The stage has been set in a rather dramatic fashion, as if the gathered are within a play, and specfically placed lanterns direct everyone towards the stairs to go and sit on the collection of seats on the stage itself. Bottles cover a table, glasses near by, with the expectations if you want something you'll get it yourself. Aurora waits for people to come and sit if they so choose to before she speaks, "welcome to the Blackrose Theater. We are here today to honor Auda Florin, also known as the Black Dahlia. She was the manager of the Theater for quite some time, and someone we own thanks to for all the entertainment she provided for the city in her role. She touched many lives, she gave so much of herself to those around her that I would like to remember that woman and all the glorious things she did in life."

Ida has joined the Commoner Seating, House Right.

Sen'azala arrives with practical silence - she really does have a light step, and the theater itself is a place she doesn't seem at all unfamiliar with - head slightly down, mouth drawn into a thin line. When she spies how things have been arranged, the open seats on the stage, that expression pulls into an actual frown. Not a fan, apparently. Nevertheless, she hefts herself easily onto the stage itself (who needs stairs), and picks out a seat to settle into.

A woman in black enters the room and stands behind the Prima. Her expression unintelligible beneath the veil and she cocks her head and seems to say something to the Sen'azala in quite tones

Yasmine arrives with a gentle rustle of her skirts, her expressive features tempered with respect and reflection as she raises her gaze toward the stage where Aurora addresses the slowly gathering crowd. Her fingers lightly dance over the back of one of the chairs onstage. Slowly, with an elegance that speaks to her genuine respect for the occasion, she makes her way to an open seat, each step purposeful. Her gaze sweeps across those gathered before settling on Aurora, a silent nod passed her way to both thank and acknowledge the importance of today's gathering. "And how shall you like us to begin?" she wonders then. "Will you open first, or would you like for any one of us to go?"

Arriving alone and dressed in head-to-toe black, Mirari's expression is stoic and solemn. There's little more than a silent gleam in her emerald eyes as she scans the room and settles on the dramatically set stage. With the seats set up there, she takes wide steps towards it, wasting no time before finding a spot to settle into. When Aurora begins to speak, her attention snaps in that direction, listening to her announcement and the questions that come with it. Despite the muted reaction, thoughts fill her head, but she remains quiet in how she pays her respects.

Yasmine has joined the Stage.

Whoever the veiled woman is, Sen's response is...not friendly. She grimaces, the very tips of her canines briefly visible. She's swift to cross her arms over her chest, apparently to try to make it less obvious how much her hands are suddenly clenching. There is a very noticeable twitch. Fine. She's fine.

Ida is a fairly plain looking woman with, perhaps, a few colorful accoutrements on her person, but otherwise isn't all that remarkable a presence. Her expression is solemn and, for now, she picks a seat in the theater rather than up on the stage.

"I will open the floor to any who would wish to share their experiences with Auda, any story you'd like to share," Aurora tells Yasmine with a smile, nodding her head towards the other woman. "I am not sure if any of my stories with Auda are fit for public consumption anyway. She was a good boss though, she was patient and so funny, and wasnt offended by my awkwardness. I know im not everyone's cup of tea, but she never made me feel like I was annoying her. She... will be missed," Aurora finishes, now opening up the floor.

There's a hint of a smile at the corner of Ida's mouth as Aurora speaks along with a few nods of her head. "She was far more patient than most people I know," is a murmured agreement. The smith wrinkles her lips a moment and then gets up to move to a seat up on the stage.

Ida has left the Commoner Seating, House Right.

"She was an idiot," Sen says very, very quietly, though with a weird note of...fondness? Is that a thing she can convey? "I trusted her more than I should." Pause. "And not quite enough." That would seem to be it, she waits for several long moments, but adds, finally, "I'd have been there if I could have been."

Aurora is overheard praising Auda(rip): I heard she saved thirty orphans from a burning rope bridge over a pit of snakes all before breakfast.

The veiled lady moves away from Sen'azala and walks toward the Queen's Box.

Yasmine checks charm and performance at hard. Yasmine fails.

