TEST DRIVE MEME #7

[fairyfoes]

TEST DRIVE MEME

Considering apping to EACHDRAIDH? Why not give the setting a test run here! OPTIONAL SCENARIOS 01. ARRIVING IN THE DRABWURLD. The Seelie and Unseelie courts welcome you not with mirthful revelry, this time around dear friends. There is a seriousness in the air, though the food is still hearty and the imps still mischievous. After you have been briefed on your purpose here, you will find an endless feast and a night filled with entertainment to placate your concerns. Mingle with new arrivals, sneak down the castle halls and make sure your eyes are always on your glass; fairies and imps have no bias when it comes to tricks! 02. THE STATION. Looking for a little slice of home? The Station gives you all that and more. Take advantage of the wifi, have a cup of fairy-brewed coffee (the one they didn't spit in) or sit back and relax on the patio. You can even move your things into one of the available rooms! 03. WILDCARD. Your own scenario! Explore the Drabwurld or simply take advantage of your Locket! Be mindful, though -- the monarchs are watching and cross court communication should be done with the utmost secrecy.

Comments

kallian tabris (dragon age) - 01

[yieldless]

[Kallian cuts a small figure, hunched forward in her seat so compactly she's not even touching the table. One elbow is propped up on her thigh, the palm of her hand cradling her chin even as she gnaws at the bony edge of her topmost knuckles. Her other arm is drawn toward her protectively, covering her chest--not as if she expects anything to happen, but as though if she could hide herself enough, all this would go away.

She doesn't know where she is.

Of course they explained to her, but their words meant nothing. Even the strange folk themselves made no sense.

She doesn't remember coming her. Something happened to her, and she's not sure what.

Kallian is no stranger to unexpected twists of fate. Witches, dragons, darkspawn--it's been some time since she's numbed herself to all of that. She'd thought she'd inured herself to most things. Nothing can upset her--nothing will to upset her.

Her expression is guardedly neutral. Only the ragged skin on her knuckles and the untouched, cooling food in front of her betrays her fear.]

Re: kallian tabris (dragon age) - 01

[hawkethat]

[Having finally succumbed to the call of free wine, Hawke is mingling his way through the somewhat somber celebration when he spots her; he thinks he may be imagining it, but there is something very comfortingly familiar about the elven woman seated by herself and hunched up as though trying to blend into the bench on which she sits. Something vaguely Thedasian, anyway, although he could be wrong. Easy enough to find out, though!]

This seat's not taken, is it?

[He asks as he plops himself down next to her with an ingratiating smile.]

Zack Fair | Seelie

[colorofthesky]

I. Feast!

[ This is, without a doubt, one of the strangest things that has ever happened to him.

Zack Fair sits at one of the tables with food fairies have piled on his plate, but he only nibbles on a little of it. The food is good, the festivities are decor are wondrous (certainly more than what he's used to), but the unsettled feeling in his stomach remains. The Buster rests beside him, cleaned after the long bloody battle he was fighting, it seems, only hours ago. A battle that should have killed him.

After a while, Zack gets up from the table, his sword slung over his back, and walks out of the party. He needs some time to parse through all of this, and if nothing else, a little bit of quiet might help him find some peace with all of this.

Anyone else looking for some fresh air will find him flopped down on the grass, staring at the stars. ]

II. Training Grounds!

[ Let it be known, riding horses is very different from riding chocobos.

Zack's been working with one (a black mare with a white stocking on her left hind leg) for the last hour or so, trying to get a general understanding of the differences. The horse is a little on the stubborn side, but he seems to be coaxing her along well enough.

His seat is terrible, though, if anyone would like to correct him. ]

III. The Station

[ Zack is a curious sort by nature so it was only a matter of time before he heard about the Station and decided to investigate. He understands, of course, he isn't supposed to interact with the Unseelie, but he wanted to see the place anyway.

He'll just be wandering around, checking out the sites. Don't mind him! ]

oh I think you know which prompt

[babbylon]

[Gilgamesh wouldn't call the experience strange, exactly. Abrupt? Definitely. Unwelcome? Most certainly. But strange... no, he'd encountered stranger, back in his day. Which doesn't mean he'll neglect the generosity of his hosts; he plows through the food as eagerly as anyone else, drinks to his heart's content, and enjoys himself after a battle hard fought and hard won.

Motion in the corner of his eye catches his attention, familiar tufts of dark hair and a flash of armor, and Gilgamesh immediately lights up. Polishing off his current plate, he very nearly skips out to meet Zack, and...]

Diarmuid!

[...flops on top of him once he gets there. Without warning. And wraps arms around him. Also without warning.]

I didn't know you'd be arriving with the others! Why didn't you inform me?

[Talk about a case of mistaken identity. Or just less than stellar vision in the dark. Or both.]

Cole | Dragon Age | Seelie vs Unseelie

[colecomfort]

(OOC: Two separate arrival options! Because I'm still not 100% sure where he's going! Here we goooooo)

{ SEELIE: THE CURTAIN WALL }

[He didn't linger in the hall. Too many people, too much noise, and besides, he has no interest in food or drink. It's the other parts of the castle that call to him: the winding halls and creeping vines, the fairies that flit.

You find him — a tall, thin young man dressed in tattered clothes and a wide-brimmed hat — outside by the great stone wall, facing it, arms crossed. He's talking to someone, but you can't see who.]

I don't know. How is love like a salamander?

❧ ❧ ❧

{ UNSEELIE: THE CASTLE HALLS }

[You've wandered away from the party. Maybe you were restless, or curious about the castle. Maybe you saw the young man, one you can't recall having seen before, slip away from the crowd and disappear down the stairs.

But whether you followed or not — whether you even remember whether you did — you're seeing him now. Silhouetted against a fire that must have been burning already when he got here.]

They knew we were coming.

[It's dark enough, from this vantage, that you may not notice the imp blood drying on his shoes.]

Unseelie

[raavashing]

Who did?

[He said with curiosity as he continued to follow the strange young man. He hadn't tried to hide his presence, but he hadn't announced it either. He was simply curious what drew the man in tattered clothing away from everyone else.]

Do you mean the castle servants? Because they planned the par-

[The words died on Wan's lips as he realized the shine he saw on the man's shoes was blood and fairly fresh at that.]

...why did you do it?

Sadao Maou / Satan Jacob | The Devil Is A Part Timer! (Seelie Court, most likely)

[entean]

01
[ There was a certain familiarity to this place and Maou couldn't help but feel more at home in this place than he ever did in Tokyo. The merriment, the architecture and the feasting. It was something he could get behind. Definitely. But the most surprising thing was the overflowing of magic. He could feel magic brimming and swelling inside of him, making him feel more powerful than he had been in months. This of course meant that he couldn't stop himself from returning to his regular demonic form since it had been so long.

