summersunsetball - Tumblr blog

[summersunsetball]

A DB sploot for our best dressed, @thebananwithaplan!

Drawn with the intent to be used as a dash icon, but free ( for Brawl only ) to use in graphics, promos, etc! He's transparent. 💖

[summersunsetball]

Hello everyone! We're sure you're excited to hear the results of the best dressed poll! Well, after tallying up the results, our winner is...

...@thebananwithaplan! Congratulations! We will be sending you your prize within the weekend!

Thank you to everyone who attended the ball and submitted their outfit for participation. Everybody, of course, looked fantastic, and you are all winners!

— SS Ball Preparation Committee

[summersunsetball]

The ball was a rousing success! Attendance was high, the mood was jovial, and there was only a little bit of drunken shenaniganry.

Certainly guests must have spent the day recovering their energy. Staff at the Citadel are also spending the day preparing last announcements for the festival and cleaning the rooms where the festivities were held.

The festival booths ( save for the dance classes ) will still be around for the remainder of the week. So, if there's anything you missed that you would like to see or do before you leave, now would be your chance!

OOC: This, of course, doesn't mean you have to drop event threads at the end of the week! Only that IC update posts will no longer go out after that point! Please continue ball and festival threads for as long as you like <3

[summersunsetball]

Reminder that voting closes tonight at 11:59 PM Pacific time!

Hello, all! We hope you're all excited for the ball tomorrow!

In the lead-up to the big event, we have a surprise for you: choose who's best dressed out of everyone who's submitted outfits to the ball! Vote for your top three, and at the end of the event period, we will reveal the person and outfit with the most votes! There may be a neat little prize in it for the winner!

To see all of the outfits together, you can either check the tag #ss fashion show on our blog, or look through this Google Drive folder.

Remember: some people went to reference images / moodboards, some used Picrew, and some drew. With this in mind, be sure to vote based on the design / outfit, and NOT the quality of any artwork or graphics. You can vote for yourself...but let's spread the love to others!

Good luck to all! And remember: no matter who wins, you all look absolutely ravishing!

— SS Ball Preparation Committee

[summersunsetball]

For anyone who's curious ( or maybe just needs a little break from the dancing ), a few Citadel staff are now accepting tour groups to see the different areas of the seat of power. There are several areas of note, mainly on the upper floors, that aren't normally open to the public and may be worth going to visit with a tour guide.

Most of the areas open to the public are on the ground floor; ballroom, dining area, lobby, garden. Before setting off, the tour guide instructs that no photo or video be taken on the upper floors.

Up on the higher floors are rooms that are a bit more exclusive; the Crownsguard training rooms, meeting rooms aplenty, and conspicuously, one room that is roped off even to tours, vaulted and guarded.

Perhaps most impressive is the Hall of History, a couple of steps shy of being a full-on art gallery for those awaiting an audience with the King. Several paintings depicting kings and their feats — those that have happened, and those foretold to happen. It truly gives one pause, seeing the culture of this place and all of its history lined up in masterfully done artworks.

This ornate area laden with meaning and symbolism leads to the throne room, at the end. The tour guide will take you in there eventually, too, to see the throne for yourself. Regis is currently downstairs in the ballroom, and there are several guards attending to the room to ensure its safety in his absence.

Eventually, the tour guide leads you back down to the lobby, taking questions along the way.

[summersunsetball]

Summer Sunset Festival Ask Meme

Feel free to adjust as needed. Contains a variety of starters ranging from the streets of the festival to the night of the ball, and a few that could apply to either!

General sentences

“Are you local?” / “Where are you traveling from?”

“They don't have ___ where I come from.”

“Ready? Say cheese!”

“You see the statues they've got all around the city?”

“I love your outfit! Where did you get it?”

“My outfit? It’s vintage.”

“I’m so hungry I could eat a whole chocobo!”

“Have you tried the [food]? It's to die for.”

“Hey [muse’s name], do you want to go somewhere, just us?”

“Maybe we could go outside?”

“Waltz? I can barely even walk in a straight line.”

“Ouch! You stepped on my foot!”

“I’m going to dip you now. Ready?”

“I could have sworn they played this song already.”

“Close your eyes. Count to three. Relax. It’ll be a breeze.”

“I don’t want this night/festival to end.”

Festival Streets

“I remember coming to this festival when I was younger.”

“They say / the travel brochure says the souls of old kings are in those statues.”