Yasmine sighs softly, her eyes distant as she trains her sight in the middle distance of the stage, as though lost in the gossamer threads of a memory. "Ah, Auda," she begins, her voice carrying an undertone of mirth against the melancholic mood sweeping over the guests. "There was this one night... Gods, it feels like a different lifetime now. The city was abuzz with rumors of a valuable, cursed artifact."

The Black Murmur glides across the stage, her hands kept busy with pouring herself a drink, her story unfolding with a tell-tale tremor in her voice. "The Tear of Limerance, they called it... Now, Auda and I... well, let's just say we might've had a little too much to drink."



Yasmine leans forward, her tone turning conspiratorial as though sharing a great secret with the Mummers and guests alike. "We decided, in our... shall we say, a little inebriated state, that we were going to be the ones to find this artifact. Using a tattered map we got from a rather dubious-looking sailor who swore on his mother's grave it was the real deal, and we set out on this madcap quest. By midnight, we found ourselves hopelessly lost sneaking around through the catacombs. And Auda, with her unfathomable ability to make me laugh even in the worst of situations, had tied a bedsheet around her neck, claiming it was her adventurer's cape. We faced daunting riddles, dodged the most crazy traps, and at one point, sang a lullaby to a very grumpy, sleep-deprived skeleton." Heyes shimmer with unshed tears of laughter. "In the end, we didn't find the 'Tear of Limerance.' Turns out, it was just a clever ruse by that sailor to get drunk adventurers to buy his worthless maps. But what we did find was a night full of laughter, adventure, and memories I'll cherish forever. Auda, with her indomitable spirit and zest for life, made that night magical. It was just one of the many ways she had of turning the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Ida nods here and there as she listens, maybe arching a brow briefly at one thing or another, or allowing a chuckle. When Yasmine finishes, the smith is grinning and then offers the group a polite smile. "Indomitable is a good word for Auda. I didn't know her exceptionally well, but when she asked me to help on a Commoners' Council project in the Lowers, I jumped right in. I make things other than weapons and she trusted that I could use my knowledge to help. The project was more rewarding than I expected, and a little weird. Maybe a lot weird, but I walked away feeling like I was a small part of something she believed fiercely in. I can't remember if it was before or after that when she sent me an excited missive," is explained and a smile is again touching the corners of her mouth. "She asked for a dagger with a poppy theme, which was so interesting and of course I made it. She even suggested I do hairpins for the shop with the same theme, which I don't remember if I did or not. And speaking to her patience, she was like, no rush, I have a few daggers I love, so whenever. I hope she got to use it. She just seemed like someone who committed fully, whatever it was." With that said, she bows her head briefly.

Aurora listens to the others as they begin to speak, and there is a nod of understanding towards Sen'azala, "I have always found it odd when peope say not to speak of the dead in a certain way. Just because they died doesnt mean they arent idiots. It just means they were our idiot and thats okay. I think she would totally agree with you." Another nod is given towards Ida as she moves closer, "she may have had patience but she didnt put up with fools. I saw her kick someone out of the theater for heckling the actors during one of the day shows. She stood toe to toe with this massive guy and I thought it was going to be all over for her. Next think I know he is apologising and telling Auda he was sorry and to not tell his mother on him. It was amazing." She laughs at Yasmine's story, and then grinning at Ida once more, "she had the best sense of humor. She didnt take herself too seriously but her sarcasm was next level. Some of the shows she directed were so tongue in cheek that im surprised the nobled didnt get more upset. But I guess we've made fun of everyone equally."

The veiled woman says in a loud and clear tone from her station in the Queen's box. "Auda was an odd sort. She was incredibly clever. Far more than she had any right to be. I suppose that's what got her into the position she found herself in." The woman tilts her head. "Yet she was never able to scrape away the one thing I'd always wanted her to. Concern over your worthless lies. There is an optimistic part of me that assumes that she did this all for me and it was all a misplaced attempt at getting my approval. But there is a sick, twisted feeling that she did it to protect the lives of the useless masses. That upsets me. And thus I can only leave you with the message that sacrifices are worthless and you are only as good as the value you bring to the next generation. It's not a life I'd have chosen for you, but it's what you are stuck with. If you want otherwise, you can choose to cease to exist."

