http://rosestolilies.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] rosestolilies.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] queenoflogs2011-12-16 08:53 pm

Well, the weather outside is frightful

Characters: Everyone!
Date: Midnight the 16th of December
Summary: The inhabitants of the Garden get their reward for making out beneath the mistletoe, in the form of a lights show in the sky.
Warnings: N/A

In the dead of night, the Garden is dead silent. Without the sound of the city or urban life, only the noises of nature pervade the air. Crickets. Rustling leaves. The occasional footsteps of an animal.

However, tonight, at midnight, the silence is broken by a loud pealing of bells, rousing the people of the garden from their sleep. The bells continue ringing for nearly half a minute before falling silent. For a moment, the peacefulness of night returns to the Gardens.

Then the enormous mistletoe plant begins glowing, with a brilliant white light bright enough to be seen from all corners of the Garden. It fizzes, shooting off heatless sparks, and then bursts, shooting up into the sky and breaking into pieces of glowing light, forming various shapes. Above the Orchard, a series of hearts form, burst like fireworks, and reform. Over the Necessities, nymphs made of sparkling light kiss and dance through the sky, winking down at the people below. Over the ruins, flowers of multicolored light pop into existence and disperse. And above the Viridian Pavilion, fiery red phoenixes swoop through the air, burn out dramatically, and are reborn in a new cascade of light.

The show will continue until morning. Fortunately, now that the mistletoe's light has dispersed, it's not so bright that it should keep people awake.
britainsbiscuits: (frazzled)

[personal profile] britainsbiscuits 2011-12-21 02:55 am (UTC)(link)
The voice made England sit up straight. She quickly turned around to see Prussia, rather surprised.

"H-How did you find me?" she asked.

[identity profile] beerjugs.livejournal.com 2011-12-21 09:24 pm (UTC)(link)
"You weren't in your room," as if that would answer everything. Tucking her hands under her arms for warmth, Prussia raised her eyes to the sky once more, "You'd think it was too wet for fireworks to go off this time of the year."
britainsbiscuits: (unimpressed)

[personal profile] britainsbiscuits 2011-12-21 10:21 pm (UTC)(link)
England sighed and rubbed her forehead. Of course Prussia would answer without clarity. She turned forward again and gazed up at the night sky. "I haven't seen any snow here, though if there was, we'd probably have these fireworks anyway. The Queen can do whatever the hell she pleases, even if it doesn't make sense."

[identity profile] beerjugs.livejournal.com 2011-12-21 10:43 pm (UTC)(link)
"Meaning, your magic can't explain any of this either," truth be told, Prussia was enthralled by the sight. She had envied France's luxurious display when Austria had married her brat to France's crown prince years ago, but not enough to make the trip to see them in person.

"A pity you can't make a wish on those artificial lights."
britainsbiscuits: (snarky)

[personal profile] britainsbiscuits 2011-12-21 10:56 pm (UTC)(link)
The idea caused England to grin a bit. The mood had been lightened. Again, she turned her head over her shoulder, eyes narrowing in amusement. "And what would you wish for if you could?"

[identity profile] beerjugs.livejournal.com 2011-12-22 08:33 pm (UTC)(link)
"The world," or the rest of it, but Prussia wasn't feeling quite that arrogant that night. She'd been used to going without, but she had never really felt needful of anything in particular. Stretching an arm up, she extended her fingers, watching the distant lights explode between them. "Would you give me that?"
britainsbiscuits: (mature)

[personal profile] britainsbiscuits 2011-12-23 06:29 am (UTC)(link)
If England could, she would. Her devotion to Prussia was endless. Of course, she couldn't say that. She turned away to look up at the sky. "I don't think so. I want the world for myself." That was not necessarily a lie, though. She often yearned for the days when she was the greatest Empire in the world. Life was simpler back then...

[identity profile] beerjugs.livejournal.com 2011-12-24 10:11 pm (UTC)(link)
"The right answer, as always," not that she had expected England of all nations to submit to her whims so easily, even in the fancies harbored in another world entirely.

Dropping down to her knees, Prussia was quick to stretch boot covered legs across the damp grass, hugging a knee to her chest. "I guess I'll have to wish for a book, then."
britainsbiscuits: (proud)

[personal profile] britainsbiscuits 2011-12-26 03:59 am (UTC)(link)
After a brief moment, England scooted over so that she could share warmth with her beloved Prussia. There were strange little creatures in this garden, and they were wandering to and fro. England wondered if she would be able to take one home with her.