Except there was one problem with that.

He had arrived wearing his human clothes, so his shirt and trousers had split at their various seams and he was struggling to keep the various scraps of fabric on his body. If this was Ente Isla, he wouldn't have minded so much but this was a new place, with new people. Maybe one of you could help him find some more fitting clothes or direct him to somewhere where he could find some. Or alternatively you can just laugh at his plight. ]

02
[ In his human form (but still with horns because he liked having them around), Maou decided to visit the station. There was wifi which was always a plus. McRonalds were due to roll out free wifi in all their stores across the nation and Maou almost felt sad that he wouldn't be around to make sure they were implemented properly.

At that moment, he heard the familiar sound of something crashing onto the ground with an almighty crack. It looks like someone had spilled their coffee.

Almost completely out of reflex (thank you service job!), Maou rushed over to the poor person who spilled their coffee. ]

Are you alright?

02

[raised_by_trees]

[Link was coughing. He'd managed to talk a server into letting him have coffee because he'd wanted to try it. When he'd drank it down in one large gulp he had not expected it to be so bitter and wound up dropping the entire cup onto the floor.

When Maou approaches he can't help but give him a childish pout. Is he alright?]

If it tastes so bad why do people wanna drink that stuff?

Lightning | Final Fantasy XIII | Unseelie

[heralding]

arrival one: the feast

[Though Lightning had plans to go to a new world, this one is different from the one she had envisioned upon the horizon. The weight of continuously fighting had almost been taken from her shoulders. For the first time in her life, fighting had not been the answer. Questions of doing or not doing would be long forgotten—or, at the least, they would be forgotten for a time. A time is all she asked for; she hoped for a chance to have peace with Serah. She hoped to be able to look out into the world with the hope that's given her strength for so long.

But this is not that world. There is a fight in this world, and she hears that the entirety of existence is on the line. To some degree, she realizes she should not be surprised. To think that all of humanity existed on just two worlds is self-centered, but to learn of the existence of multiple worlds, all endangered the same way that hers had been, is surprising. This world is not Nova Chrysalia, but at the same time, it is not so different. The imps, with some persistence, explain all she needs to know. That even if she has her doubts about this world, that the Void creeps ever closer, just on the horizon. And in her heart she has a shard, and this shard may both bind her and be her leashing to this world. If she hopes to get home, she'll have to stay here and fight for a little longer.

Of course, they don't tell her that last part. They don't understand where she's come from, but it's how she thinks of it.

By time the feast comes around, she's not surprised by the somber behavior. It's not like this is the first end of the world she's seen. In fact, she's seen it countless times, but she's experienced it for herself just the once. It went well. Will this go well? She doesn't know. But she has to make sure it does, doesn't she? That's something she can do.

Uncertainly marks her features as she moves through the party, trying to keep her head high for any familiar faces. Is she the only one from her family here? Will it be another long period of time before she sees them? Of course, in looking for the people she loves, she finds herself distracted and running into someone. Whether or not they have a drink, she straightens up and huffs softly.]

Sorry, that was my mistake.

arrival two: exploring

[Lightning finds herself reminded of Etro's throne as she moves through Caer Scima, even if it is constructed entirely differently. It is that reminder that encourages her to depart from the festivities to explore. Her time traveling throughout worlds and in Valhalla has made her relatively incautious about where she explores, but she knows that there is a risk that she might stumble upon someone's private affairs.

So, she does her best to keep out of anywhere that seems private, but she's certainly bound to open a door to somewhere she doesn't belong.

After all, some part of her is wondering if chaos has its place here, too, and if so, did she bring it with her? Did the unseen chaos find itself uncontrolled? Will it only be a matter of time before she hears Yeul's voice?

Lightning is keeping her mind open to just about anything.]

wildcard: fighting

At least something is familiar here. [The expanse of this place reminds her of Nova Chrysalia, but there are aspects that are entirely different. The fauna is one of them. Different creatures walk the land, and not many of them hope to fight her—but there are some, and that's what matters.

After setting out from Caer Scima, she finds herself exploring the Unseelie lands. The lone travel is familiar to her after her time as savior, and she finds herself relieved that seemingly no one has chosen to bother her.

It's the lack of bothering her that makes her alert to the approach of a bandersnathc when she got too close to its cave.

Of course, that's why she's fighting it now. Her powers are diminished to some degree—which is a fact she doesn't mind terribly—but it is putting her at a disadvantage here, trying to figure out precisely what she does have.]

But you're not as tough as you think you are, huh? [This is to the creature. She's focused on the fight, so she's unlikely to notice anyone observing her. In truth, she's used to people leaving her alone by now, so anything to the contrary might be a bit of a surprise.]

wildcardin' it!

[buttroll]

[Lightning has indeed cornered herself one ornery bandersnatch. Slower than a pile of bricks and roughly as intelligent, but with a tough hide and an even tougher attitude when provoked. It snorts at the warrior, clearly unimpressed, and paws at the ground, perhaps a precursor to a charge. Or worse.

Enter one giant dragon soaring overhead, and for once, it's on her side. Mikhail swoops down, opens his jaws wide, and...]

Hey! Whatcha doin'?

[...grins at Lightning. With apparently little to no actual awareness of the battle at hand.]

This is kinda outta the way, y'know. [Blinking bright, bright eyes at her.] Are you lost? I can fly us back! It's no problem at all!

Labrys | Unseelie or Seelie

[laberynthe]

[A: The Feast; Either court]

Whaddaya mean this ain't the tv world?!

[A heavy accent can be heard ringing in surprise, at least if you're nearby. There's a girl - at least she mostly looks like a girl but those do look like metal wings on her back - talking to a fairy or an imp, disbelief on her face.]

And we gotta fight people? What for? I ain't doing it just because you said! What's with all these egomaniacs and puttin' innocent lives at risk?!

[At a loss, she turns to the nearest person and that happens to be you.]

You ain't just gonna sit around and listen to this, are you?


[B: The Station]

Now this is more like it.

[Labrys stretches her arms above her head and smiles at her surroundings.]

Good place to pal around with your friends... Gee, I wonder how the others are holdin' up anyway?

[And then she realises she's talking to herself in front of you and her smile turns sheepish.]

Heh... Don't suppose we couldn't just pretend I was talkin' to you the whole time could we?

a;

[clinomaniac]

Hm?

[He was only half-listening, caught between the overwhelming sleepiness that he's been dealing with and he marvel at the wings. Is that metal? Is that cosplay? There's something about her that seems incredibly familiar, but he's distracted from his thoughts by her turning to him. He blinks.]