“I ought to give my thanks to the Astrals.”

“Can you pass those this way? I need something to eat.”

“One thousand yen…uh, how much is that in [gil / muse's currency]?”

“I bought the most delicious cookies at the farmer’s market! Would you like to try one?”

“Are you watching the chocobo races? Who are you betting on?”

“I have GOT to try riding a chocobo.”

“Race? I think I'll just watch…”

“Yes! Pay up!”

“I can’t believe my chocobo lost…”

“Is that face paint?”

“Ooh! Where did you get that painting?”

“They're teaching the dances over by the Citadel. I could use a partner to practice with.”

“I couldn't learn this dance if my life depended on it.”

Night of the Ball

“May I have this dance?”

“You look absolutely ravishing.”

“Doesn’t he/she/they look stunning?”

“I wonder if the Prince will be social tonight?”

“I want to make a request for the music. Something better than this stuff that they’re playing.”

“Shall we go through a walk through the garden?”

“I wouldn’t dare pick a flower, but maybe…”

“These flowers are lovely.”

“Are you going to go on one of the tours?”

“It's not every day the Citadel is open to the public like this.”

“Waiter! Another, if you please?”

“I might have had one too many to drink.”

“Another round? Sure!”

“It’s the last dance. I saved it for you.”

[summersunsetball]

Send "Shall we dance?" to dance one of the Summer Sunset Ball dances with my muse!

I will use the Summer Sunset ballroom playlist to select a song!

( Note: in-universe, this can either be at one of the dance practices, or at the actual ball! )

[summersunsetball]

After the guests have had time for dinner, the ballroom doors open for guests to trickle in at their leisure. Whenever they feel ready to get up and move around, they are free to enter and dance!

Various standing tables line the edges of the room for further snacking and drinking if guests should want to do so. Sylleblossoms decorate these, as well, with one or two standing in smaller vases. The main dance floor is, of course, clear for the event. A lavish stage with luxurious royal blue curtains seats the Insomnia Philharmonic, ready to play live for guests to dance. Spiraling staircases lead to an upper balcony with seating reserved for Regis, Noctis, and their attendants.

The doors are open for guests to come and go as they please, enter back into the dining area if they wish, and of course, slip away to the garden if they find themselves in need of some reprieve.

Now, shall we dance?

[summersunsetball]

Throughout the dining hall, the sound of a spoon on glass chimes out, drawing the room to silence. It is King Regis himself, appearing at the front of the room beside his sworn shield. Seeing him in person, he truly commands the attention of the room.

When the room is silent, he speaks.

"Firstly, I would like to thank you all for coming to celebrate Summer Sunset with us this year. Attendance at not only this year's ball, but the festival at large has been humbling. People have come from far and wide, not just from different areas of Lucis, but even from abroad to come celebrate transition and abundance — not just in the seasons, but especially this year, in celebration of Noctis. All of you here have my deepest thanks for attending and sharing in our delight here today."

Regis raises his glass. "I would like to propose a toast: to all of you here today, and especially to Noctis. May the Astrals bless him with success and love in the years to come in his life."

At that last sentence, though he does well to maintain his composure, a wave of emotion becomes apparent to the discerning eye.

[summersunsetball]

As the colors of evening begin to stretch across the sky, the moment everyone has been anticipating finally arrives: the gates to the Citadel open.

A line of guests streams inside, with security working to ensure those coming in are not a danger to other guests. A QR code linked to a map of the event is posted at the entrance. Upon entering, the large, expansive lobby has been extensively decorated with lavish blue and black drapery, adorned with golden accents. Along one table, a spread of appetizers and samplers. On another, a stack of pamphlets detailing the schedule for the evening, right down to the order in which the songs will be played. Floral arrangements with sylleblossoms adorn every surface.

A sign is posted with the same map linked on the website ( for the technologically impaired ). Different hallways lead to different rooms, some of which are roped off until the optional tours begin. Immediately accessible are the room where dinner is to be served, the garden, and of course, the ballroom — the site of the main event. The lobby is also free to roam, with seating provided as a space to mingle outside of the dining hall and the ballroom.

According to the schedule, dinner is to be served first. Hopefully, you've come prepared for a meal!

[summersunsetball]

"I thought I'd try a new color on myself! What do you think?"

[summersunsetball]

The morning of August 30th has finally arrived.

