fairynuff | TEST DRIVE MEME

Allison doesn't know how to respond to that. She doesn't think she's brave, not at all; she did what had to be done, what she needed to do, and that was protect her best friend. That was all. And, truth be told, she feels kind of like she failed at that. So brave? Hardly.

So she moves on when Kira does, glancing around at their surroundings with her. "Pretty good, or pretty bad. There aren't many, but the bestiary has a couple stories on faeries, none of them that nice."

Yeah, but flying isn't going to be any more helpful than shadow travel if you're right. Even if it's not really another world, I wouldn't know which way to go.

[the idea's got him frowning as well. he could try regardless, but the likely uselessness of doing so makes him feel a lot more helpless than he's accustomed to.]

"I'm totally fine." she hastens to assure him. "Are you okay, though? I mean, I know this is totally weird. We'll figure it out." She is certain in her confidence that they will. "But in the meantime you can't say this isn't something out of a fairy tale. Have you tried any of the food? People seem to be eating it and not turning into anything strange."

Admittedly, a little part of her whispers how cool would that be...

"So what's the story with them?" asks Kira. Her instinct is to want to explore, and...noticing a delicious looking tart on a platter at a nearby table, she ooh's and goes to pick it up. Curious fox is curious, and like most tricksters, perhaps a little to quick to satisfy her hunger.

[ if she didn't look conspicuous enough, that startled squeak she gives once caught would probably seal the deal.

cress practically jumps in her little swivel seat when she finds pan hovering behind the monitor. her blue eyes widen, and one hand darts out to touch something along the keyboard. it doesn't sent the monitor away like it would have sent her netscreens, but it definitely clears whatever window she'd been working on.

she stares at him a moment longer before letting out a forced laugh. ]

Wh— Me? What would I have... [ she clears her throat a little, and lifts her chin a little, straightening in her seat. ] I guess you don't know any better, then!

[ oh that sounded kind of rude ]

...I mean, you know. I'm not.

[Radagast sniffs the air, leaning close for a moment to sniff Beleg as well just for added measure. Definitely smelled like and Elf at least.] Yes, lets not waste anymore time!

[He nodded as he lead the way in the way Beleg indicated. Elves have good sense of direction, right? Right.]

I like parties, [Elizabeth admits,] but I can't say I care for this one. I think it would be overwhelming to anyone, even a seasoned party-goer. [Such as herself, ahem.]

I'm Elizabeth, by the way. But please, call me Lizzie. I think this has been a big day for everyone involved. Don't chastise yourself for feeling out of place, all right? I feel out of place, too. I feel... I feel... Well, I might as well come out and say it, even if it's poor manners to do so: I'm cross about it! That's how I feel.

I would not have been able to ignore them.

[Oh Bri, please, do you know how many lingering stares everyone ignored between you and Elrond?]

How could you not?

[It is but it's something they need to consider. Sadly. :c]

It is not. We are bound to Arda...

[Luthien no so much as the rest of them though.]

[It's like watching a game of tag played by children, he notices. Garrett is the one with the initiative, he chooses an approach, a setup in which he executes how things should go, and Corvo reacts. Differently, of course, as this man is no simple civilian or guard by a longshot. So Garrett sets up another scenario, moves along to steal with precision, and again, Corvo stops him. It isn't so much a frustration as it is intriguing, perhaps more than it should be, for the master thief. And that movement- if you could even call it that, because no human can do something like that normally- is definitely not from his world.

Which only means one thing. Magic. Of course he's decided to go after the man who has magic. Brilliant choice, master thief. Garrett's had enough of that with the Primal already, the one shard he has with him tucked neatly away, not intending to use it for anything at all.

Still, while he isn't one to talk when he's on a job, it's more than obvious that Corvo knows he's there in the dark. He'll give him a little leisure.

Dryly, but amused:]

That's cheating.

[This coming from a thief who has arrows that change the environment to suit his own needs, and an eye that carries magic, which allows him to do so many more things than a normal man should be able to do.

Really Garrett, like you're one to talk.

That still leaves the question of what exactly he should do next. A normal approach obviously isn't going to work, not in this case, not until he changes things to work for him. His eyes scan the hallway and the light that remains around it, and if Corvo moves further down the hall, it will be difficult to remain hidden as Garrett is now. His Focus flicks on once again, and Corvo can probably see the faint glow that his eye emits, looking for something to tip the odds in his favor. And after a moment, he does.

