[o] [SE] Changes in the morning

Panacea

Panacea laughs, enjoying The Queen of Torchline's carefree attitude, and seeming disregard of the divine's wishes and expectations. "I am afraid I have let time slip by me, and haven't been as active in creating my outfit as I should have been.". She gets up and makes her way over towards the side of her cottage that her rather large and comfortable bed is situated on. She is not one for many extravagant things, but once she was able to afford a large and comfortable mattress, she spent the money. Her drift wood dresser was just off to the side, next to a wardrobe. Panacea opens it, and reaches for the dress and cloak that she has owned for some time now. The black dress falls just above her knees, with capped sleeves, allowing for decent movement, she has worn it maybe four or five times since she bought it three years ago. The cloak is much older, having once belonged to her mother. It was once a deep blue, almost black, but with age and wear, has become lighter, with various shades through out. It fell to the floor past her feet, and the sleeves went just shy of her fingertips, and it was one of the things she loved most that she owned. 

She walks back towards Flora, and holds them out. "Unfortunately, these are all I have so far. I know they requested it be a robe and a mask, but I wouldn't mind being a little mischief my self." Panacea smirks, and places the items on the table between them, before sitting down again. "I would love your help, if you have the time. And if you had any solid ideas for a mask."

// He who has health, has hope. He who has hope, has everything. //
// Take a breath and let the rest come easy //

flora

Flora watches Panacea go with polite restraint, leaning back in her chair rather than trailing after her into the bedroom. When the healer returns with the dress and cloak, her grin is instant. "That colour is gorgeous," she says warmly, eyes sweeping over the fabric with clear appreciation. At Panacea’s smirk about mischief, Flora’s brows bounce in playful agreement. "I'm so in."

She pushes her chair back and stands in a smooth motion. "Sit tight—I’ll be right back." With that, she slips out the door, crossing the sand toward the Sugartide where Spice is already circling with curious chirps. It takes a little coaxing, but soon the tiny dragon is ferrying lightweight bundles in her claws and on her back, while Flora follows with a larger armful of bags brimming with colour and shine.

When she returns, she drops the lot onto the table with a satisfied little puff of breath before fishing around in one of the smaller sacks. "You’re in luck," she says, pulling out a plain white porcelain mask and setting it down between them with a grin. "My friend Niki and I bought extras in case we messed up. Ludo’s mask is always plain white, but..." Her smile tilts into mischief. "I added dramatic lashes onto mine, and Niki shaded his with charcoal so it looked like the bones of a face."

She starts untying the other bags, spilling their contents onto the table in a glittering, ribboned, feathered heap—silks, beads, pressed flowers, tiny shells, even a few strands of gold chain. "You can keep it simple, or make it as extra as you want," she says, her tone inviting, eyes bright. "Everything here’s fair game."

My house of stone, your ivy grows
And now I'm covered in you

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Panacea

Panacea's eyebrows hit her hairline and her jaw drops open. Flora has just casually plopped more clothes on her table than she actually owns. She sees all different colors, textures and designs. She is overwhelmed with the options and her mind races with the possibilities. She would like to stick close to theme, just to not piss anyone off, but she also is someone who doesn't enjoyed being told what to do. Where do I even start? She thinks to herself.

Panacea first reaches for the mask. "This is absolutely beautiful, thank you." She reaches out to the pile in front of her. "I think I may take a page out of you and your friend's book and have some fun with it.". Smiling Panacea starts to dig through the pile, grabbing some of the small shells, and some of the shimmering cloth. "What do you think of me sticking to the beach theme? I have an old thinned out fishing net that I can drape over the cloak. And I could add some shells to it. I could put some of this gold and glittering cloth under it to mimic sand, along with some around the mask with more shells?" Panacea knows that she is not the most creative. Most of her imagination has science behind it, or involves figuring out how to make her medicines more palatable.

