already forgiven you for the things you did while cursed, before you even say them.

I'm not cursed now, but I certainly was a few days ago, and I really am so very sorry for the way I was acting. I was feeling terribly proud of myself that day, as I'm sure the whole Network could tell, but I'm certainly not proud of the way I was acting now. So I do apologize for that.

And really, if I ought to have been praising the virtues of anything that day, it should've been the lovely new clothes that a wonderful fashion designer named Cinna made for me. If there's anyone deserving of laud and honor, it's him; he's a simply marvelous designer and tailor, and the dresses he made for me are absolutely perfect. They're as comfortable as they are beautiful, and they're so wonderfully practical, too--exactly right to suit my needs. Which is especially lovely for adventuring, and goodness knows I put my dresses through rather a lot of those.

With so many lovely holidays coming up in the next few months--Giving-Thanks, and Christmas, and even Halloween at the end of this month, besides--I'm sure that there will be plenty of occasions perfect for new and pretty clothes, and I'd absolutely recommend Cinna to anyone interested in them. He's kind and clever and wonderfully talented, and I'm certain that any other customer of his will be just as happy with their things as I am with mine.

Oh, but speaking of getting dressed up--has anyone started thinking yet of what they want to go as for Halloween? I remember two years ago I was a lady knight, and last year I went as Persephone, but I haven't thought of anything for this year yet, and there are only three weeks left until it comes.

Comments

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

There were, yes! I do remember thinking there were quite a lot of parties that night, since I wanted very much to go visit all of them, but we were hosting our own at the Warehouse. It was great fun, though.

And I've already heard word that there may be one being planned for this year, already.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

No, not exactly, but it's similar. We do have people that work the land, of course, but we have towns and mills and things, too. And I know in other places in the world there are lords that hold title to land and things like that, but in Daventry it's really just Mother and Daddy and me. But we're certainly not particularly vast, as kingdoms go, so I suppose we don't really need all sorts of lords and things anyway.

[misterblackbird.livejournal.com]

We probably ought to have hosted one here at the opera house--I don't think we did. If we did, I still think I slipped out to see some of the other ones.

Is there, indeed? Who's hosting it?

[no-defender.livejournal.com]

I hope you don't mind my teasing you a bit.

I don't really understand what Halloween celebrates, but if involves dressing up in costumes, I think I'll enjoy it. I have no idea what to wear, though. For the festival at home my friends usually dressed up along some sort of theme.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

That's always the trouble with hosting, isn't it? I remember people coming around to the door, though, as well. Isn't there something about that, children dressing up in costumes and going around to ask for sweets? I seem to recall making some and giving them out last year, but I might be thinking of something else.

I don't know if it's true or not, but Tamaki did speak with me a bit earlier about costumes and masquerades, and he wouldn't say a word when I asked him about them. Which makes me think he's up to something, of course.

[misterblackbird.livejournal.com]

Yes, there is that, the trick-or-treating custom. I remember taking Merry around for that--perhaps the first year we were both here, even if it did end rather badly for us all.

Of course that means he's up to something. I suppose that quite answers that. We need only wait for something to show up on the Network, then--probably something quite loud and gaudy.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

Well, as long as it's only friendly teasing, I suppose I can manage all right.

That's part of it, as far as I know. Costumes and parties and plenty of sweets--and that's certainly enough for me! But I always have trouble coming up with a costume, too, since I always have to try to pick one that I wouldn't mind being for an evening, if I were to turn into it.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

Do you think you'll take her around again this year? I'll make sure to have something nice for her, if you do plan to.

It'll be fun, though, won't it? And it'll certainly get people's attention that way, which is really rather the point. Oh, but if it's to be a masquerade, then I really will need to think of a good costume, and one that comes with a mask, besides!

[misterblackbird.livejournal.com]

Either I will or Riff will, certainly, if she wants to go. She may not remember the first time, after all. It's rather like the first time all over again. But it will be up to her, of course.

Generally whatever he gets himself involved in does end up being quite exciting. Even that ordeal with the cow was quite exciting.

Yes, you will--have you any ideas yet?

[windsorknot.livejournal.com]

So your parents rule over this kingdom. That would make your title Princess of Daventry?

[no-defender.livejournal.com]

Do you think it's likely you could turn into it?

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

Good! I'll remember that, then.

...There was an ordeal with a cow? Ordinarily I'd be surprised, but on the other hand, this is Tamaki. Whatever did he get up to?

No, I'm afraid I haven't come up with a single good one yet. But I always have trouble with this sort of thing, and Sam's not around this year to come up with clever ideas for it, so it's rather slow going, unfortunately.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

It would, yes. I'm Princess Rosella of Daventry. But I don't often introduce myself that way, since there doesn't seem to be much reason to make a fuss about titles around here, and especially so when it's no one's kingdom anyway.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

It's happened before, yes. There's a curse that sometimes comes around that turns people into their costumes for the night. We didn't have it last year, fortunately, but it's not one that's easily forgotten, either.

[misterblackbird.livejournal.com]

He made friends with a cow and was showing it around the square. I think he may have taken it onto the ark with him, when the floods threatened. As I understand it, that's all there was with 'Mrs Cow'.

I'm afraid all of my ideas come with concerns about what might come of such costumes. I don't know that I'll be any good at helping you either.

[no-defender.livejournal.com]

That does rather change things. I wonder what I'd like to be...maybe something completely new and different. Like a spaceman.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

Oh, dear. That does sound like just the sort of thing he'd do, yes--something udderly ridiculous.

Concerns about turning into them, you mean? Then I suppose you must be thinking of monsters of some sort, hm?

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

Oh, like the sort that go sailing through space? I've had friends like that before! One of them told me all about his ship, and all the different worlds he saw, and everything like that. It was simply marvelous.

[deathofdelilah.livejournal.com]

Well, since you were so keen on sharing information a mere few days ago, I thought perhaps to ask.

[no-defender.livejournal.com]

Yes, like that! I've only read about it in books--fiction in my world and a few apparently factual accounts in the Library.

[misterblackbird.livejournal.com]

I was rather hoping you wouldn't do that. I suppose I always set my hopes a little too high in that regard.

Yes, I am, but I'm not thinking of any monsters. I'd say that almost anything one can think of could turn into something far worse than one intends in the hands of the 'deities'.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

And if you were so keen on gaining it, you might've already paid attention to the fact that I was cursed, and said as much. Which means you're really just aiming to be horrible, the same as always.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

Well, I've certainly never done so myself! But several of my friends have. And really, you never know when you'll run into someone like that around here--I'm sure there've been plenty around, over the years.

[windsorknot.livejournal.com]

Just Rosella, then. I'll remember that.

Regardless of title or position, though, the world you come from sounds rather pleasant.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry. I just couldn't resist.

I suppose I could always dress up as a princess. Then even if that curse does come around, I wouldn't turn into anything that I'm not every other day of the year, anyway.