If Corvo uses his sight again, he'll see Garrett take out his compacted bow, extend it, and quietly pull an arrow with a blunted tip to settle between the nocking loop and the arrow rest. He aims it away from his target, above, to something that may not be visible at first, just by a glance. It looks as if he's aiming for the chandelier- but that would be ridiculous, the arrow itself wouldn't be able to knock it down-

And then, the glow in his eye flares, and Garrett's moves become like an echo, arms moving faster than they should and leaving after-images, shadows of darkness swirling as he moves, like the night itself. The world around him slows, a monochromatic moment of pulling back the bow string, the sight of footsteps being somewhere in another part of the hall coming to the corner of his vision, as he aims for the pulley connected to the canopy.

You can either stand and watch, Corvo, or do something about it- otherwise the part of this hall is going to be plunged into darkness.

Lights out in three.

Two.

One.]

[ This was getting interesting, focus absorbed far more on this unspoken game of subtlety, of pulling at skills and sharpness than actually keeping the bone charm anymore.

He wasn't the only one with magic, in whatever form it came, and it's a brief conclusion drawn from the faint iridescent flare of a single eye. He was no particular expert for noticing the Outsider's influences, save for the scratching of the runes or of the purple of his shrines or the madness both of those left behind. ] Is it?

[ This was different, and it takes a considerable degree of control not to draw his blade when the bow is bared, though a single thumb does edge to pass against the folded hilt. Call it instinct of a dishonored bodyguard, or a man who's spent six long months under torture.

But it wasn't a hostile encounter, even as Corvo tenses, watches the arrow draw back in a blur that seems too quick and it leaves his mind nearly ringing to think of his own next move, even as shadows seem to wisp and cling and move around the other.

He's used plenty of the powers the Mark provides already, even with his sight lingering, and stopping time does take a bit of an effort but you know what? Screw it. (And screw the Outsider while he's at it, just because.)

The arrow shoots faster than he anticipates and there's a sharp exhale when its reflex that's causing him to give left, and the Mark flares again and the world slows to a crawl, colours drain to grey and the telltale hum of the Void buzzes against his ears. Even if Garrett might be immune to the Void's direct effects - who knows what magic he holds, how it reacts to such things - his arrow is not. Corvo reaches for it, extends his arm in a stiff stretch before plucking it out of the still air. He had little problem with the dark (call it cheating if you must!!), but it was whatever little damage the blunted arrow might cause to the manor around them. Might want to avoid making those unnaturally happy hosts angry just yet.

Evenly, albeit quickly, he veers to Garrett again in a soft rustle of his long coat, as time shifts and settles and cracks around him (them), eager to return to its habitual beat. ] You really want this old thing that badly?

[ And you know what? He quickly slips it off of his belt, that bone that seemed to have perpetually seeped in the wetness of the sea and extends it in front of him. An offer. It feels odd to him, this gesture of diplomacy. Hardly something he partook it, especially in most recent months. ] Take it.

[ A beat. ] If it gives you nightmares, just find me again.

[She's among the friendliest of her people, though she would argue all of them are. Well, most of them. There are those who, in the past, could be said to have represented the worst of them.]

It is alright. I imagine I must stand out a great deal. Even among my own people.

[She reaches and touches her hair, so rare a color in these days. She only knows her father to share it anymore.]

I did only say pretend. After all, they were difficult to ignore.

[She smiled at the question, almost laughed.]

I saw a great deal more of your mother than your father, and so she was much easier to talk to.

[It is something that needs consideration, and that makes things more difficult to ignore. And something that she wants less to ignore in any case.]

Until the ending of the world.

[Well, not her, but she doesn't really know that yet.]

No, but it'll make travel easier if we need to go somewhere else to get more information. It also stands to reason that the rest of our powers still work, too.

[At least that's a comfort. They won't be going in with a sword and a smile, though that also means that everyone else's powers are still intact.]

I doubt anything will be so easy as just blasting our way through, though. Past experience kinda has me wary of anything from any kind of myth or folklore, not just the Roman and Greek stuff. Especially if they've got the power to drag people into another world entirely.

( lydia's smile becomes instantly more perky and the half-barked chuckle, followed by a sweep of her eyes at the rest of the partygoers - some even weirder than the situation itself, if that's even believable - is nothing short of exasperated. )

Even getting kidnapped by faeries. I think as far as situations go, this is actually pretty tame. I mean, what we're used to involves a lot more... I dunno. Corpses?

Edited 2014-03-23 04:23 (UTC)

[It's all done in a moment, in seconds, maybe even less, but for Garrett, it feels far longer. He may not know what the power Corvo holds, or how it works, but he can feel when it is used against him, even if it's only a weight against his body as a whole and the meticulous sound of a mosquito ringing in his ears. He can't actually see Corvo, it's as if his limbs have been weighed into the floor, the echoes of something there but not knowing what they are.

