Litha Feast (Open to all court members and human guests, dated for the 21st)

[detectiveofthewest]

The grounds were brightly lit and festooned with decoration: trees covered in sweet-smelling dew, leaves of gold and red, vividly-colored streamers woven with thread finer than spider's silk. All around, the tables were piled high with all the food and wine one might expect of a grand feast. (Apparently, the fae had spared no expense.)

The Seelie King and Queen were present, though distanced from the rest of the revellers -- and quite a few revellers there were. Men and women with petals in their hair, clothes of vibrant silk and satin, and a rainbow of rare feathers and gems. Some looked human, some looked animal. Some, such as in the case of a well-dressed gentleman with skin like birch bark, looked like none of the above.

Comments

[rules_winter]

Mab's head tilted just a touch at the uncomfortable thank you. She considers thank you's a sign of a debt owed. Even when one is in the protection of the Seelie King and Queen. Her smile is slight but there as she takes a sip from the frosted glass.

The Unseelie Lady watches the girl set the bottle down and her eyes track the path her hands take behind her back. Mab blinks at the question and then looks down at the glass covered with ice and back at Kenzie. "Surely you can make a guess." They might be in the summer court, but never has cold been in Summer's purview. Summer is heat and fire and life. A witch child taking the name of a greek goddess of her craft would surely be able to put two and two together and come out with four. "Tell me what court you believe I should belong to."

[kleptofaeniac]

"That's a bit of a loaded question don't ya think?" Kenzi tries to laugh but it only comes off as comically uneasy, as if she were reciting lines for a show. Her eyes even shift to the side, like she's begging the universe for a way out of this.

She thinks if she answers wrong, she'll get cursed. If she answers right, she'll get Mab's attention and she doesn't know which is worse.

"I mean, I don't know how the court system really works for you...guys."

If she had to make a guess, however. She'd say Unseelie.

[rules_winter]

Mab's smile grew to look almost genuine. "You did ask it." She pointed out. Kenzie had been the one to inquire as to her court to start with after all. Mab lifted her fingers and iced another bottle, looking pointedly at Kenzie. She certainly will not destroy the child for answering wrong. But she might think less of her if she can't put simple things together.

"The Seelie court rules summer, from Winter's wane to Summer's wax solstice to solstice, then the Unseelie court takes over it's Rule of Winter. Surely these things are still readily available in mortal libraries?" Mab had gone to great lengths to have the Grimm Brothers put tales of her kind into human hands. The Tuatha had been quite active in Ireland as well when Mab had been busy in the Black Forest. "Based on this information what might you guess?"

[kleptofaeniac]

"Un...seelie?" Kenzi answers like an unsure student who hasn't been paying attention in class enough and she's guessing at the answer.

Kenzi is vividly imagining getting turned into a tree if she answers wrong. She hopes it's not an ugly tree.

[rules_winter]

"Well done." She tipped her head a little in acknowledgement. Though really that was simple observation. One would hope the child didn't have to have everything worked out for her. "Though you should speak with confidence when you come to the only logical conclusion."

Trees and life are summer's purview Kenzi, Mab wouldn't turn anyone into a tree.

[kleptofaeniac]

"Yeah, I'll make sure to do that in the future...uh, frosty ma'am."

If Kenzi sounds distracted, it's because she's trying to come up with a way to get out of this. But she is stuck at this party until they announce who won.

[rules_winter]

Mab lets her twist a little. The girl is so uncomfortable it's actually amusing to watch. And Mab was never precisely known for being kind.

"Ms Sommerset is fine." She offers, "Why so tense, young Witch? Surely if something horrible was going to happen it would have done so already."

[kleptofaeniac]

"I'm Russian, I'm built to be tense."

And built for the cold, but Kenzi doesn't say as much. She's afraid Mab - Ms Sommerset - will like that.

[rules_winter]

"Nonsense, I have seen the Russians dance." Mab replied, obviously not referring to ballet. This was more the drunken revelry. The Russians were insane for mortals.

She smiled a little and seemed to pull a card out of nowhere, offering it to the witch. "If your dire expectations are realized you may contact me." Of course, the phone won't work in this realm. But it never hurts to give a witch a way to contact you. Especially in the current climate in London.

[kleptofaeniac]

Kenzi hesitantly takes the card, at first looking at it like it'll try to bite her, but then considering.

Fae were an old danger to her, but at the same time, there was something intoxicating about the power they could promise a witch.

"Thanks...I'll keep this handy."

For once, she was not lying.

[rules_winter]

Something like amusement dances in Mab's eyes as the lure of potential power seems to outweigh Kenzi's natural inclination to shy at everything like a frightened rabbit. "Enjoy the party Mistress Hecate."

Mab turned to move away, after dipping her head in farewell to the young witch.