Sen'azala checks composure at hard. Sen'azala fails.

The veiled woman says in a loud and clear tone from her station. "Auda was an odd sort. She was incredibly clever. Far more than she had any right to be. I suppose that's what got her into the position she found herself in." The woman tilts her head. "Yet she was never able to scrape away the one thing I'd always wanted her to. Concern over your worthless lives. There is an optimistic part of me that assumes that she did this all for me and it was all a misplaced attempt at getting my approval. But there is a sick, twisted feeling that she did it to protect the lives of the useless masses. That upsets me. And thus I can only leave you with the message that sacrifices are worthless and you are only as good as the value you bring to the next generation. It's not a life I'd have chosen for you, but it's what you are stuck with. If you want otherwise, you can choose to cease to exist."

Ida can't seem to help chuckling again, this time at Aurora's story. "I mean, I'm no small woman, but I was kind of afraid of her, too," is said with a grin. The veiled woman's words leave the smith looking a little unsure for a moment.

Leaning back just enough against the chair that it lifts a little in the front, Mirari balances there. Gloves hands are in her lap, bare fingers laced together. While she doesn't offer words to the mix, rather she is here to pay her silent respects. What she does is listen, actively, hearing the stories about the woman they honor. Yasmine's tale brings a small smile to her lips, she cannot help but chuckle at the outcome. There's a small nod then, like such things are understandable and well, make great stories. Her attention then drifts to Ida, listening to her talk about the poppy dagger. An appreciative purse of her lips brings her to Aurora and there's a slow nod as she describes the woman's sense of humor. As the veiled figure begins to speak and talk about sacrifices, Mirari's head tilts back and looks at her across the way, before continuing to offer her silent respects.

Yasmine folds herself into a seat, lips upturning in a soft smile while she listens to everyone share their collective memories of the dearly departed Auda. "Her energy will be missed greatly, but may she rest in peace now that she has returned to the wheel." She falls silent now when the veiled woman begins to speak, expression a touch somber, the curiosity within her gaze unveiled.

There's a small rumble in the back of Sen's throat, near silent but a little disconcerting all the same. She doesn't exactly look at the veiled woman, but she turns her head just enough that she might be able to catch her in her peripheral vision. "I'm aware you're at a disadvantage here," she says, very slowly, very precisely, "as you have never once in your entire life for a *single* *solitary* *moment* considered the idea that the entire universe and everyone in it doesn't revolve around you..." Her teeth show a little. "But the entire universe and everyone in it *doesn't*. *Revolve*. Around. *You*." She breathes very deliberately. In. Out. "You're welcome to choose to cease to exist any time you like."

Someone wearing a beautiful black lace veil checks composure at daunting. Critical Success! Someone wearing a beautiful black lace veil is spectacularly successful.

Aurora lifts her attention towards the woman wearing the veil, giving her a look that can only mean 'duh'. "Only people with money or position believe sacrifices are something to strive for. You are preaching to the wrong people," then she looks towards Sen'azala, "or you found the correct audience and are performing for one. Most of the time I would suggest if you are doing a private show, you get double what you usually charge. But no, those in the boroughs are well aware its every man for themselves, because its hard to rely on anyone else and if you do you are going to be disappointed. I hate being disappointed, dont you? So no, people dont go out and plan to sacrifice themselves for the good of everyone, but maybe just a few."

Boy is this turning into a place where an Oathlands knight is gonna feel awfully uncomfortable. Thankfully Ida can read the room, as they say, and contents herself with just watching and listening.

The veiled lady seems surprised to see Sen'azala speak up in the way she does. "My dear friend, how could you ask me to cease to exist? I thought we had bonded." Sne says softly. "Well, this has been a great disappointment. Though creatures like you who refuse to embrace their power usually are." She hops over the box and lands onto the ground of the auditorium with a slight thump but an agility only expected from a cat. "I didn't ask for sacrifice. I suggested you end your lives. Because they are all worthless." She says as she looks around the room and starts to chuckle, a demonic sound echoeing the same chuckle.

Sen'azala checks composure at hard. Sen'azala marginally fails.