As you prepare for the evening, making sure your formal wear is ready and everything is in order, a broadcast plays — over the news, over livestream on social media, however you choose to consume it if you are so inclined.

King Regis is addressing the Crown City, and the kingdom at large. You may recognize the name as the one signed on the invitation you received. Depending on how much research you did ( or didn't do ) before arriving in Insomnia, this may be your first time seeing his face. He certainly has the look of a king. His thick hair and full beard are gray perhaps beyond his years. Even as he walks with a cane in hand, he carries himself upright, with a grace befitting nobility.

But in his eyes today...a softness that can only belong to a loving father.

"Today is an auspicious day," he begins. "These past two weeks, the Crown City has opened its gates to visitors from all throughout Lucis, as well as abroad. All of us have come here to celebrate a period of transition. As is the case every year, this celebration of the changing seasons culminates today in the royal ball; a day of merriment for all involved as we all watch the sun set on the summer months and move into autumn.

"In particular, this year also marks a transition into a new chapter of life for His Highness. An heir, your prince...my son. I have elected to hold the royal ball today in honor of his twentieth birthday — a major milestone."

Regis's lips turn upward into a gentle smile; his eyes appear to scan the front rows of the crowd there to hear him speak in person.

"Noctis...I say this not as the king, but as your father: you have grown into a fine young man. Moving forward, experience will be the best teacher you can have in life. I will continue to guide you for as long as I am able. Know that as you progress through life, and eventually ascend to the throne yourself, you are not doing so alone. Everyone in attendance at the royal ball today comes in celebration of your life, and you have loved ones who wish to see you succeed and will stand ever at your side."

The king pauses for applause from the crowd.

"Happy birthday, my son. Let today be a day of celebration for you."

[summersunsetball]

Hello, everyone! Some notes about the flow of things today and moving forward in the event, to clear up any confusion:

Today will largely run on the queue. All event announcement posts for the ball are scheduled / queued to go up today between now and midnight Pacific time. However, you are free to continue any ballroom interactions in the days to come! This is just the timeframe in which new ballroom-related event posts will be made to the blog — for all intents and purposes, it can be August 30th in-universe for the rest of the event period if you so wish.

For the best dressed poll, voting will be open until 11:59 PM Pacific Time on Thursday, August 31st. Because of this, any new outfit posts made today will be queued, but not eligible for the poll. The mods will use Friday to announce the winner and prepare their prize, which will then hopefully be delivered to them by Saturday!

And, as has been the case this entire time, you're free to jump back and forth in time between ballroom and festival streets! Nothing is set in stone, and you're free to continue event threads after the event period officially ends. Don't let the manmade concept of time dictate your fun!

Happy dancing!

— Mod Neg

[summersunsetball]

Hello, all! We hope you're all excited for the ball tomorrow!

In the lead-up to the big event, we have a surprise for you: choose who's best dressed out of everyone who's submitted outfits to the ball! Vote for your top three, and at the end of the event period, we will reveal the person and outfit with the most votes! There may be a neat little prize in it for the winner!

To see all of the outfits together, you can either check the tag #ss fashion show on our blog, or look through this Google Drive folder.

Remember: some people went to reference images / moodboards, some used Picrew, and some drew. With this in mind, be sure to vote based on the design / outfit, and NOT the quality of any artwork or graphics. You can vote for yourself...but let's spread the love to others!

Good luck to all! And remember: no matter who wins, you all look absolutely ravishing!

— SS Ball Preparation Committee

[summersunsetball]

Muse Picrew

@summersunsetball (outfit inspiration for the gala event)

[summersunsetball]

Mun name: Pumpkamun Pronouns: She/Her URL(s): @alolynn-heart Participating muse(s): Lynn Makana (How can this OC say no to a fun festival??) Are you comfortable with non-mutual interactions during this event?: I'm cool with it for the event

Eyy! Just in time for the ball tomorrow!

— Mod Neg

[summersunsetball]

I'm actually gonna be corny here for a second — looking through the drive folder and seeing just the sheer NUMBER of outfits, which doesn't even reflect the full number of participants in this event...I'm FLOORED. Genuinely. I came up with the idea for this event at 3am one night because I was having warm fuzzies about corny royal ball cliches, and made this blog like. The next day. I think it's just now hitting me how many people this reached and how many people are participating and I'm honored!!

So, thank you for taking interest in this silly little festival! I hope tomorrow we can make it worth it!

— Mod Neg