Category: Blog Archive

archived blog posts

Video: How to Get in Touch with Orchis

 

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A woman is lying face down on a bed, her back bare, a sheet covering her from the waist down. A man’s hands are massaging her bare from off-screen. Soft, romantic music plays in the background

The woman moans and sighs contentedly.

WOMAN: Have you got any protection?

She sighs

Camera pans up to the curtains in her room. The music stops, replaced by loud metallic screeching and banging noises.

The camera pans back down to the woman and man lying in bed, wearing full body personal protection equipment, including body suits, medical face masks, surgical hair coverings, plastic face shields, and nitrile gloves.

Man: (whispering) You got the stuff?

The woman opens a bottle of antibacterial hand gel and squirts some on their gloves. They rub the hand gel vigorously over the entire surface of the gloves. Soft, romantic music resumes.

Fade to: white text on black screen: Get your Masque on!

Fade to: the woman and man stand opposite each other on the bed. The man holds out a measuring stick and touches it to her chest. She shrugs.

Video: Welcome to Dahlia House

Jocaste no Dahlia, Dowayne of Dahlia House
 
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I’m Jocaste nó Dahlia the Dowyane of Dahlia House. And I suppose you’re here because you want to learn more about us you want to understand more about what makes us feel very special.

Well, to understand us you need to understand that many of us come from other Houses, originated somewhere else. We were chosen for this House because we demonstrated an ability to lead; we demonstrated a bigger vision; we demonstrated a deeper understanding of the allure of power.

Now, our friends at Mandrake and Valerian definitely understand that. But we’re talking about political power. We’re talking about the ability to lead people…into movements, into abundance, and into fulfillment.

And in fact, a night at Dahlia House is simply a chance to be to have an audience with us, to be part of that environment of power crackling with electricity, crackling with anticipation, with tension or flirtation and courtly love. To have the opportunity to be noticed. And the opportunity to be chosen, among many.

Every adept in the Night Court, regardless of your House gets to choose their own patrons. But in Dahlia House, we have many patrons that we can choose from any given night, or we can choose none at all.

And that itself is satisfying that itself is the tease, and the play, and the intrigue, that we inspire.

For example, I should have been in Gentian House. I should have been a mystic and a seer – a dreamer of dreams. But I wanted to change the way that they approach things. And at the tender age of 10, I tried.

And that is how I got chosen for Dahlia. That is how I was fostered into leadership of this House. Because bringing out the best in our lovers and making them earn that opportunity to see the private “us”, to have that pedestal of acclaim and achievement is seductive in and of itself.

Who doesn’t want to take credit for a queen, inviting someone to her bed? A king, recognizing you in public, and giving you his favor?

We are no stranger to those who have been locked out at the court and their ambitions have been thwarted one way or another. They get to play out that fantasy with us to earn our attention. And it’s no mistake that we are often called upon to be advisors to the court.

So, House Dahlia will definitely surprise you. Yes, we hold our heads up high. Yes, we all have imaginary crowns on our heads. And you will want us all the more so for it.

Please enjoy this Longest Night’s Midwinter Masque, the biggest event in Terre d’Ange. We look forward to meeting you and seeing you show your worth.

Video: Petrea’s Offer

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PETREA NO CEREUS and MARCO DECIMUS, her lover, lie in bed in her private chambers after an intimate evening.

PETREA

I wish your time in the city were not so short. Your visits come far too rarely for my tastes. You scholars – how you do wander. It’s a wonder you visit me at all, what with you jaunting from one end of the world to the other.

MARCO

(chuckles)

You know that I always make my way to you, no matter where my travels take me, dearest.

How go your plans for the Midwinter Masque? I know from your letters that Aliksandria tasked you with the preparations.

PETREA

(groans)

MARCO (CONT’D)

You have concerns of the ball? Or is it this scandal you have written about that troubles you?

PETREA

Oh the ball, itself, will be spectacular. But I fear there shall be no joy for me on the Longest Night. You know the City of Elua loves nothing more than a scandal. And I hate nothing more than a scandal – so tiresome.

(annoyed)

The gossiping grows worse by the day. One can no longer avoid the rumor mongering. There is even a whisper that I am humiliated by the thought of another Second being chosen over me – when nothing could be further from the truth. It has gone too far. The foolish stories are on the lips of every person in every shop on every corner throughout the city, not to mention in every chamber of every House here on Mont Nuit.

(angrily)

There is literally no one I do not hate right now.

MARCO

(laughs, then his voice turns serious)

You seem less and less content each time I see you. And this..this seems too much for you.

He pauses briefly as if something has occurred to him.

MARCO (CONT’D)

(thoughtfully)

Would you ever consider leaving the Night Court?

PETREA

You mean retire? It is not…it is not done.

(sadly)

One does not retire for the simple fact that one is unhappy in one’s place and dislikes courtly gossip.