Arienne, the snarky d'Lire Steward, Bower, a barb-bothering butcher bird, Winter's Bite, a gray peak mountain pup arrive, following Lys.

"Huh," Aurora says, tone even. There is a pause to consider before she lifts her voice to the back, "Clide, add a 'go kill yourself!' to the next promotional poster as to what the critics had to say. Put it beside 'Go fuck yourself' and right beneath 'Delightful masterpiece'. Thank you!" There is no such thing as bad press, apparently. "One time Auda decided to do an entire performance based around Aureth's hair."

Yasmine pins the veiled lady with an unwavering stare. A deep sense of conviction colors her voice as she deigns to speak, "Life, in all its brevity, is like a candle's flame in the midst of a storm. It is fragile, fleeting, and easily exinstguished. And perhaps, to you, that makes it insignificant. But it's that fragility, that ephemeral nature of existence, that makes it so incredibly precious."
Her gaze sweeps around the room, encompassing all present. "We here, in thos room, might be ordinary by your standards. But we're people with dreams, with fears, and loved ones. We laugh, we cry, we fight, and we struggle. But in all that ordinariness, there lies an innate beauty and strength. When one of us, any of us, chooses to make a sacrifice - be it big or small - it is profound. It's profound because, in that moment, an average person chose to give up what little they had, and what brief moments they had left, for the sake of another. That is what makes us extraordinary; the choices we make in life, and the effect we have on others in our wake. And that's what makes it worth every fleeting second, isn't it? The measure of all those fleeting, brief choices and that creates a beautiful legacy of human existence as a whole?"

Sen'azala's eyes narrow to slits as she meets Aurora's look, but that's certainly not distraction enough for the veiled woman's response. Now she *does* look fully in her direction, and she's not able to hide her tension. Or more than tension. There's a lot more than tension there all of a sudden. "I wasn't asking you to cease to exist," she says. Her words are still slow, but now it's as though she's having to concentrate very hard on them, like she has to drag them out. "Merely indicating that, as you noted, the choice exists." A little more teeth show, despite clear attempt to *not* do that. "I've got no fucking use for wannabe martyrs or people looking for statues. But sometimes things happen, and sometimes there you are, in the middle of them, and you've got only a few bad choices to pick from. And sometimes, someone picks the one where they don't survive. You have no idea what she helped save. Neither did she. I do. So...if you really want to talk about you for a moment, if you want to twist it that way, then yes...part of her sacrifice *was* for you. The Horned God's a little less capable of destroying you than he would have been otherwise."

This was not the conversation Lys thought she would be walking in on when she arrives. She comes to a halt at the very entrance of the theatre and just stands there for a moment. Her wide eyes sweep from Sen'azala, to Yasmine, to the masked woman. Her lips part but nothing comes out. The redhead gives a shake of her head and moves to find herself a place to sit.

Seated on the stage, Mirari watches the performance unfold, each person speaking their part. Dark green eyes flit around, taking in the words but also the expressions. How people react, or don't. There's little by way of reaction oh her part, features remain stoic, save for a ghost of a smile on her lips. Mirari undoubtedly has opinions, but she choses not to give them. Instead, she decides she wants a drink now and so the woman stands up, walks over to the table and starts to pour herself a glass of wine. Opting for red, when it's filled, she slowly saunters back to her chair, noticing the arrival of Lys during her brief journey, giving the woman a small nod, before she sits back down and continues to observe.

Looking at Sen'azala, the veiled lady seems to feel an element of satisfaction as she steps backward a little. As if she's gotten what she's wanted. Yasmine's words have her pausing and turning to look at the woman. "Is that right?" She says at the end of it. "I do wonder where all of your hope stems. You're able to deftly expand your importance and your influence. If I could stand being away from sustenance for this long, I'd stay here all day trying to figure out what makes you -go-." She leans forward to look at Yasmine closer before spinning on her heels and walking off. Well to a point, until she just starts to melt into the floor.

Lys checks composure at hard. Lys fails.

"What the fuck." Lys doesn't quite shout it but it is definitely said with vehemence.

Yasmine checks composure at hard. Botch! Yasmine fails completely.