Ah... sorry. I wasn't really listening.

florian phineas horatio aldebrant, esquire --FINN (dragon age) - 01

[obviouschild]

[Somehow, Finn has become sandwiched between two wall sconces. The spacing of it all seems very off--for starters he's not sure they out to be so close together. Secondly, he's not sure if its very good design practice to have them just so high up the wall that they protrude precisely where his neck meets his shoulders.

At any rate, he has somehow manuevered himself quite snugly. He feels rather like part of someone's bug collection, although he also feels rather sure that no moth or butterfuly had ever had quite so nice robes as he. Small victories, and all that.

So he stands, watching the gathering unfold. He smiles--unbeknownst to him he looks about as gormless as he feels--but he's trying to appear nonchalant. He smiles also because he's just been told a shocking (horrifying!) bit of information, and if he doesn't smile he will most likely start to cry. Or scream. Possibly both.

Finn's stomach churns suddenly, and he looks longingly towards the tables of food. He tries inching forward, but the candles wobble threateningly. As well, if he tries to duck down and out of his little predicament, Finn realizes he'll singe his hair.

Vanity wins over hunger. Finn continues to stand against the wall, smiling. Ah, if only he was a fire mage...]

omfg finn!!!!

[detoxifying]

[ Cullen doesn't notice Finn at first. But, Bones, a rather formidable-looking Mabari, might just be going up to sniff the mage, signalling for his master to come over, accompanied by another dog, this one a smaller Golden Retriever. ]

Ah-- Hello. You have to forgive my--

[ Wait. By the looks of the robes...

(And there might be a passing familiarity with the man's face as well. But one can never be sure) ]

--You're from Thedas, aren't you?

Kyrie Ushiromiya | Umineko no Naku Koro Ni | Seelie

[meatitfeedson]

[I can't decide on a goddamn canon point so have options for both or wildcard it - screw the rules and use Unseelie too, whatever, just the testdrive]

A - Feast (EP7/44-year-old milf era)
[At the start, Kyrie is covered in blood and dripping wet. This sucks, basically. She doesn't want anyone to see her this way, if she keeps quiet, probably they won't remember her. But if she asks someone for help, then she'll be out of this situation sooner and doesn't have to stay silent in a corner. So she does approach someone, smiling softly, kind, as if she hadn't just committed a brutal massmurder.]

Excuse me, I'm in a bit of a predicament, as you can see. Do you know, is there anywhere to clean up, and maybe find a fresh pair of clothing?

B - Feast (later) (EP7/44-year-old milf era)
[Later, she manages to get herself a new set of clothes, and wears a small smile, kind eyes, and mingles with a glass of wine, receptive to any attention, particularly gazes and compliments. She's her own person, why shouldn't she have her fun now? But who knows if she's just leading people on for the hell of it.]

C - Feast (20-year-old yakuza princess era)
[A girl sits quietly on a bench wearing a full, elegant kimono. Lips pressed together and hands in her lap, she doesn't look entirely pleased and hasn't spoken a word all night. She hasn't been told she can leave, but she also doesn't want to be here, it's absurd, loud and flashy in all the wrong ways, shameful, really.

Although the reason she hasn't left is really that she doesn't want to. She just can't show that she'd actually like to take part, and she's jealous of those who do so freely.]

D - Wardrobe (20-year-old yakuza princess era)
[On one hand, it's very nice to be able to decide things for herself, finally. On the other, spending her whole life in nothing but traditional Japanese clothes picked for her by other people, and even dressed in them by servants, means Kyrie doesn't know where to begin with this. She wants it, but taking that step is difficult. So she stands in the Wardrobe (mostly in the men's section, although she does have a dress draped over her arm), staring at the racks in some confusion. Mostly it's overwhelming. Please help.]

A!

[rememberyoursin]

[The morbid sight of a woman drenched in blood was like a magnet to the Golden Witch, doubly so because said blood covered woman was the adoptive mother of her favorite gamemaster turned husband, she simply could help herself but lick her lips and come for a closer look. Of course, for someone like Beatrice, coming closer meant appearing from within a whorl of golden butterflies, and cackling like a mad woman as she did.]

I'm afraid I don't, Ushiromiya Kyrie. [The witch extended the older woman's name several times over as she typically did that of her son, and then followed with another small laugh for good measure.] Though I'm sure I could use my magic to remove that unsightly stain, but what would be the fun in that?

mikhail | drakengard 3 | unseelie

[buttroll]

the feast.

[Huddled in the corner with wings drawn about its massive form is none other than a creature most reviled by the Unseelie—a black-and-white dragon, feasting on a great plate of meat that a group of shuddering imps continuously refills. Though the welcome he's received has proven less than warm, the dragon appears quite content, and on more than one occasion waves his claws at any passerby, no matter what manner of nasty faces they make at him.]

Hi there! You look new! Well, new to me, I mean. I'm pretty new myself. Just got here, and all...

[If you're lucky enough to catch his attention, he'll nudge his half-finished plate at you, grinning with teeth that seem friendly in spite of their sharpness.]

I saved you some, if you want it. It's not bad. And you wouldn't mind a little company, right?

[Translation: he could use the company. Derision's he's dealt with plenty before, but being lonely? He hates it. Almost as much as wyverns, in fact. Almost.]

the ward.

[Eventually Mikhail eats his fill at the feast and wanders to the upper levels of Caer Scima. He stops at a courtyard, where there's plenty of space to stretch out and active duels going on that draw his eye.

And though he doesn't even know who he's cheering for, he cheers anyway, stomping his feet excitedly and bopping his head to music only he can hear.]

Yeah, yeah! Right in the jaw! You've almost got it!

[The calls are spirited rather than bloodthirsty. Mikhail's having a great time just watching, and alternates encouraging one side over the other. Should anyone join him, he'll give them a nudge with the blunt end of a wingtip.]

Great stuff, huh? But I know someone who's better than both of 'em put together! It's the truth!

the world.

[All dragons must roam; all dragons refuse to let themselves be confined to just one space. So after all the revels are said and done, he takes to the sky.

And flies. And flies. And flies. He flies whenever he fancies, as far and as fast as his wings will take him. Around the peaks of Dorchadas, skirting the edges of Glaschu, soaring all along the coast, then looping back around again.

Mikhail flies and flies and flies with no regard for where he's going and why he can't go there. There is no such thing as can or can't for a dragon. He isn't arrogant, he isn't seeking a fight, but isn't seeking to restrain himself, either.