MARCO

No, no, of course not. But there are other reasons for leaving. Marriage, for example. Others who have made their marque have married and left the Night Court. Left the City. Left Terre d’Ange, even.

PETREA

(thinking out loud)

Marriage? Well, yes, that does happen. But who would I marry? I have dear friends, it is true, but not any who would agree to a marriage of convenience and certainly not any whom are not entangled in..oh.

She pauses as his meaning dawns on her

PETREA (CONT’D)

Oh.

She is silent for a moment, realizing what he is suggesting.

PETREA (CONT’D)

Are…are you proposing marriage?

MARCO

I am.

PETREA

But surely you wish to marry for love, and not simply to take pity on an unhappy woman.

MARCO

I do wish to marry for love. And I would be.

PETREA

Oh.

MARCO

I love you. I love you more than any words in the world can express. Why do you think I come back to you time and again?

PETREA

I thought you enjoyed my company. That I was a stop along your way back to Tiberium from…wherever it is you go.

MARCO

Well there is that, but you are so much more to me than that. Marry me. Come to Tiberium with me. I have a home there. Perhaps not quite as lavish as Cereus House…

PETREA

(laughs)

MARCO (CONT’D)

(his words coming faster)

..but it is comfortable. Let me take you away from here. Away from this life that you do not love. We could travel if you like. Let me show you the world. There is so much more than what you have seen and experienced here in the City. Or not. We don’t have to travel. We can stay in Tiberium. We can have children if you like. Or not. You can study at the university if you like. Or not, if you do not wish. It matters not.

(more gently)

All that matters is that you come home to me at the end of each day. Whatever you want, I will give you.

(quietly)

You can return as often as you like. Whenever you like. I know that there are people here that you love and could not bear to be separated from forever. I know that this is your favorite time of year, and I promise that we’ll always arrange any travels so that you’re here at Cereus House for the Midwinter Masque.  What do you think?

Video: Odilia Gets The Letter


 

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SCENE: [ODILIA is looking out the window, pensive, worried, something weighing on her mind.]

ROSANNA: (offscreen) Odilia?

[ODILIA turns to look at ROSANNA waiting by the couch, she manages a smile]

ODILIA: Rosanna.

[ROSANNA knows her friend, she knows better than to believe the smile.]

ROSANNA: What is it?

[ODILIA crosses to the low table and hands ROSANNA the letter lying there.]

ROSANNA: The royal seal…

ODILIA: Read it.

[ODILIA sits at her couch and sips her wine, watching ROSANNA read. She sits slowly too as she reads aloud.]

ROSANNA: (reading aloud) “Dearest Odilia, In these uncertain times when I have more on my mind than ever, I find my thoughts turning to you more and more.”
(breaking off) Odilia, this seems personal…

ODILIA: Keep going.

ROSANNA: (reading aloud) “The loss of my beloved brother weighs heavily on me, nearly as heavily as that weight that I never thought to bear. As the nights grow longer, I have more time than ever to consider that which lays before me. Mon coeur, I long for your arms and for your advice as to what is next for me. For us. I must take the crown and my mother has warned me that the weight of it will change everything. I stand at the precipice of something new, knowing now more than ever I will need guidance. And so I have made a choice. The Longest Night celebrations will soon overtake the city but my heart is not in them. Instead, I will stand Cassiel’s Vigil through the night, praying for Elua’s guidance and blessing. I regret I cannot share the evening with you as I had wished but to that end I ask for your assistance. As I cannot attend the fete at Cereus House, go in my stead and speak with my voice and represent me among your peers and other guests-”
(breaking off)  Odilia, this means something.

ODILIA: Yes, it does.

ROSANNA: Has he asked you to be….?

ODILIA: No. Not yet. I thought he might but then the plague and the loss of his brother…there was no time.

ROSANNA: (reading aloud) “I can trust this to no other for no other is the queen of my heart the way you are, no other knows my heart and mind the way you do. I have every faith in you and place my trust in you completely. I miss you and pray the spring will bring us together again. Yours ever devotedly, Gustav.”

[She sets the letter aside and looks at her friend. ODILIA is valiantly trying to keep her composure but ROSANNA knows her friend too well.]

ROSANNA: Are you alright?

[ODILIA stifles a laugh. ROSANNA takes her hand.]

ROSANNA: Are you ready for this?

ODILIA: I have to be.

Join us for a full weekend of events!

The full schedule of events for the 2021 Virtual Masque is now available!