Panacea gestures for Flora to stay where she is and hurries outside. She finds the only fishing net that she rarely uses sitting in a small pile off to the side of her home, grabs it and brings it inside. She lays her cloak on the floor, and drapes some of the net across the chest and down one side. She tucks small pieces of the glittering cloth underneath and, scatters a few small shells along it. She then moves over to the mask that is still on the table. She lines one corner of the mask with some of the glittering cloth and two small shells in a way, so that when both mask and cloak are on, the extra material are on opposing sides of her body.

She looks to Flora and asks "What do you think?"

// He who has health, has hope. He who has hope, has everything. //
// Take a breath and let the rest come easy //

flora

Flora’s face lights right up, that kind of delighted, teeth-baring grin that says she’s already imagining the finished look. "Oh, yes," she breathes, leaning forward on her elbows as Panacea talks through the idea. "I love that vibe—beachy, beautiful, but with just the right amount of enough attitude."

She stays put as asked, mug in hand, letting the steam curl against her cheeks while she listens to the faint scuff of Panacea moving outside. When the healer comes back in, draping net and shimmer over the cloak like she’s dressing the sea itself, Flora’s eyes track every choice—how the shells catch the light, how the gold peeks from beneath the net like buried treasure just begging to be found. She doesn’t interrupt, just watches with a small, knowing smile tugging at her lips.

By the time Panacea looks up, she’s already nodding, curls bouncing with it. "It’s incredible," she says, her voice warm and certain, the kind of approval you can sink into like sun-warmed sand. "That’s not just a masquerade outfit—that’s a whole story. People are going to stop you just to get a better look for sure." Her grin tips into something sly as she takes another sip of tea. "I bet even Ludo will like it."

My house of stone, your ivy grows
And now I'm covered in you

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Panacea

Panacea lets out a bark of a laugh, "I do enjoy getting into trouble, but that may be just a bit too much trouble for me." She smiles down at her creation. She is not one for design, but anything that reminds her of the beach and the ocean, her home, brings different parts of her to life.

She smiles at the Queen of Torchline, enjoying the praise. Which is not something she usually cares about, especially when meeting someone for the first time, but she is glad of it now. "Thank you so much for your help. I really don't want to even think about what I would have worn if it wasn't for you." Panacea smiles while she gathers up all of the materials to start attaching and connecting later in the evening. She places the items on her bed and sits back down at the table. She reaches again for her mug, with the still warm tea and takes another sip. "I haven't been to an event like this ever. I am excited to see what all unfolds. I am sure with Ludo involved, it will be one hell of a night."

// He who has health, has hope. He who has hope, has everything. //
// Take a breath and let the rest come easy //

flora

Flora laughs, light and easy, giving her curls a little shake. "Trust me, whatever you picked would’ve been fine—but I’m glad my leftovers could save you from stressing about it." She flashes Panacea a quick grin, the kind that says she’s genuinely pleased to have helped, before tipping back her cup for the last swallow of tea.

At the mention of never having been to something like this, she chuckles into the rim. "Oh, there’s always drama," she says knowingly, setting the mug down with a little clink. "Guaranteed. And Ludo will definitely be there—probably everywhere. Might be tricky to find the real one in a sea of masks, but..." She gives a small shrug, lips curling into a smile. "That’s half the fun."

Not wanting to overstay, Flora begins to sweep the untouched silks, beads, and feathers back into her bags, movements efficient but still easy, like she isn’t in a rush. Slinging one strap over her shoulder, she gives Panacea a warm look. "Thanks for the tea—it was perfect." Her aqua eyes gleam with playful sincerity. "If the masquerade’s half as good as this cup, we’re in for one hell of a night. I hope to see you there, now that I know what to look out for."

With a bright wave toward Panacea and a warm, easy smile, the queen rises from her chair and turns back toward the door. Making her way across the sand, she heads for the Sugartide where her stained-glass sails still shimmer in the sun.

~FIN

My house of stone, your ivy grows
And now I'm covered in you

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!