He's simply himself. Simply a dragon. Simply Mikhail, who will befriend anyone and everyone he comes across, silly distinctions aside.]

(( First two prompts are Caer Scima only; the last prompt is open to everyone at pretty much any location on the map except for clearly fortified Seelie-aligned towns, garrisons, and otherwise unfriendly areas. Mikhail is not hostile and will not attack under any circumstances, so feel free to engage him, Seelie folk. ))

The Feast

[raavashing]

[Wan was not like most of the others at the party. He was quite pleased to see another dragon in the world (though he did worry for it's safety despite it clearly being considered Unseelie). And when he was offered the food, he grinned brightly up at the creature and took a seat.]

Thank you! I'm pretty full already, but I wouldn't mind trying it. I'm Wan. It's nice to meet you.

Balem Abrasax / Jupiter Ascending / Unseelie

[entitles]

[01]

[All things considered, a few years or even a few decades spent here was nothing to Balem. But, an Abrasax should not be kidnapped without consequence, and fighting for the fate of this world wasn't something that enthused him, not when he had world of his own to manage. Safe to say, he was in a bit of a sour mood (but how that differed from his regular mood, most couldn't tell).

That didn't stop him from indulging in some food and drink, however. As uncouth as this situation was, the food was good. If he deemed the feast inadequate, he would have gladly sat in the corner and sulked to himself. As is, he takes a seat alone and eats, his movements so smooth they're almost fluid. Tens of thousands of years of refinement wasn't for nothing.

Spotting a wayward imp sneaking towards his wine glass, he swats it away, hand heavy with ornate rings and jewels.]

Away with you.

[His voice is barely even a whisper, but the swat seems to have gotten his point across well enough and the imp scampers off.]

[02]

[It was distressing to be trapped in a world that seemed so underdeveloped. Although there was some sort of power here that didn't seem to come from scientific advancement (Balem hesitated to say 'magic' because the word still seemed ridiculous to him) for the most part it seemed so crude.

This was the only place the one piece of technology he had on him - the one piece he always had on him - even worked, for some strange reason it seemed to die completely when he left. He ran one long fingernail over it, the node beneath his ear that performed so many convenient functions, but he couldn't contact anyone from home with it, nor could he project himself outside of the station.

Instead he stood alone, sorting through tiny holograms of stars and planets muttering to himself about contracts and negotiations and whether or not all his affairs were in order. If anyone could reduce the vastness of the universe to a mere business inventory, it was Balem.]

[withbite]

Now, now. Try not to piss them off too early. Until you can get a few of your own or something that can chase them off, you might wind up with imp piss in everything you eat.

[He'd learned that early on, but thankfully his senses were sharp enough that he'd been able to detect it before actually consuming any of it. A few dead bodies had let them know that he wasn't one to play that little game with and they'd stopped. Now he had Nevermore keeping an eye on them for him and they seemed to give her a wider, more respectful berth than himself.

Go figure.]

Link | Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask | Seelie

[raised_by_trees]

(ooc: Reply in any format you like. I'll match.)

[A; Mud tracks; Caer Glaem]
Throughout portions of Caer Glaem one will find tracks of mud on the normally pristine floors leading up from the lower levels. Fresh tracks, too, if the servants have yet to clean them. Following them will lead to one of the higher floors, where a young boy of no more than ten clad in green will be standing on tiptoes to peer out a window. His expression is one of surprising calmness for one so young in such a strange situation. The only time he looks startled is when he hears a noise and turns to the person approaching him.

"Uh.... hello?"

He doesn't seem to mind the mud he's trailed after him, but his hand drifts to the hilt of the sword sheathed on his back.

[B; COFFEE COFFEE COFFEE; the Barrel]

During his travels beyond the forest, Link had made it a game with himself to try at least one new thing wherever he went. The drabwurld was proving to be filled with a lot of new things both for good and ill. Something that made his little game easy.

Right now, he was in the Barrel, and curious about this drink people kept saying kids should not have. Why, no one could say other than he'd hate it and it'd make him act weird, but Link was determined to try it. He'd been grown up once. Who cared if this stuff would make him 'hyper' or whatever that meant.

Somehow, he managed to talk one of the bartenders into giving him a very small cup of this 'coffee' stuff. One at a temperature he could tolerate. This was a good thing as he knocked the entire cup back in one gigantic gulp without burning his mouth.

He regretted this almost instantly as he almost immediately started coughing into his hands. The stuff was bitter. How could anyone drink this stuff?

[C; Fetch questing; Anywhere]

Doing favors for people was something Link had never minded doing. It was something he had done for the Kokiri when he lived with them. Something he had done for people throughout his various adventures and quests. It was something he didn't mind doing now. It helped him travel across the drabwurld and now?

Now he is approaching [your character], an item they have been needing in hand and a pleased grin on his face.

"Hi! The man at the Barrel said to give this to you?"

[commemini]

Cromwell takes the letter from the boy's hand, opening it before remembering to reply.

"Thank you."

He glances down at the letter's contents, then back up at the boy. "You delivered this quickly."

Aqua | Kingdom Hearts | Seelie (but OTA)

[rainfelled]

A: Seelie Feast-For-All

[So, having fairies talk to you in the middle of a battle about a war that'll decide the fate of all worlds because of something that's in your heart? It's really very jarring, surprisingly! Still, it's not like Aqua was going to refuse their plea for help, especially not when 1) it would affect how time is currently flowing for her in her pocket of the universe and 2) it was obviously far more important to everyone's survival than what Xehanort was planning.

Though, at the moment, the Seelie side is throwing a feast to welcome their new recruits. To be honest, Aqua isn't in the mood to celebrate, but she attends the feast regardless. Even if she doesn't have as much fun with it as she could've, that doesn't mean she should be rude or pass up on the opportunity to get to know her fellow comrades. With luck, she might even be able to find familiar faces in the crowd. There are two in particular that Aqua is keen to find.

The blue-haired young woman will be seen wandering through the crowds, willing to talk to anyone who wants to, or taking some food and drink in small amounts throughout the night. Hey, it's a free meal. Who's going to complain about that?]

B: The Magic Station

[Aqua decides to do some practice with her Keyblade. She makes sure she's far enough away from the Station to not endanger the city or its citizens, but close enough so that if she needs help, then it won't take long to get it. There might not have been a battle just yet, but she wants to keep her abilities as on point as possible. It won't due for her to flub a Fire spell on accident while in the middle of doing her duty for King Ridire and Queen Solais.

She stands in the clearing and summons Stormfall to her hand. She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, calming herself as she always does, whether it's a practice battle or the real deal. Then, Aqua rushes in to deal blows to imaginary enemies, timing her swings, jumps, and barrier magic accordingly. It's not as good as actual sparring, but it's better than nothing.]