ALL TIMES GIVEN IN US EASTERN STANDARD TIME (EST/GMT-5)

Friday, January 8, 2021

    • 5:30pm: In Character (IC) channels open to socialize in character
    • 5:30pm: Out Of Character (OOC) channels open to socialize out of character
    • 5:30-7:30pm: RP workshop in Dungeons and D’Angelines channels
      • get help developing your character or getting started with RP
    • 7:30-8:30pm: Lord Niklos Shahrizai will be hosting a lavish dinner party at the Shahrizai hunting lodge in the Noble District channel
    • 8:30pm: D&D game for beginners – signup form will be emailed to ticketed guests

 

Saturday, January 9, 2021

    • House salons open all day for specific entertainment and socializing on Mont Nuit
    • IC lounge and OOC lounge open all day for in character and out of character socializing.
      • Discuss educational panels in the panel text channels
    • Kink/NSFW channel open all day: post your erotic art and/or writing to share, ask questions about kink.
    • Workshops and discussion groups
      • 9:00-10:00am: The Crossover Episode: House Affiliations of other fictional characters, both TdA and other movies, and book and TV series
      • 11:00-12 noon: Living the Night Court: House Canons in Real Life
      • 1:00-2:00pm: Sacred Sexuality
      • 3:00-4:00pm: Medieval Depictions of Sexuality
      • 5:00-6:00pm: Models of Resilience in Terre D’Ange
      • 8:00pm: The Masque Ball: live party at a virtual Cereus House hosted on Gather

 

Sunday, January 10, 2021

    • 12 noon: brunch in the OOC lounge.
      • Bring your food and drink as appropriate for your timezone!
    • 2:00pm: D&D game for advanced players – signup form will be emailed to ticketed guests
    • 5:30pm: House salons close
    • 5:30pm: IC lounge closes
    • 5:30pm: OOC closes

2021 Longest Night Midwinter Masque moving online

We care about the health and safety of our guests and community members.  Due to the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis, therefore, we will be moving the upcoming 2021 Longest Night Midwinter Masque weekend online with our own private Discord server for the January 8-10, 2021 event.  Tickets will be available on our website for $5.  Your ticket grants you access to all online parties, classes, and other events of the 2021 Masque weekend. 

Previously purchased 2021 tickets may be rolled over to 2022 Longest Night Midwinter Masque. Rolled over tickets grant access to the 2021 virtual Masque weekend.  Current ticketholders should contact info@thelongestnightmasque.com for more information.

Details about the 2021 Longest Night Midwinter Masque weekend will be coming soon, so make sure you’re following us on social media and subscribed to our blog so that you’re in the know.

Stay safe, D’Angelines and, as always, love as thou wilt.

Purchase a Customized Poem for your Beloved!

writing quill

Longing to declare your love from the rooftops of the night’s doorstep, but not gifted with a silver tongue?
For a few gold coins, an Eglantine adept will pen and perform an ode to your beloved.
~
Click Here to purchase this unique gift for your special person.  After purchasing, you will receive an email within one week (seven calendar days) from poet@thelongestnightmasque.com to inquire about your beloved for inspiration.
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Proceeds from the Masque go to benefit the Human Rights Campaign.
~

What is Alyssum?

Sweet Alyssum plant
Alyssum or Alisons (Lobularia maritima syn. Alyssum maritimum)

House Alyssum :: With Eyes Averted

Alyssum is one of the most difficult to reconcile Houses in The Court of Night-Blooming Flowers.  Modesty? With Eyes Averted? How do these co-exist in a world that places such high value on Love As Thou Will?

If you follow Imriel’s line of thinking, Alyssum lies in the same area as Valerian only instead of physical discomfort, Alyssum provides shame to its patrons. 

I’d like to offer another way of looking at it, taken from the ideas of modesty and the characteristics of the plant as well as it’s meaning and the lore of Terre d’Ange.

Modesty isn’t an inherently negative thing, it is often based in the desire to keep things away from people that will not appreciate them as they deserve.  In this way, Alyssum is the same; you go to Alyssum for what is kept hidden from the eyes of the undeserving.  

House Alyssum is approached via a drive lined with cypress trees; cypress trees are revered in many traditions for their upright growth and their resistance to fire. What shame can survive a fire? Rather than shame, a knowledge of one’s own value is what survives, particularly if we are to assume that the Adepts of Alyssum are consenting in their trysts.

The Alyssum plant itself is incredibly hardy, surviving drought and flood when other perennial plants do not.  This is not a plant that symbolizes weakness or susceptibility to outside influence. 

An Adept that displays the virtues of House Alyssum is not an Adept that is weak as many assume modesty to imply. The Adept Imriel sees isn’t shamed by her desires or his, she isn’t uncertain. To me, this is a House of hidden strength, a House of Adepts that, though they may blush to speak what they wish, know what they desire. They know themselves in a way we all can aspire to.

Face Mask-erade

Garb yourself in our attractive, limited edition protective face masks.  Drawing inspiration from the characters and stories of the Kushiel’s Legacy books, the adepts of the Night Court have toiled away at these special garments.

These cloth face masks are available in very limited quantities only through Longest Night Midwinter Masque website.  Proceeds from the Longest Night Midwinter Masque go to benefit the Human Rights Campaign.

View our current selection here and check back for new styles!

Stay safe and healthy and, as always, love as thou wilt.