"A book sounds simple enough," she said, using one finger to draw a circle in the dirt. "What kind?"

[identity profile] beerjugs.livejournal.com 2012-01-17 02:57 am (UTC)(link)
"Goethe," her cheeks warmed somewhat, although it was hard to see in the dim light of the evening, unless a particularly bright firework illuminated a patch of grass momentarily.

"Not that it makes a difference. A book is a book," she added hurriedly, rubbing the back of her head in affected indifference.
britainsbiscuits: (snarky)

[personal profile] britainsbiscuits 2012-01-18 03:52 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh! Was Prussia actually flustered? That was something rare to see. England's grin widened and she continued to draw into the magic dirt before a book was formed. Goethe's Faust. It looked old and worn.

"Yes, a book is a book. And this one is sitting here by itself."
Edited 2012-01-18 15:53 (UTC)

[identity profile] beerjugs.livejournal.com 2012-01-19 04:22 am (UTC)(link)
It was still somewhat hard to admit she wanted things, from comforts like a nicer roof on her head in the Gardens to less tangible things, such as companionship.

The book looked like it was worn from an old and long kept library. The pages gave off that musty beloved smell in the way of old books when they yielded to her fingers.

"Fill your heart to overflowing, / and when you feel profoundest bliss, / then call it what you will: / Good fortune! Heart! Love! or God! / I have no name for it! / Feeling is all; / the name is sound and smoke, / beclouding Heaven's glow."

Her eyes softened a bit at the familiar words, before something tugged at the edge of her mouth, curving her lips up.
britainsbiscuits: (humph)

[personal profile] britainsbiscuits 2012-01-19 04:35 am (UTC)(link)
England picked up the book, but held it to her chest, closing her eyes. "I didn't bring it here for you, r-really. It's my book, after all." Of course, she didn't really mean that. England was enchanted by this softer side of Prussia. It made her believe that there was still hope for them. It was absolutely a gift, to make Prussia smile.

"Buuuut. I suppose you can borrow it. For a little while!"

[identity profile] beerjugs.livejournal.com 2012-01-19 04:48 am (UTC)(link)
"Then you must know it by heart, judging by how worn it is," like I do, she didn't need to ask. Shifting on the grass, a touch closer to where England was, her eyes glinted, "Faust doesn't find his faith again--or at all--until he has fallen in love."
britainsbiscuits: (captivated)

[personal profile] britainsbiscuits 2012-01-19 05:17 am (UTC)(link)
The romantic aspect of the book was what caused England to read it many times over. Though that was not the main point of Goethe's famous work, it was something England could not gloss over. She was a hopeless romantic, usually when no one was looking. She had a library full of books, and most of them circled around romance novels... And not those trashy romance novels one could find in a grocery store in America. No, real romance novels. Gone With the Wind, Ravished, Romeo and Juliet. If the romance was combined with true history, that was even better.

She tilted her head towards Prussia, her expression becoming serious. "Love is a rather strong emotion. It can make even the strongest person weak in the knees, to the point where they will follow the object of their affection blindly."

As soon as England had said that, she wished that she hadn't. Averting her eyes, she quickly shoved the book into Prussia's hands and got to her feet.

[identity profile] beerjugs.livejournal.com 2012-01-19 05:56 am (UTC)(link)
Promptly silenced just as she was about to open her mouth to argue the merits of Goethe's vision, Prussia balanced precariously at the decisive shove, catching the book with surprise as the other leapt to her feet.

"Fine. Perhaps I should have asked for Shakespeare, instead." England would have liked that, wouldn't she have? But there was only the sway of that long, long hair and the straight back facing her, instead.
britainsbiscuits: (downtrodden)

[personal profile] britainsbiscuits 2012-01-19 07:30 pm (UTC)(link)
England was happy to give Prussia whatever she wanted, no matter what author, or what book, or whatever article of clothing. Right now, she was ashamed of her weakness, or rather, showing Prussia just how weak she was. She turned away when Prussia didn't try to stop her, and rushed off as the fireworks increased. It was a blessing, she thought, because it would give Prussia something else to focus on.