C: Wildcard

[Choose how, where and when you wanna interact with Aqua!]

b

[heralding]

[For all her travels, it's been a while since Lightning's come across a warrior like this. On Nova Chrysalia, many of the warriors had taken up roles as hunters. They were good and strong, but little of their fighting had been focused in magic. In truth, Lightning knows the cause for that. Over the years, many of the most powerful fighters had been downed. Some remained, of course, but none had this woman's strength and prowess.

Because of that, she doesn't leave the Station immediately, instead finding herself drawn closer.]

Not bad, [she finally offers when Aqua comes to pause. The words themselves are flatly stated, but not blandly. She means it as a compliment and nothing more.]

Though you look like you could use some help. [Lightning cants her head to the side.] A partner, that is. You up for it?

Peter Quill ( Marvel 616 ) Wildcard (Open to Seelie & Unseelie)

[starbuckslord]

[ Seeing as Peter was pretty much left without his tech to defend himself, all he had were his strength and wits - and some very old tools he had not used in a long time. He was definitely out of practice with a sword and needed to correct that - Ship would be laughing at him if she could see him now (perhaps not out loud, but she got this air about her that could make his face redder than red).

Since his arrival in one of the castles, he'd been trying to find a decent place to practice, and he ended up finding a room that looked like it was meant for storage with with some old, broken pieces of furniture. It took him only a matter of hours to jerry-rig some old-fashioned practice dummies - the sword, he'd won in a drinking contest with one of the fae on his first night.

He'd already been practicing for half an hour or so; his clothes were already moist with a good amount of sweat. His golden brown hair was dripping and plastered against his head. Peter was huffing softly as he stared down one of the last dummies to remain unscathed - he advanced on it quickly and drove his sword this way and that, practicing aims for where key areas would have been on a humanoid form.

He was in a mood. Hopefully no one caught the wrong end of it. ]

[foraneye]

[Élise is good with a sword herself, but she's not looking to steal his dummies when she pokes her head through the door—she was simply following the odd sounds that caught her attention.

Without the telltale sound of metal-on-metal, she hadn't expected combat, but combat of sorts is what she finds, and she watches him for a few moments before nodding in approval.]

Well done. Though you have an unfair advantage against your opponent.

malia tate | tw | unseelie

[animalize]

( i | THE CASTLE )

[ malia often feels lost, like life is one big inside joke and everyone is in on it but her. this, though — she's never been so lost. not when she first returned to civilization, not when they threw her into a high school class despite never finishing 4th grade. this is a whole new level of disorientation and alienation. the imps care little for her, likely due to her somewhat violent attempts of resisting abduction. she lingers by the food, shooting anxious looks around the room she hopes are surreptitious. thoughts like where am i supposed to go? and what am i supposed to do? swirl around in her head. they make her dizzy. she longs for the days when she never considered what she was supposed to do, only what she wanted to.

the sights, sounds and smells overwhelm her senses. it's too much to process at one time. she takes one last look at the revelry and slips out the door into the castle halls, leaning against the wall and taking in the newfound peace and silence. as she treks through the halls, she makes no attempt to be inconspicuous. she doesn't know if she's allowed to be here unsupervised, but she also doesn't care. at least, she doesn't until she turns the corner and comes face-to-face with someone.

she'd thought everyone was at the feast, but now she sees she was wrong. she maintains eye contact for a short, awkward moment before speaking. ]

Hi.

( ii | THE LOCKETS )

[ she catches on quickly with the lockets. they're like phones, sort of, if phones were magical and also not phones at all. she doesn't know exactly who she's talking to, but it doesn't matter. ]

I hate these clothes. [ referring to the medieval clothing, of course. they look like something to be worn trick-or-treating, not as casual wear. ] They look suffocating. How do you run in them? [ her question is more rhetorical than genuine. she finds it unlikely that anyone can run in them at all.

she doesn't hope for a fairyland forever 21, though that would be ideal. she just hopes for somewhere, anywhere, she can get other clothes. otherwise she'll have to make do with the men's clothing. silly looking trousers are better than petticoats. ] Where do I get normal clothes?

Castle

[withbite]

Hi yourself.

[Malia had the fortune, or perhaps misfortune, of bumping into Damon. Yes, he was wearing something more tailored to this world than his own, but Fernando had made it so that it echoed what he was used to from home, so it was a weird amalgamation of both and he'd been assured he looked good in it -- which he agreed with. Black was his color.

The smile he gave the girl, because she was a girl, bordered on predatory. Sorry, Malia. It was habit.]

Had enough of the pomp and ceremony?

roman godfrey | hemlock grove | unseelie

[mesmerisation]

[ is there a scientific reason, roman wonders, why his life is a constant deluge of shit? or is it all a series of random occurrences, perfectly and incidentally combined into one big steaming pile of awful? some might call it divine will, but roman doesn't believe in god. even if he did, he'd have a bone or three to pick with his father who art in heaven.

he loiters away from the crowd at the feast; though he's well-dressed enough for a party, his demeanor is anything but merry. he keeps quiet, but something resembling outrage is just beneath the surface. a mixture of childish impudence and wariness keeps him away from the food for as long as he can bear — he's not persephone, he knows not to eat the pomegranate seeds — but hunger for something else entirely begins to claw at him. rather than turn the dining hall into a crime scene, he swallows his pride and his better judgment.

as he integrates himself into the crowd, he eyeballs those he brushes past. eventually, he can't hold it in anymore and he asks, accusatory: ] The fuck are you celebrating for?

[thedominatrix]

[Irene is laughing and talking, a glass of pale gold wine clutched in her hand; saying her goodbyes to a small, orc-like creature when he stops her.

She flashes a smile while she's taking him in; a smooth-flowing, brilliant thing, all teeth and fine creases about her eyes. He's modern-dressed enough and on-edge enough to be just as new as she is, she sees. Her own brief black dress proclaims her non-native to this world.]

Celebrating?

We're at a party, darling.

Riku | Kingdom Hearts | will match format!

[midnighthero]

01. ARRIVAL (UNSEELIE)

[Finding himself in another world isn't actually all that surprising. What's surprising about it is how he arrives there.

Riku's used to moving between worlds of his own volition, originally by the dark corridors Maleficent taught him to open, more recently by using the Keyblade's power. Being taken by surprise and dragged off without any chance to fight back is not only strange but embarrassing, especially once he finds out what sort of creatures managed to get the jump on him. He managed to infiltrate Organization XIII without ever being caught, and now fairy tale creatures are the ones that catch him off guard?

