abraxaslogs | [OPEN] Solvunn Meet & Greet

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[OPEN] Solvunn Meet & Greet

WHO: Anyone in Solvunn!
WHAT: Mingle Meet & Greet for new and old Solvunn Summoned!
WHEN: Early February
WHERE: Primary Settlement: The Gardsbruk Farm

[ ooc; This is an open log so feel free to jump in and make your own top-levels! You do not need to have CR with Himeka, Wanda, or Nero to stop by the farm, but you are free handwave a word of mouth. ]

i. Gardsbruk Farm

On the roads between the Primary and Secondary Settlements sits Gardsbruk Farm. A once thriving homestead servicing the community and housing several generations of the Gardsbruk family had fallen into disarray. Left to the care of Maeve and Declan Gardsbruk, the twins had initially hesitantly allowed the help of local summoned in their efforts to restore the farm, but now they are active and grateful supporters of the Summoned in the community. In recent months the farm has been seeing a burst of activity and vitality in the surrounding farmland, finally looking more and more like it once had in generations past.

Green pastures in the height of summer are sprinkled with some brown grass during droughts, but these rarely last more than a day or two. A few crops may be planted for family use, but the main stock of this farm is sheep.

And there are sheep! You may be greeted by up to two dozen sheep when you enter the grounds, though not all of the livestock may welcome your presence. There are a few rowdy goats that are wandering about too, and a large brown goat named Eli seems to be particularly discerning of residents. Be careful you don't upset him. He will be seen all throughout the events of the next few days, inviting himself unannounced to follow along any guests. He may be bribed with carrots.

There are a surprising amount of monitor lizards wandering about the farm as well. "Don't worry about it" seems to be the prevailing mood.

ii. Day One - Farmville

You're not here just to enjoy the scenic landscape. Maeve and Declan are eager to greet the new Summoned in town and equally eager to put them to work. They understand that many may not be ready to take on farm life so what is better than first-hand experience? Maeve will show how to shear sheep and Declan shows how to butcher livestock, both important skills no matter where you end up. It's a good opportunity to network as well, given the success that the Gardsbruks have gained in welcoming Summoned into their homes and their growing revered status amongst the community, a Summoned with a resume will do well.

But their own Summoned residents are just as happy to show what they have learned as well. Wanda shows how sheep wool is woven into thread and yarn and how sheep milk is turned into cheese. Samples of both are given to any Summoned or locals who decided to participate, and given that Solvunn is primarily a battering society, getting what supplies you can is useful even if you're not cold or happen to be lactose intolerant.

Nero is overseeing a petting zoo which includes several of the most mild-mannered sheep on the farm, a shrieking weed named "Meatloaf", and a particular monitor lizard who won't leave him alone. Eli also makes appearances when he sees fit.

Food is provided...if you work for it! By ~~Nero's surprising~~ popular request, Himeka will lead the group in making pizza. Pizza is not a Solvunn specialty. In fact, it's never been heard of in these towns before. But what is pizza but carbohydrates, cheeses, sauces, and toppings? Using the supplies from the local baker, the meat from the local butcher, vegetables from a neighbor, and cheese from Gardsbruk's own sheep, together they will make "a better pizza than that guy".

iii. Nighttime Activities

Later in the day there is a friendly sparring contest held in a cleared out field. The locals like to put money on these kinds of things, so it's not only an opportunity to test your strength but also earn a bit of coin or notoriety. It seems like arm-wrestling is a regular contest at the local tavern and you may be invited to join in later if you participate.

For dinner, the community comes together to enjoy the warming weather with a potluck-style barbeque. You are welcome to bring your own ingredients if you can, but there's no need--anyone can help out in anyway. It's also the perfect time to sample the local meads as a few barrels are taken out of storage to share. During the dinner, there is a lively performance from a local band to welcome the new Summoned into the fold.

As the day turns into evening, a large bonfire is lit. Everyone still on the farm will be welcome to gather around, share hot ciders and ale, as well as roast some tasty treats on sticks. Food is always better on a stick. A time to wind down, share stories, and thank everyone for joining and being a part of what Solvunn has to offer.

You don't need to go back to your own abode if you're planning on staying for the following day. The barn (normally Nero's room) will be made ready to accommodate guests for the evening. The sheep and Eli have a separate barn, don't worry, though the cow Agatha sleeps there as well. She's very kindly if a little smelly, but you get used to it.

