Renegade Regalia: Lunar New Year

[Antonia Skinner]

   

While the New Year had originally been celebrated with Izumi, wearing traditional kimono and learning all about the
festivities (mostly the food!), Charley and Antonia would never say no to an excuse to mingle and shop. Antonia arrived
with the serpent at her side, their arms coiled comfortably as they perused the latest offerings of Renegade Regalia.
Before going inside, they would pause to enjoy a macaroon each and grab a glass of cherry blossom champagne to
sip as they strolled along.

The couple would shop for each other more than themselves. Antonia pointing out pieces that Charley needed to add to
his slim collection of accessories and Charley just barely able to stop himself from buying out the entire store on Antonia's
behalf. Eventually, they made their purchases, both criminals commenting to each other in low amused tones about how
odd it felt to be acquiring the jewels by honest means rather than their usual smash and grab technique.

Charley would volunteer to carry their bags as they wandered outside to watch the impressive lion dancers perform. With
another glass of cherry blossom champagne each, they would chat with some of the familiar faces they saw in the crowd
and happily compare purchases. As evening sets in, Antonia's anticipation for the fireworks would spike until they heard
the satisfying crackle of light and sound overhead. Antonia and Charley would both watch the show in quiet awe until it
came to an end, Antonia nearly spilling her drink with her excited clapping.

Calling the event a success, Antonia would text Alex so he could meet them with the car on the next street over. Full of food,
drink, and high spirits, with many new baubles in hand, the pair would head home. During the drive the couple would muse
about it being the year of the rooster and what that means in terms of the Chinese Zodiac. By the end of the discussion,
The Serpent Queen and her King came to the conclusion that for them... 2017 would be the year of the snake.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

((post written in collaboration with Charley Skinner. A Twin Dragon Watch icon for each of us, please and thank you.))

[The Redneck]

Needle thin heeled boots ticked and clicked in time with the willowy sway and merry chime of belled rings as the redneck danced her way here and there.  A vision in red she flitted to and fro in a ripple of silk, a glimmer of silver and gold.  

She hugged those that wanted to be hugged, smiled and waved at those who shied away from hugs, nodded and winked at the rest.  With a drink in hand she spun out and around for the simple pleasure of it, and stood absolutely still, mesmerized by the dance of fire in the air, sparks on the wink, the dance of illusion where dragons walked.  

And most definitely she enjoyed the offerings inside as well.  

[Edited because I forgot, jade ring please!]

[a pretty cage]

Rolling up as close as it could without infringing on the festivities, a 2017 Jaguar XJ stopped for a passenger to exit the vehicle's backseat, briefly exposing a jet black interior with tan contrast stitching to compliment the solid ebony paint job on the exterior.  Griffin's driver remained in the front seat instead opening her door for her at her own insistence as this trip had nothing to do with business and therefore the contrived appearance of importance was unwarranted.

The scent of her lingered like a promise in the air wherever she had been, an uncompromising rebellion that chafed against the notion that floral perfumes were only standard for the feminine.  Although there was evidence of the diminutive blooms in the resin of frankincense that acted as a faint undercurrent to bring the myriad of smells together, as well the unmistakable presence of saffron, the herb thyme could be detected off a supple leather note, the smokiness of dark suede, a backbone in amberwood; somewhere, whether part of the perfume or not, there was a dash of pipe tobacco and slow-burning Cuban cigars, and even fainter, lemon that clung to her fingers several washes later.  Primal.  Raw.  Mysterious, but extravagant.

Her fashion was remarkably clean of color, streamlined in black: small minidress in a flattering A-line silhouette, high heel sandals closed with a strap over her toes and around her ankles, and a slim-fitting bomber jacket -- a sharp contrast to the girl she approached outdoors, Charlie Darling.  Collecting her in an affectionate, full-bodied embrace with her arms curled close around the other girl's shoulders, she mimed a cheek kiss to avoid leaving a smear of vibrant blood-red lipstick behind on her skin.  When introduced to her friends here and there, she was friendly and skilled at small talk though she seemed to hold no real pleasure for the necessary evil of it if the glint in the impossibly pale blue of almondine eyes could tell a tale.

No refreshment of any kind touched her lips, but she did separate to browse the collection on her own.  The rings and bracelets were not her style, yet she did purchase a statement necklace that would pair beautifully with a chic black dress after taking in the whole collection with quick eyes that knew what they liked without having to waste time thinking about it.  Afterwards, she joined Charlie (and whoever was with her) to watch some of the festivities, behind her with svelte arms wrapped around her friend's shoulders in the front this time like a fond older sister, cheek touching jaw.  