But the atmosphere is solemn and of the people he meets, many of them seem to wear intent, determined looks. Something big is going on here, and at first Riku thinks that perhaps he's been led here because he can help them. But then there's talk of their purpose here, and Riku realizes quickly that he's been brought here as just another sword to fight, a piece in a much bigger game of chess.

That makes him suspicious. Sure, maybe he agrees with some of what they're saying, but Riku's learned by this point not to take any story from authority at face value. His eyes narrow as he listens, but he says nothing, gives no other sign of his feelings. Riku isn't one to blindly follow what someone else says, not without proof. But it's also not a good idea to cause a commotion in the middle of a potential enemy (or ally!)'s stronghold, and so once the briefing is over he decides to check out where he's found himself this time. He'll be in the main hall often enough, but Riku isn't one to sit around partying when there's work to be done, and after a while he'll be ready to try and discover the size and scale of the castle and start putting together a mental map of where he is.]


03. LOCKETS; AUDIO

[There's something really weird about talking into a locket and hoping that someone out there will hear you. Riku frowns at it before he begins to speak, a bit hesitant at first and then growing in confidence.]

They say you can talk to many people at once using these things. If that's so, then I have a question for all of you.

Say you've just arrived to this world. But you left people behind. People that were counting on you.

We may not be able to get back to them now, but is there a way to find out if they're all right?

[He has more questions--what determines whether you have a shard or not? Is there any reason why he's here but Sora isn't? Is anybody else from his world there but just somewhere else?--but decides to hold back on those for now.]

3

[needmetoo]

[The voice is... familiar. The way that Roxas was familiar, the first time she saw him. And it feels familiar too, the same feeling that had made the corners of her mouth quirk upwards very slightly, her only really clear memory of that day.

Roxas though... the speaker's question makes her think about him, and she frowns, a gnawing feeling in her stomach. Roxas, who was still asleep. Who might not wake up. Who she still had a shell for in her pocket that she hadn't been able to give him.]

If you find out... could you let me know too?

[She was going to be in trouble enough when she didn't RTC soon, but hopefully she could at least find out if Roxas was okay.]

Zack Fair | Final Fantasy VII | Seelie

[costlypunch]

01: arrival

[ Honestly, Zack isn't entirely sure this isn't a dream. Sure, he's dead, but that doesn't mean he's not having a very lucid dream. He's seen weirder things happen, and this whole court thing could just be a product of his overactive imagination. It wouldn't really be that out of place after everything else he's been through.

The important thing is: there's food here, and he hasn't had a proper meal in... a really long time. So Zack hasn't hesitated to go from one table to the next, grabbing anything and anything that looks good. The result? A plate that's stuffed full with just about everything the feast has to offer.

...He's not actually sure if half of it is edible. ]

02: the station

[ Zack had heard there was somewhere here with modern technology, but he didn't expect to see a complete train station. It looks completely out of place against everything else he's seen in the Drabwurld, and upon seeing it he couldn't help but stare for a while, impressed.

Then, like anyone who'd been stuck in a completely backwards world, Zack pulled out his phone and started tapping it. ] I wonder if I can get a signal?

03: wildcard

[ Feel free to run into Zack getting over his head fighting something because that's what he does best. ]

2

[commandertoolbelt]

A signal's easy, [ Leo said, overhearing. ] Getting a response is the hard part. I haven't tried calling, but I've tried IMs and internet and assuming it even gets back home, then they haven't been able to get through to reply yet.

minato arisato » persona 3 » unseelie » wildcards!

[clinomaniac]

[first; caer scima]
[The last he remembers, it was spring and sunny and he was just about to take a nap during Toriumi's class, so the darkness of Caer Scima is, well, off-putting. He's been here for a few days now, having wall flowered (while filling his stomach) during the feast and speaking to a handful of people to get himself started, and he's quietly kept to himself. Most of the time, he sat near whatever window he could find and tried to seek as much light as he could. The darkness is unsettling. At least the moon isn't green.

But he really doesn't want to stay here too long, he thinks. He taps a finger against the cold glass and fiddles with the music player -- useless -- hanging around his neck. His Evoker is missing, and so is everything he didn't bring to school that day. His armband, his weapons, his friends... his Evoker, at least, he would like to get back soon. There were quests for that, he thinks he remembers someone saying. He'd rather go on those for a certain elevator girl than this court, but what can he do?

He turns away from the darkness outside to get to his feet. Hands in his pockets, he looks around, and he approaches the nearest person -- YOU. Perhaps it's your first time talking. Maybe you acquainted at the feast. Either way, there's a blue-haired boy approaching like this is the most natural thing for him to do, a smile just barely visible on his face as he catches your attention, then speaks.]

I was thinking I'd like to go on a quest. Do you know how I could arrange for one, and where I could go to prepare?

[second; on the road]
[One might notice after spending an extended period of time with him, but Minato is just constantly sleepy. Day or night, whether he's standing, sitting, or even walking, he has a tendency to space out and sometimes nod off even in the middle of conversation (during which, it's probably mostly one-sided as he doesn't say much even if he tries to be attentive). The only times he's really alert is in the middle of battle, whether it's against an attacking human or a monster. There's somebody nearby that will be in trouble if he doesn't fight; that's the only thing that really holds his attention. Ask about it?

If not, he doesn't bring it up. He doesn't complain about being tired, and right now he's stretching after a particularly long stretch of travel. It's almost nightfall, and there's no way they'll make it to any civilization before dark, but he'll just consider it camping. Camping where monsters might come and try to eat them if they let their guard down. At least they still have some food left.]

I think this will be a good place, [he comments. Not that any other place is very different from their current spot in the forest, but this particular spot still has some light seeping in through the trees. He prefers that over total darkness.] We should gather some firewood.

[third; the station]
[Sorry, did you say something? Minato was listening. He was just staring at his music player again as he did, responding properly to every word you said but not looking at either the surroundings or the ground ahead. Except now, as he enters the station, his sleepy eyes widen and his attention is drawn away from the conversation to the device in his hand.

He'd heard about the place. They said electronics could work here. But he was dubious, and now as the screen of his walkman lights up and a familiar track title scrolls across it, he's quietly elated, looking up at you, his friend, and announcing,] It really works.

[If he were any other type of person, he might have been cheering.]

2! SURPRISE

[transiens]

[Indeed it is a surprise because Elizabeth didn't imagine that a world could contain her of all people. In the Velvet Room, nothing is meaningless, but outside of it, things have meaning and are meaningless and everything in between. Some things must be assigned a meaning or discover that meaning through struggle. That is what is so amazing about the world outside the Velvet Room: the potential, the potential that she now has herself. And is this not but a step in her journey? The fate of many worlds hanging in the balance is but another day in some ways. Each person, after all, has created their own world inside of themselves...

