While Ben was usually rather lively at events such as these, he couldn't help the weight he felt in his heart today. A vivid memory of spending this day with Ravin and Norah as they made their way through the mazes lingered in his thoughts. He hadn't seen either in quite some time. He'd finally let go, feeling he was holding the two of them back, but it didn't mean he didn't miss them. Both of them.

He had hoped to come to the festival with his family but instead the children had all caught colds, started by Otto and the rest of them following right along. Ellison had insisted that he go out though, stating he needed some time to let loose and suggested he go with his twin. It had been a while since the twins had gone out just the two of them and it honestly sounded like a good time. So he reluctantly had said goodbye and he and Fred headed to the festival.

Fred was in much better spirits right from the start, which was opposite of how they had been as teenagers, but Fred had far less to worry about these days than Ben did. "Ben, is that Evanthe?" Fred asked, pointing towards the familiar face of his friend. It brought a smile to Ben's lips as he nodded. "Wow, she's just gotten prettier and prettier, hasn't she?" his twin swooned. Of the two of them, Fred was most certainly the romantic.

With a chuckle and a nod Ben led his twin over to Evanthe Curran. "Are you going to actually start putting that together or are you just hogging all the flowers from everyone else," Ben teased jovially as they reached her. Fred elbowed his twin chidingly. "Don't be mean, Ben, she's far too lovely for that." he said, his eyes practically full of stars as he looked at Evanthe.

Vesper had considered not coming at all but ultimately had made the decision to attend when she realized that most other people would be and it might give her some insight into what made some of the soldiers tick when they were off duty. They were less in numbers today. The Coheed and Cambria crews having left but those they were replacing having not yet returned either.

Though it was now Ver, she continued to wear the dark colors she always did, and not a single flower graced her fingers, let alone in a wreath on her head. She meandered through the crowds with her ever observant eyes and found her eyes lingering on the many families in attendance. At this point in her life she had given up all notions that she might have a family of her own. She was an old maid now and had chosen to focus on her career over things like marriage and children. She had settled into the idea that she'd be alone forever. Maybe she ought to get a cat.

With each passing year, marriage became an increasingly delicate subject, which in turn rendered the Ver festival an increasingly delicate affair. Even before she had spent the years of her prime representing Nevermere and her interests in Arynn Frey, Alinore had long since burned the childish dream of marrying for love on its metaphorical funeral pyre, and now she had reached the age where her continued unmarried status would start to raise eyebrows - if it hadn’t already. Perhaps, then, she ought to wear a wreath of flowers.

Needless to say, she was not. Instead, she had found a flower in Nevermerean blue and tucked it delicately behind her ear, where it could be nothing more than a festive accessory just as easily as it could represent a flower wreath.

And so she strolled through the streets beside @meiying , with none of her haughty disdain at the rabble surrounding them finding its way into her carefully pleasant expression. Although she knew that @alden was around here somewhere, Alinore felt no particular desire to find him, if only to spare herself the embarrassment of witnessing him chat up some woman undoubtedly far beneath him in status. Since she had missed the Ver Festival in previous years, Alden had made sure to fill her in on every detail lest she feel left out and lonely. It might have been touching had he included anything of interest. Alas…

After another survey of the crowd, she inclined her head slightly in Meiying’s direction and, with the child of a smirk and a smile ghosting across her lips, asked lightly, “Has anyone caught your eye, Meiying?”

Ben just couldn't help but tease his friend, it had been the nature of their friendship for so long that it was nearly second nature. "Yes, and weighing it down with five pounds of flowers ought to do the trick," he joked with her, tossing her a wink. Truth be told, the color combinations of what she picked was really quite lovely. She was pretty good at this.

Fred quite literally blushed at Evanthe Curran complimented him. "Not nearly as lovely as you do though," he said to her, his voice cracking a bit at the end due to nerves and he cleared his throat. Ben pretty much just ignored his twin's lovesick puppy eyes.

"We are," Ben answered her question. "I'm afraid a cold has spread through our humble abode and Ellison stayed home with the chickies," he explained.

Keelan with Bulger stalked the edges of the festival for a while, silently brooding over the collected masses. It was the one festival Keelan didn't mind he even had a bright green vest with his black suit the shade of it cast a bright edge to his eyes. He wouldn't be attending long in fact he was very sure by now a very anonymous letter should be arriving at the castle that would expose the Vitlock brother's for the murder of a woman, another scandal which meant their company was as good as his and he would have to attend matters. He carried his own selection of flowers.

As Vesper walked around she happened by Keelan Morrigan who she spotted offering flowers to several different women. She was well aware of who he was. His family name was one of the most well known in Nevermere after all. She usually would have walked by without a word but as she went to pass him the words fell from her lips seemingly of their own accord.

"That's awfully generous of you, Lord Morrigan," she said casually.