Closed starter for @briannabrackens Setting: Riverrun, the Riverlands. Flashback to the Litha festival.
The Coiméide na masc had been quite an experience. It was fortuitous that Calla had been selected to don a mask and play a role, given her natural inclination toward boldness and lack of shame. Her Áine character had been far more theatrical than anything she usually did, and she had far too much fun leaning into her whimsical, capricious tendencies for the sake of the play. And of course, it was quite refreshing to see the other lords and ladies at her side also set aside any courtly rigidity and become someone during the performance.
As she walked off the stage and removed the Áine mask, with its perpetually dramatized features, the redheaded lady spotted the familiar face of Lady Bracken, who was clapping with unveiled merriment. Calla greeted her with a nod and a smile before returning the mask to the troupe of performers who arranged everything for the show. The Lefford lady had enjoyed the Riverlander's company when their paths had crossed in the past, and so she made her way towards her with two cups of wine she'd picked up from a passing servant. “Well, I can't recall the last time I had that much fun, Lady Bracken. I hope the performance was up to the standards of the Riverlands,” she said as she offered one of the drinks to Brianna. “Your people certainly know how to celebrate and have fun,” Calla added with a grin before taking a sip of her wine.
This sort of unpolished revelry, unconcerned with poise and grace, aligned far more with Calla's sensibilities than anything she'd grown up with in the West. “Have you ever been selected to perform in a past festival?” she wondered, glancing at her companion. She could picture Brianna Bracken there at the center of things, commanding attention and infecting a crowd with her bold, spirited presence.