But she digresses.

Maybe she's thinking so much because she doesn't actually believe that he's in front of her. She's fought Erebus every year for him. She searches in her every waking moment for a solution, though time has little meaning to her even now. And she knows a method, a possibility, a slim chance, to save him, and yet... here he is. It's enough to leave the usually verbose woman speechless and she still struggles to find the words. Haven't her thoughts, on occasion, drifted to the possibility of a reunion?

But what to say in that case, what she always wanted to say to him, is so fragmented on her lips that she can only smile, a strange blurring of her vision occurring as she watches him move.]

Yes. Yes of course. This is, as they say, 'roughing it'. I would not miss it for the end of the world.

Xion | Kingdom Hearts | Unseelie (all are welcome though :U)

[needmetoo]

A. Feast

[There is a very small person moving along the walls. Small, and in a black hooded coat. She doesn't move towards the food table or out into the party, but watches everyone with curious intent.

She doesn't know what's going on, what's really happened. She heard the speeches, the story of why they're here and what they're here for. But... so much of it felt over her head. And what would the Organization do when it found out?

For now she's falling back on lessons, and those lessons tell her that recon is most important now. Though there's so much information... it's hard to process it all, figure out what it all means, on top of everything that was already confusing. And there are a great may distractions to boot, entertainment of the likes of which she's never seen. She has enough discipline to try to keep to the side though. And out of sight of most of the crowd, she hopes.

Not out of sight of everyone though. Perhaps you've caught her staring? Or perhaps she runs into you by accident.

Not the imps either, who later decide to take it into their own hands to "encourage" Xion to join in the festivities.

First she feels a tug on her coat, near her calf. She turns to look and there's another behind her, then another and another, until slowly she's pulled out into the middle of the throng, yelping and trying to wriggle free, but trying not to step on anyone.]

Hey!

[This makes it all to easy to bump into somebody again, or else trip...]

B. Exploring! (sort of half-wildcard)

[Once she's given the opportunity to do so, she goes on more "recon," to see the rest of Drabwurld. Only it quickly becomes clear there's a lot of it to see, more than she ever would have expected. So many places to go, so many things to learn.

She's still worried. She still doesn't quite understand what's going on. But there's nothing she can really do about that now, is there?

It's really amazing, though... Maybe you'll catch her marveling at some of the amazing (or perhaps not-so-amazing, everything looks fair wondrous when you've memories spanning less than three months), eyes wide and mouth agape.

Or maybe you're doing something of interest, something she's never seen before, and she's watching you not-so-expertly hidden in a nearby tree or behind an outcropping of rock.

Or maybe you've met her in the midst of facing one of the dangers of Drabwurld - either saving her, or her trying to save you. She's not very experienced yet, after all! But it won't stop her from trying. Destroying monsters is something she's best at, after all...]

/SLAMS INTO THIS

[raised_by_trees]

[He had been minding his own business, testing out the new arrows he'd gotten recently with a few makeshift targets. His aim wasn't perfect, but it was usually good enough to hit what he wanted to hit.

But it wasn't one hundred percent accurate. He missed one of his targets and when he went to retrieve the arrow he found the arrow had lodged into the sleeve of Xion's coat, effectively trapping her against a tree.]

I'm sorry! I didn't know you were there!

[He goes up to her to pull the arrow out. Luckily it was just her sleeve that got caught and none of her flesh!]

Ratonhnhaké:ton/Connor - Assassin's Creed III - Unseelie/Seelie

[mohawk_tomahawk]

01 - Arrival

As Connor looked about in silence, he noticed so many faces and so many things he couldn't explain for the very life of him. Nothing like this seemed very dream-like, as the very air said something differently right away. No, he was here and he wasn't sure how. Then again, a quick look would tell him he wasn't the only one with those feelings.

The very streets were littered with all sorts of unknowns, from the people to the culture. He tried to keep observing and getting information silently, unsure about questioning anyone head on quite yet. Still keeping to himself, he headed his way toward the castle, hoping soon enough he would have some clear answers and fast. Something had to make sense of it all.

02 - Training Grounds

Connor was familiar with animals, so much so he seemed to be tending to a horse and handling it with some ease. He fed it some grain and gave the head a gentle pat. He smiled at the horse.

"Good girl."

02

[vociferar]

"Too skinny."

A grim looking woman with paint on her face sniffed at the sight of the rouncey creature tugging at the reins she held firm in one hand as it tried to reach for the carrot she held in the other. Having sized the horse up to the slower moving but heavier built mountain horses she had been used to, she found this one lacking. Even as she ran petted it's neck and spoke softly.

Rider (Francis Drake) | Fate/Extra

[circumnavigates]

A - Feast
[Someone's a little too excited about the feast. That someone is a libertine and a hedonist. Funny how she exudes the aura of a ruler, though. She drinks and brawls and is exceptionally loud and obnoxious. With the way she carries on, you'd think it was Samhain and not just a regular arrival feast. It's always about betting - mostly, anyway. She's got to earn some gold here, but hey, it's just plain fun too.

Watch out or she might just try to drag you into it too.]

Hey, you - yeah, you - come here a minute!

B - Leathann
[A seaside city is the place for her, makes her feel much more at home. Or something like that, anyway, it's familiar, landing for a bit in a dock town. Rider may be small, but she is also very clearly no pushover, that nasty scar across her face says so, along with the way she carries herself. Strolling along the docks, she admires the ships, thinking about how best to get her hands on one.

She also browses the markets, looking for anything flashy or otherwise a total waste of money to blow what she'd made at the feast. It's a heafty stack, and she doesn't intend to keep a single coin for long.]

b

[brainiest]

[ And at the market, at her side, is a young woman with a scar that almost matches Rider's; on the left side of her face, drawn down over her cheek, a scar runs across Hermione's face and leaves her looking a little more ferocious than she might otherwise. There are some whispers as she goes, too; the rapier on her hip does nothing to hide who she is, the lioness pommel more than enough - Seelie Lioness, Marchioness, it's obvious to anyone that knows about the passing of leadership even in neutral territory.

Spotting a new face at the market, about to buy something magical that is entirely worthless, Hermione steps close and leans down, pretending she's doing nothing more than looking at the things for sale. ]

That's fake, just so you know.

alice morgan / luther / s...eelie.

[astronomer]

[ooc: If you fancy hitting me up with an Unseelie, go ahead, we'll work something out. Still musing on court alignment.]