Sen'azala checks composure at hard. Sen'azala is successful.

Yasmine just stares after the veiled lady, leaning forward within her chair in an attempt to discern what might be left of her, if anything, after she ... melts into the floor. ".. You did not spike the drinks, did you?" she immediately turns to question Aurora.

Oh right. There are drinks. Ida recalls this when she see Mirari head off and return with one. "Oaths and steel, do I need one of those," is murmured as she stands. When the woman in the veil melts into the floor, the smith purses her lips and just stands there. "What in the ever loving...I mean, I've seen some shit, but that? What in the name of Jayus and Gloria was THAT?" Speaking of shit, it seems Ida might lose hers.

For some reason, the woman melting into the floor has Sen rocking right off of her seat with enough force to knock it over. She doesn't *go* anywhere, she takes exactly two steps away from the group and then, with her back turned, makes a visibly monumental effort to do...something. Fight down the sudden, palpable spike of fury. She closes her eyes. It's enough she actually misses Lys' arrival, though she'll certainly notice in a moment.

"I dont drink," Aurora tells Yasmine, "I dont trust alcohol enough." She might be a little bit of a control freak. "I clearly need to upgrade the security to keep insane people out better, I'm sorry, truly. This is not how this was meant to go and does not honor Auda in any way." She waves a hand in a dismissive fashion, "I would rather not close the evening on such a negative light, so does anyone else with to share one last story about the woman of honor tonight before we depart?"

Lys lifts her hand in a wave to Mirari now that she is done staring at where the woman melted into the floor. Though she will, notably, make sure to keep a wide berth away from that particular spot. When Aurora asks for a story she straightens up to say, "I don't have a story but--" A small frown is given and she says, "Auda and I may have drifted a part over the years, but she was my friend and I loved her. There was something special about her. Something that just drew you to her." She looks briefly uncomfortable, shifting as if to try and siddle away. "I'm going to miss her even more... That's all."

Lys is overheard praising Auda(rip): She was special, she was my friend.

"Y'know," Ida mentions toward Aurora once she's retaken her seat. "I've been meaning to get back into the ring a little more. I'm rusty, and she looked like a pretty bad sort, but I'm available on weekends." That said, she tips back her drink. "Another thing about Auda is that I loved her shop. Those knick-knacks? Priceless. And her hangover cures never failed." The smith lifts up her glass in a toast toward the sky.

"No," Sen says slowly. It's almost a sigh, but it also sounds a bit relieved. She turns back around, her gaze going to Lys immediately, though she finishes her thought, "Auda might have found it funny. They *were*..." There's a grimace around the word, "Acquaintances. That was about the best eulogy you could expect from that woman."

Sen'azala says, "She's not spoiled anything, she was just being her fucking self."

Ida is overheard praising Auda(rip): Auda's hangover cures were so good, one bottle kept you from having one for a year and a day!

Sen'azala says, to Lys, "...Hi." She makes the syllable extremely awkward.

Yasmine seems to still be in a daze from their long departed guest. Her gaze shifts over toward the others, offering a faint smile before she rises from her seat. "Thank you for putting this together, Aurora," she says graciously to her host. "It is good seeing you, though I hope we get to have a reunion with much better circumstances soon."

"And I thought I was socially problematic," Aurora states, because she very much is, "but I even know telling people at a memorial to go kill themselves is just a little rude. She was not hugged enough as a child. If I liked touching people I would offer, but," her nose wrinkles at the thought of hugging anyone. "Maybe she needs a gift, I can send her a new veil or a gown with some color. She might feel a little better." Yasmine is given a nod of her head, "its been far too long, we should certainly do something soon."

For some reason when Sen'azala speaks to her and gives the awkward greeting it causes Lys' shoulders to hunch just a touch. A nervous expression on her face. Her only answer is a just as awkward, "Hiii.....?" Her is dragged out a touch too long so it lilts up into a question. A tilt of her head is given toward Aurora is given and she says, "What, um, what was your favorite thing about Auda?"