The next thing he knows, the arrow is gone, shattered as if it had come into contact yet never reached its target. And Corvo? Corvo is in front of him again, close, as if he was never far away, was simply just there, and always had been.

Hah. Well played. Apparently this man can even manipulate time.

If this were at home, Garrett would have stopped before now, turned back empty handed and willingly. He had so much to lose there, had a reputation and his own hide to consider far more than he does here. But back home, things were more certain, and he knew the City better than anyone else. He knew when he hit his limits. Here, in this land that he has no idea what to make of, it's different. That's not to say he's come here with his morals or his discipline as a thief in any less than he would back at home, but he's allowed his curiosity to guide him here more than any time he's done recently.

But then Corvo actually takes off the charm, and offers it. A move that Garrett is not sure how to take at first. A thief isn't offered gifts, he takes them when the target is unaware and leaves, a symbol of his ability and skill to take something that is not his and leave without a trace. But to be given what he was trying to get, to be willingly handed the prize so easily...

For the first time since their encounter began, Garrett actually steps forward, out of the dark, allowing his target to see him, eye and all. A second passes and he pulls down the cowl from his face, brow furrowing slightly as a gloved hand reaches towards the whale bone charm, as if he is uncertain this is a legitimate offer or not. And as he reaches for it, his eye emits another glow, wisps of smoke rising as if he were on fire, but no harm ever comes to him.

And that is when the Primal screams.

It's a second of time that it comes to him, only a single point where he hears it, but it feels like an eterinity as Erin's voice still resonates in his head and her screams echo back as if the job had happened yesterday.

GARRETT, I'M SLIPPING!!

He winces, unknowingly, as flashes of Erin's face flit through his mind, of faces he doesn't recognize, people he doesn't know, the revolution back home and the vaguest glimpses of white walls, of dirty floors and the distant sound of crying.

It's only a second, but a second is enough. His hand withdraws, mind still a jittery mess, but outwardly already trying to cover his hesitation. Garrett doesn't know if that could have been felt, or seen in such close proximity, but it wasn't a welcomed interruption and it proves that even here, he is still connected to home.

There is a hint of a smirk, and the thief huffs, amused, hand brushing away the offer.]

I'll pass.

[Not because of you, Corvo, but because whatever that charm is, the Primal doesn't like it and Garrett is not about to willingly take it and cause more problems for himself.

Besides, what thief willingly takes something that's offered? If Corvo didn't know any better, that was like a slap to his pride. Something Garrett will easily do without.]

[The spider hangs at around the same level as the middle pair of Javik's eyes. She doesn't sway much in air currents, as if she weighs rather more than an animal this size should.]

Beauty lies in the perfection of function. Webs gather all that I could need. Do not touch!

[A long-legged cranefly has gotten caught in the strands. The little spider vanishes in an orb of white light and reappears near it. She starts chewing through its abdomen with appreciative noises.]

Ahhh, so tender in the center.

[It smells mouth-wateringly good, much more appealing than fish, and Fili glances at the fork thrust into his face. But instead of accepting the offered mouthful, he takes Kili by the arm, and his gaze leaves the fork, travelling down to Kili's thigh, where his healing wound should be.

Kili's return to full strength is incredible. He'd been pale as he lay resting on the table in Bard's home, the echo of his fever in his voice when there were words from him again and no more screams. Now there is colour back in his cheeks, his voice is steady, and his appetite is plain proof that he must be feeling vastly better.

The wonders of elvish medicine, just as Oin said. Fili blinks and swallows as his relief burns hot in his eyes and his nose and his throat. Quickly, he leans in to get Kili's fork into his mouth, straightening up afterwards with a smile to give his brother.]

-- It's pork.

[ Was that cheating as well? Whenever time stopped - whenever he stopped it - it certainly felt like it; like crawling on the edge of reality, or tearing at its very foundation because he could.

But this power was an end to a means. He wouldn't be denying its benefit, as much as he would've liked to, as much as that ambiguous whale god got under his skin, as unsettling as the cold, wet chill of the sea before it swallows you whole.

Corvo watches the other emerge from that habitual cover of darkness and his own look goes to that eye again as he holds the offered trinket steady. Until that eye flares and there's that second's wince that's making Corvo's fingers gently curl around the charm again as it sings its dull whalesong.

Whatever magic this man had, it wasn't the Outsider's; in fact, they seemed to nearly be clashing.

But he knows better than to ask. ] Ah. I see.

[ His tone level, pushes at the slightest brink of unsteady diplomacy (too out of practice, it seems) and as light as it could be for a man like him; infinitely troubled and prone to seriousness.

