ringing in the new year

[beastkeeper]

For the most part, the beginning of every new year on the block is the same. There's the party, held down in the common room (barely distinguishable from the lobby, but hey, who cares), and the reminders that go up in the week prior, telling people to bring food to share (not that everyone does — the witch provides more than enough, anyhow). There are, of course, smaller parties, held in the apartments upstairs or on the grounds, and the combinations of creatures always rotates (more or less), but the overall air remains the same. The end of one year and the ushering in of another is cause to celebrate.

Comments

"ASH BORER" (TAMORA) | common room

[ex_batesian_831]

[ She calls herself Ash, after the animal that Circe had given her, if only because Ash sounds tougher than Tamora and it lends an air of mystery and impenetrability to her besides. At the fair she'd been known as 'Zamora the Great' but Ash had never really liked it much since it just sounded like people were mispronouncing her name all the time, 'Great' or not.

It's not her job to entertain Circe's party guests and nobody had asked her to set up shop in the middle of a small circle of chairs, but Ash is doing it anyway because she likes the attention, she likes the amazed faces people make at her, she likes playing the part of 'the Great' since being 'Great' is so much better than ever being Tamora. ]

Nothing in my hands— [ she says, displaying one open palm and then another. ] Nothing up my sleeves, but—

[ A flourish, a ha, a trick of the light and a flick of the fingers and suddenly the air produces a marble that falls into the palm of her hand. The children clap; one in the back actually squeals as her father bounces her on his arm. The adults give a laughing cheer. It's like alchemy, really — like something out of a fairystory.

Something out of nothing; somebody out of nobody. (Thank you, Circe.)

Alakazam. ]

[brightandclear]

[At the end of Ash's show, there's Roxana, giving snaps as if for a poet.

Unlike Ash, Roxana cares little for what name people choose to call her, though more often than to she thinks of herself as Roxana. She won't forget where she came from.]

I like your stuff.

[ex_batesian_831]

[ Once the crowd of children have dispersed, Ash goes about trying to rearranging the chairs back to normal, though she doesn't make too much of a deal of it, simply pushing them out of their roughly circular shape with her knee. This way and then that way, their legs scraping mutedly against the carpet.

She smiles at Roxana, always appreciative of an audience. ]

Thanks. Didn't always used to be this good, but— [ She shrugs. Circe had changed all that. What had once been sleight of hand for Ash was not honest to goodness magic. ]

[brightandclear]

But somehow, things are just different these days. [She's grinning.]

Yup. I know how that is.