Sometime before the fireworks, she received a text message on her phone and excused herself after smoothing the little doe's curls back, fingers spread tenderly over the side of her crown.  ?Be good, baby,? she told her.  ?Call me when you're back in Chicago.?  If Sabine remained with her at this point, she added that it had been good to meet her.

A few steps into the crowd seconds later and she might as well have disappeared into thin air.




[size=9][Jade ring, please!][/size]

[Peaches]

Peaches arrived during the thick of it, bleeding through the crowd with a starstalker in hand. She had used feminine wiles to convince him to hang up his sincere costume and just breathe a little life into himself. Being within the deep-dark, surrounded by your own echoing mind, could be a stressful venture and the city siren was there to cure his ailment of stoicism by thrusting him into the loud festivities.

They were neither a couple nor acquaintances. Looks shared between them during a progression of people spoke of the confusing and unspoken truths that they couldn't admit to themselves. A term used loosely would be friends, an easy cover to get behind to save face when any heart stopping topics might bubble up from their own mouths. Renegade Regalia became a safe haven for them to browse apart (sneaking glimpses that were warranted by oh-so-subtle) where Peaches seemed to find a trinket or two that she purchased with out a care about the money spent. A careless creature who would be ankle deep in debt had she stayed any longer.

Her partner in crime didn't seem too interested in any of the dazzling pieces; he had already found himself the most imperfect cut of a diamond in the rough.

Sure to greet any familiar faces, even unfamiliar ones that she was eager to pimp out EgoTrip to, only to skip a step in their boundaries by murmuring a too-sweet-nothing against her comrades jawline. They edged through the crowd just as the fireworks heralded the gods from the sky.

(Jade Ring!)

[Takara]

Surprised beyond words to learn that this strange and fearsome city she was visiting actually celebrated the Lunar New Year, the girl called Tsuru melted into the assembled crowd. Her clothes were not elaborate or stylish in the vein of some of the others at the gathering, but then she hadn't exactly anticipated being here this long.

Quiet, she kept mostly to herself, taking in the sights and sounds. The lion parade gave her a pang of nostalgia, not for her home specifically but for things more familiar. The flavored champagne, by contrast, was a strange novelty for her, one that she found both delightful and puzzling.

Admiring all the gorgeous finery on display, Takara stayed largely at the outskirts, coming closer only to offer polite but soft spoken words of gratitude for the store's proprietors. Astonished to learn that there was a parting gift, something given entirely for free, the subtle upcurve of her mouth hinted at a smile as she moved away, the little bag and its elegant contents clutched carefully to her chest.

[watch, thanks!]

[The Birdborne]

Lola arrived sans any other shadows. She cast the greatest one, after all. The blackbird proved, once again, that she could toe-to-toe with the tall anomaly that was the proprietress of Renegade Regalia.

A carrion like her only stayed for a purchase or two, and did not linger for any grand displays of festivity. Though, she did pause briefly to cast a thin humored smile at the lion dancers.

(Ring, please!)

[Speck]

[size=11]Speck was asked by Kaz on a date to the festival. Awkwardly she accepted and spent the entire day getting ready. She enlisted her caretaker?s help putting on make-up and picking out an outfit. By the end of it, the girl who wore little more than a t-shirt and underwear had been made over and was nervously awaiting the arrival of Kaz. Once he showed up and awkward greetings were out of the way, it wasn?t long before they were off.

The reaper couldn?t appreciate all the beauty and effort that was put into it with blind eyes, but she did seem to appreciate the heck out of the cake and macarons. She?d lost count of just how many had been eaten. If there was one thing Speck could get behind, it was food.

With a belly full of sweets, Kaz led her off to the Lion?s dance after making a blind joke; which she loved! Under his instruction, she closed her useless eyes and listened to the music. It was about then that he?d asked her to dance. Nervous and clumsy, never having danced before, she held onto him. Spinning and dipping in the most awkward way. It was imperfect, but beautiful, something she?d never forget along with him telling her that he?d never drop her. When the first song ended, they went off for (even more) cake, and then burned it off with more dancing.

The evening was beautiful, but it was the fireworks that scared her off. Kaz assured her that there was no danger, and she believed him. Believed in their ability to stay safe. Unfortunately, he dog who was also blind crossed her mind and together, they hurried home to check on him. Thus, ending their time together?at the festival, anyways.

All in all, she couldn?t have asked for a better first date ever. [/size]
[size=9]
[Golden watch, please!][/size]

[Minoko Funaki]

The very instant that she heard Renegade Regalia was throwing an event for the lunar new year, Minoko was already thrilled to be attending it. This time she would even insist on dragging her husband along. The outfit she donned had way more thought put into than one of her usual ensembles, with everything, from her dress to her shoes to her purse, having a touch of gold on it so she could gladly pair it all with the beautiful Spirit of Summer necklace she had been fortunate enough to win at the grand opening. The piece had spent months being admired in her bedroom, and now it would finally be worn.