For propriety's sake, he pretends that the offer goes unaccepted solely because he had cheapened it to an easy gift instead of a prize for a thief, just as the other waves it away. Had he hit a nerve? Surprisingly, it wasn't his intention.

Though it could be said Corvo wasn't at all too good at reading people past the very blatant; strategy, catching a situation about to go awry, simply knowing that something was wrong, sure. That was habitual, an intrinsic reflex from being (and failing as) Lord Protector. But this was also the same man who didn't even catch the betrayal of his so-called allies until he drank their damned poison. Until Samuel had put him on that boat, and until it all came crashing down again. Was he too blinded by how successful each mission had gone? By Emily's safe return? His was an odd balance of perceptive and ignorant.

Though in hindsight, perhaps his pride too would have been hit, were their positions reversed. Nonetheless, there's a small nod, a squint of weary eyes. As curt as his words may sound, he means it well enough. ] Apologies.

[ For ending the game? Or for the supernatural reactions? ]

[There were spiders where he came from, so he certainly had no intention of touching the web. Even if it was smaller than what he'd known, it was still glowing. That was reason enough to keep his hands at his sides.

Javik blinked twice when she disappeared, though he found her again quickly as she hadn't gone far. Watching the tiny spider eat reminded him of how little he'd eaten since coming here. He didn't trust the food.]

You are native to this world, are you not? You seem to find your prey appetizing.

Getting wise in your old age, Grace. Do you have a plan in mind?

[Two young men can be found sitting in the Station, identical in appearance if not their expressions. The first is slouched back, sipping at his coffee doing his best to ignore his lookalike. The second is slumped forward, eyeing the first with a disgusted expression. When his pointed look fails to have any effect he shakes his head, speaking in a tone showing just as much disapproval as his face.]

I can't believe you're drinking that.

[Rudy One rolls his eyes, tutting irritably as he's forced to pay attention.] Will you please shut up. There's nothing wrong with it.

What do you mean there's nothing wrong with it? There is saliva in that coffee. And you're drinking it.

There is no saliva! We've been through this. This is a perfectly good cup of coffee. The only thing spoiling it is your whining.

And saliva. From a fairy. For all you know fairies could have even more germs in their mouths than humans, and believe me when I tell you humans have a lot.

[Someone please come and stop their arguing. It's only going to go around in circles.]

House was tempted to give himself a pat on the back. This was without a doubt the most creative and detailed delusion he'd ever had, and while he couldn't exactly take credit for being delusional (aside from the fact he'd probably done something to himself to cause it), it proved his mind was exceptional even when he was out of it.

He decided not to fight it. Why would he? His real life wasn't exactly something to write home about...if he could write home, which he couldn't because everyone back home thought he was dead. Anyway, this was more interesting. Castles and feasts and supernatural beings--he didn't know where he'd come up with this stuff but it was fascinating. More than that, it was a party and who didn't love a party?

He refilled his glass and went snooping.

[ Shadows don't scare Jack like they used to. It's not the smartest approach to take, but he thinks he'll be alright with the one casually relaxing on the couch like it just got back from a hard day's work. When the cake drops on the creature's lap, Jack's lips twitch. He busies himself nibbling the swirl of icing successfully nabbed on the top. ]

Hey, I wasn't aiming to freeze it all, buddy, only the top.

[ Shoddy work, wow. ]

I'm guessing the rampant magic had something to do with it, unless you're used to fairies. Are you, Elizabeth?

TEST DRIVE MEME

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sobs garrett is a new muse but oh my god have i wanted to tag a corvo with him ^

u v u i am so glad to oblige! this is a delight ahh corvo is fairly rusty for me tho adsh;;

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AWWWW BUT I APPRECIATED THAT PETER PAN JOKE

so like my plurk is ~aleatoric you should add me ok ok ok pls

literally yelling all over good thread best cr this is perfect

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s a m e

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I COULDN'T RESIST and man I couldn't remember if that was in the book or not lol

[2] Rudy Wade(s) | Misfits | OTA

Gregory House | House MD | 01

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TEST DRIVE MEME

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sobs garrett is a new muse but oh my god have i wanted to tag a corvo with him *^*

u v u i am so glad to oblige! this is a delight ahh corvo is fairly rusty for me tho adsh;;

no subject

no subject

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AWWWW BUT I APPRECIATED THAT PETER PAN JOKE

so like my plurk is ~aleatoric you should add me ok ok ok pls

literally yelling all over good thread best cr this is perfect

no subject

no subject

s a m e

no subject

I COULDN'T RESIST and man I couldn't remember if that was in the book or not lol

[2] Rudy Wade(s) | Misfits | OTA

Gregory House | House MD | 01

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sobs garrett is a new muse but oh my god have i wanted to tag a corvo with him ^