[Alice does not like crowds. They fill her with cold disdain and great, hateful loneliness. So she wanders around the edges. Sometimes she notices that her body shakes, her shoulders wracked by bouts of trembling, her hands unable to properly hold the water she's calmly making herself drink. It's a physical reaction totally beyond her control and it fascinates her. She does not normally shiver. It only happens a few times, and she quells it easily, a little miffed at her own system for reacting to the shock it's been dealt. But perhaps it will make her seem more likeable, she wonders? —smiles at the idea. Plays it up, just a little, to see what will happen.

Otherwise, she moseys. It's a deliberate, interested wander. She studies paintings. Seelie, she understands, are known for their love of beauty. The paintings really get her goat, actually; they're a bit too ethereal, a bit too blush-lovely. Beauty! They're pretty, and Alice doesn't think much of pretty. Her toes curl for want of a bit of sublimity.

She gets it when she goes outside. It's accidental. She needs a moment of silence; tuts, shakes her head, tucks back her hair; glances up towards the sky. And through the trees, she sees new heavens.

Slowly, she puts down her glass of water and folds herself down to sit on the ground. That's not enough. She lies back on the grass, dew dampening the back of her clothes. Takes a single sudden sharp breath in—and lets it go, staring up as if waiting to fall into the night sky.]

[depicted]

The paintings weren't to your taste?

[It is how he announces himself, although he did not bother to soften his footsteps in his approach. A respectful distance away, he looks at the woman, curious only because he is always curious about those who show any interest in art. His own glass is still wine (Flora's, as always) and he does not presume to sit beside her.] There is more variety in Parrais.

Edward Elric | Fullmetal Alchemist | Seelie or Unseelie

[flamel]

[ (re: seelie/unseelie: i have no idea. pick whichever.) ]

the station

[ If there's a lot of yelling around the Station, it's because a certain alchemist hasn't been able to leave it. At least, not without his arm and leg shorting out. The second he steps beyond the barrier of the circle (and it has to be an alchemical circle, there's no way he's about to believe this bullshit of magic no matter what people keep trying to tell him), Ed's automail arm and leg stop working, and become dead weight.

The fact that his alchemy still works has only made him more frustrated. Not that it's helped him get past the barrier any. Ed's tried every trick he knows to try and cancel the circle's power, and nothing's happened.

Ed yells in frustration, loud enough to startle a few birds, and stalks away from the edge of the circle. Time to get some answers -- even if it means interrogating everyone in this stupid place. ]

[saiho]

Yelling isn't going to make it better. It's called an inside voice for a reason.

[Rokuta has a cup of fine brewed coffee. It's way too hot to drink. So he's holding it at arm's length with the tips of his fingers, but hey. He's still got plenty of time to judge everyone else!]

renzo shima | unseelie

[perverses]

i. feast

[ Pink hair and what would look like a military uniform of some kind really don't mesh, really don't, and yet here's Renzo, not at all minding whether they do or not. In a strange place like this, it likely doesn't even stand out at all. Anyway, no point in worrying over that, not when no one seems to give a damn at him picking up a wine glass and casually strolling away with it or that there's apparently incredibly cute elf and fairy girls, real elf and fairy girls, like, everywhere!

Though regardless of if you're a cute elf and fairy girl or not, he'll sidle up to anyone who looks at least a little open to chit-chat, smiling the whole while. If he's nervous at all, it definitely doesn't show, even in spite of how young he looks. ]

Haa, so this really is real, right? Really real? I keep thinking it's going to turn out to be some kind of demon illusion, but nothing's even tried to kill me yet, y'know?

ii. open world for erryone

Hello down there! You lost, too?

[ Later on, well, he's not going to just stick around Caer Scima. For some reason or another, he's been dispatched to look into a few odd ruins out in what could be considered "no man's land", dressed closer to what the locals wear now; still with his green and black Illuminati uniform coat, sure, but now with more leathers and furs for the rest.

And now he's addressing you. Yes, you, whoever you are who is also looking into those same ruins. That he claims to be lost is just one of his lies, one of what might be many soon to come, but who else needs to know? He's seated at the top of one of the ruined buildings, light glinting off the ringed monk staff he has idly resting against one shoulder. Not so far up that he can't easily be seen or heard, but just far enough up that he cannot be easily reached. ]

...kind of a far way out to wander, I know, I know, but, eh, I'm sure you know how that goes.

iii. wildcard? wildcard! anything gooooes.

II

[needmetoo]

Um, maybe?

[No, she really doesn't know how that goes. Or at least she doesn't think she does. Is she lost though? That's a good question. Were you lost if you didn't have a particular direction you were headed in? If you're almost looking for looking's sake?

She briefly turns her attention back to the ruins.]

I thought they looked really neat.

Thomas Cromwell | Thomas Cromwell trilogy | option 3 partially because haha what is court choice

[commemini]

1 - on the road

He understands, in theory, why other residents are frustrated by the rate of travel on horseback. When magical means for faster travel exist, but are not readily available, exasperation is natural. Still, spending time on horseback seems so natural to him that he cannot help finding others' ire amusing. A horse is not a difficult beast to master. With the lockets eliminating most need for couriers, he feels spoiled enough. He can spare the time to get to a new place himself. He can spare the time to note where the fairies seem to congregate, the crops of the farms he passes, the hostility of the farmers.

Cromwell himself is not being hostile. He greets anyone he passes, with a fair amount of amiability.


2 - Daonna

The beer is not watered, thank god, and the bustle of the tavern makes him feel more at home than he has for a while. He almost expects to look up and find Richard beside him, or a group of law students to burst through the door. He can indulge in that feeling for now, as long as it remains "almost."

Cromwell is hoping to sell some bolts of cloth, tomorrow when businesses should be open. It doesn't seem to be as robust a trade in this place as it is at home, but everyone still needs clothing, and it's better to start, at least, with a product you know well.

You cannot expect any results without investment.

He pushes his mug away, for the moment, and turns to the nearest guest. "Do you know how the markets are here?"

have a plantagenet trying to do the whole incognito thing

[unnatural_animal]

Richard looks up from his own beer. (It at least is tolerable, but the less said about the wine, the better. After coming here from a wine cellar turned dungeon in France, he refuses to drink it on principle.) The other man has the air of a merchant and he tries to tailor his response appropriately. If he had appeared to be a noble or a knight his reply might be far more wary.

He doesn't trust them. He doesn't truly trust anyone. Thus his whole attempt at blending in, at being merely one of the crowd. A lone warrior can always find work. He can be a valuable man. A lone prince without supporters or funds is something different. He can be valuable for quite another reason entirely.

"Why? Do you plan on buying or selling?"