A good amount of time at the beginning of the event was spent watching the lion dancers. Her face displayed a silly smirk while observing, not because she was overly amused by their spectacular performance but because she knew Emlen wouldn't be able to take it seriously.  From there it was straight into the shop while still empty handed. Minoko recalled the shooing that took place last time. She didn't want to be handed a wet nap from the opaline titan herself, so the food was sadly skipped for now. Speaking of Una, Minoko was a little better this time at keeping herself from staring at the stately woman. This was most likely due to a fear of her husband's teasing, though if Emlen did decide to call her out on her creepy behavior she'd be blushing and laughing just as always. Several glasses of the cherry blossom champagne were downed without a second thought. It was a combination of her two favorite things, after all, and there was no helping that.

After circling the shop countless times and still not feeling that she had admired the Chinese inspired jewelry collection enough, Minoko exited the building to turn her gaze to the food. A slice of the cake was thoroughly enjoyed, along with a few of the almost-too-pretty-to-eat macarons. The fireworks began while she was in the middle of stuffing her face, and once she had finished eating a comfortable lean was taken against Emlen's frame while she watched the brilliant lights illuminate the sky.

((I'd like the jade ring, please and thanks!))

[Kazuki Ryuga]

He had already planned on showing up, between the release of shiny twinkly things and the celebration of the Lunar New Year. He was of Eastern origin, though from Japan, he still appreciated Chinese holidays. But just to make things better.. He had a date! A rather Speck-tacular one, at that.

He didn?t really get the chance to splurge on Renegade Regalia?s new wares, though he did catch glimpses through the windows. Certain things caught his eye that he made a mental note to come back to buy.  Though he did seem to have his eye on a particular item: The Jewelry Box.

He?d made sure to spoil her with all the cake and treats available, indulging himself in some as well.. --even if he couldn?t taste it anymore, he still remembered!

As Speck couldn?t exactly see the entertainment, he?d instead instruct her to close her eyes and listen to the music. Though watching the Lion Dancers, he couldn?t refrain from taking hold of her hands and dance with her instead. If she couldn?t see it, then she?d experience it! It turned out he was quite the dancer.

The fireworks had been rocky at first, the loud booms and crackles had set the blind girl on edge and after a little while he managed to calm her down. He.. got a bit distracted from the fireworks show considering he was rather close to a pretty girl. But when she brought up the puppy, Zak (who is also blind), his own concern thrummed through and he was more than understanding on them getting back to check on him.

And the rest of the night remains a mystery. For now!

[size=10](Jade Ring, please and thanks! Also, if you wanna read the full scene of the date, it can be read here.)[/size]

[Emlen Slane]

Emlen had spent most of the day following Minoko wherever she wanted to go. There was a big part of him that was confused about the whole event, and he might haven even blew Minoko?s mind a bit when he asked why she was here in the first place being Japanese. Considering he called her Chinese for the first half of their entire relationship. He?s a good husband, he swears!

No, he couldn?t take the Lion?s dance very seriously at all, which is why he was completely relieved that she hadn?t expected that of him. It was during that dance that he spotted one of his sisters, (Speck) but didn?t call out to her since she seemed to be on a date with her very own, Jap-person.

Reluctantly, he ate some sweets, mumbled about how chicken was better. The highlight of the night for him was the fireworks. He liked explosions, okay? Not to mention that he got to sling his arm over her and relax some. Dragging himself around while a woman shopped was not ideal! Though he didn?t complain too much. Maybe due to the fact that he didn?t want to get punched in the head, or chained to a wall later.

[Ring, please!]

[Holloway]

(Jade ring, please and thank you!)

[Rhys Germain]

It had been more than five years since the last time Rhys had partaken in a Lunar New Year celebration, so when he came across the festivities while out running errands, he had to stop and watch the lion dancers for a little while. During the course of his understated mingling, he caught the scent of the pastries and his sweet tooth demanded he partake; he had a slice of cake and a couple of the macarons.

Unfortunately, he had to move on before night fell, but later that evening he paused in a different part of the city to watch what he could see of the fireworks.

[size=9](Jade ring, please.)[/size]

[Sabine]

While attending the celebration with Charlie, Sabine indulged in champagne and too many macarons. A girls night out and a chance to be carefree was exactly what she needed.



(Jade Ring please)

[Una Vogue]

OOC:

Winners have been rolled! They are:

Addie Alcar - Rooster Pocket Watch

Ducii - Painted Abalone Jewelry Box

Nana - Matriarch Opal Ring

All other icons have been sent out to all that participated in the thread! Thank you and we hope you had fun!