"Oh! I know," Ida pipes up after a few long pulls from her drink. "I'll send her a poppy dagger. Or...leave it on where she disappeared." She takes a moment to look over to where THAT happened. "Actually, maybe I'll do a run of poppy hairpins in the shop like Auda suggested. I won't duplicate her dagger, of course, but it might be a fitting tribute to her." Lys' query gets the smith thinking. "Her excitement for life. She always seemed ready to take on the world."

Sen'azala grimaces. "I promise you, you will only regret doing anything to draw attention from her again. She's not--" She seems to cut herself off on what she wants to say, but that leaves her searching for alternative explanations, "...human." Apparently this is the better choice. "Not anymore." And now she's definitely focusing on Lys again. "Uh." And isn't she just kind've familiar? Because that's a lot of scarring on her face, and those eyes are decidedly more gold than they used to be, but it's still the right face. Still Shard's voice.

Yasmine slips away!

Yasmine has left the Stage.

Taking a small sip then slow long one of wine from her glass, Mirari presses her lips together afterwards. It muffles any syllable as she watches the dramatic exit out of the theatre. Emerald greens glance over at Aurora when she talks about not wanting to leave on a negative not. Knitting her black eyebrows together, Mirari speaks up. "I don't have a story, but I'd like to say something," the woman glances around before settling her gaze somewhere in the theatre. "Choices have consequences. Some people have the luxury of avoiding that ...most of their life. Auda did not. It takes a lot more ...courage....tenacity...strength... when you understand that.," none of these words are quite what she wants but they all seem to work still. "It speaks volumes to the person she was." Mirari lifts her glass up in a toast, before sipping from it afterwards.

"Oh. One of /those/," Ida says with a little bit of distaste. "I don't like attention anyhow. I'll stick with some poppy themed hairpins in the shop in Auda's honor," is decided. Mirari's words get her thinking again, to judge by her expression. "I don't know if anyone truly escapes consequences. Not forever. I believe everything catches up with everyone, eventually. Still, for some it's a lot quicker to happen and, indeed, must take more courage to make such choices."

Lys checks composure at daunting. Lys fails.

Lys turns now to face Sen'azala a little more closely, studying her face more closely now that she's no longer distracted by melting women. Her lips part and this time she shout, "/What the fuck/?!" And then her face is splitting into a huge smile. She's up from her seat and physically launching herself at Sen'azala. Flying tackle hugging the Prima Venandi is probably a bad idea but Lys doesn't seem to be thinking about that too much.

Sen'azala winces at the shout - apparently it's a bit too loud for her at present - but the wince is her doom, because in the split second between that and impact, she doesn't have time or mind to even brace herself. The hug's as much a tackle as a hug, because she just goes down under it with a surprised, small yet very undignified yelp. "Ah!"

"I will make poppy things for my shop as well," Aurora then says suddenly with a grin towards Ida. "Maybe large poppy accessories made out of different cloth to make a bouquet." Then someone is flying at someone else, and Aurora gives a very suspicious glance towards the bottles on the table, "what is in those!"

Ida's eyes widen and she bobs her head a few times to Aurora. "I love that idea. I think Auda would be so pleased to see poppies across the city, especially in winter. Their bright red hue when the skies and streets are so /gray/ with the season." Her gaze the shifts to the tackling, but she doesn't look at the bottles - just her glass. "Magic is in those bottles, surely," is said as she drains her drink and stands. "Thank you for arranging this, Aurora. I'm glad I came and that we all took time to remember Auda as fondly as she deserved. I'm going to head back to the shop to work on some sketches, I think." A polite dip of her head is offered to the others gathered as she makes her way back off of the stage.

Finishing her wine, with a quick tilt back, she stands up and walks over to the table, depositing her glass. There's a single tap with a finger against the edge and then she drops her hand to her side. Shoulders roll once and she curls her lips into a parting smile, "the theatre looks really good tonight-- and those were great stories." Mirari knows the way, leaving words, she does the same.

"I thought you were-- So that's why you had-- You asshole!" Lys' sentences are all jumbled and mixed up, none of them finished except for the last. Though she gives Sen a tight hug that would border on bruising for most people, then she'll let go and scramble backward and up, holding a hand out for the other woman.