(If you happen to be the kind of person who can't go out in sunlight, any activities, discussions, and interactions are happily held at night as well!)

iv. Day Two - Summoning the Summoned

The second day is less dedicated to integrating to Solvunn, instead focusing on what it means to be a Summoned. The day will start in the barn with a quick breakfast before the welcoming committee will invite everyone out to pasture along with the herd of sheep. Away from prying eyes and ears, they can discuss in earnest.

Himeka will step forward as the sheep are ushered to graze, turning to address her comrades, new and old.

"Thank you for joining us today," she begins. "You've surely got questions and we...well, we may have answers, but truth be told there are many questions we're still asking ourselves. But what we do know is that we're important--not just to Solvunn, but to the star as a whole. What we have, what we can do, we don't even know the extent of it. It makes us valuable and it makes us dangerous, and it also makes us a target. But if we look out for one another and work together, we may yet come to understand it."

There will be discussions of the Summoned's known history and "purpose" in Solvunn and Abraxas, touching on the impact of the Old Gods, the suspicious rumors now surrounding Josselyn Creed, Solvunn's relationship with Nocwich and the other factions, and more. It's the perfect time to get to the nitty gritty of the mess you have been summoned into. Ask questions, get answers, and open new avenues for discourse.

As Summoned you may find that you have new and strange abilities or that your usual powers are returning. It is the perfect time for a demonstration of magicks! Wanda and Himeka start off the show with demonstrations of their own but are curious to see what others bring into the table.

Towards the early afternoon the sheep will be brought back in and, hopefully with new knowledge, the Summoned of Solvunn can face the days ahead. And if there are those who still need a place to stay, well...all you need to do is ask!

xx. Gift Baskets!

Anyone who participates in this log receives a gift basket from the official "welcoming committee!" Throughout the first day you will receive a small woven basket from either Himeka, Wanda, or Nero which contains:

Pleasantly smelling soaps, shampoos, and candles from Wanda, guaranteed to keep you smelling better than the farm itself.
A little sack of spices and herbs with a hand-written recipe for goat stew and small bottle of fruity liquid from Himeka--mead that she has been "trying to make herself". It comes with a note, "In case of emergency". If your character doesn't drink, they can receive a tasty pastry instead.
A small sheep knit from sheep wool from Maeve Gardsbruk.
A small collection of cool rocks. They aren't magical or rare. It may be misleading as they come in a nice velvet bag. They are just cool. Nero thought they were cool.
And most importantly, an expertly drawn brochure explaining all you need to know about Solvunn in minimal detail, by the local acclaimed artist Nero.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

DAY ONE, ANIMALS ; [ morgana, no doubt, carries an air that has little regard for other human beings. since her arrival, she's been cautious, sharing little information of herself too casually before she can peel back a better understanding of the people she's been forced to ally herself with. but there is a moment where the hardened look of her eyes softens to one bearing a more caring nature, when she finds herself in the company of some of the animals in these lands.

while she may have formed a mistrust of most humans, the same can't be said of her opinion towards creatures, after all. though that may simply be the part of her that dreadfully misses a particularly dear dragon friend.

she lowers herself onto her knees, pinching her dress to kneel carefully, raising a carrot to welcome in one of the sheep towards her. except as one draws in closer, so does another, trying to catch a nibble of the vegetable in her hands. she nearly laughs, something honest for once rather than cunning, her fingers tracing against the wool.

if she isn't spotted with the sheep, though, morgana might be seen peering curiously at the small shrieking weed, intrigue in her eyes as she kneels low to study it from a short distance. ]

You're a peculiar little thing, aren't you? [ like the kind of rare magical creatures she's come to encounter in her own world. there's something almost sorrowful as she speaks softly to it. ] I do hope they treat you well.

NIGHTFALL, SPARRING ; [ for someone raised in gowns, practicing the proper etiquette of a lady of the royal court, morgana knows fairly well how to handle herself in a fight — even without use of her magic. after all, how many times had she bested arthur himself, unmatched champion of most tournaments held in camelot?

of course, the locals don't seem too impressed, not convinced of a woman of her build to actually win a contest, but it doesn't differ much from what she's used to. she hardly bats an eye as she spins the stick in her hand as she would a sword, as she peers around. ]

Is there no one willing to take up the challenge?

NIGHTFALL, BONFIRE ; [ as the music plays out and there's a jolly atmosphere surrounding the burning fire, morgana can't swallow down the melancholy that blossoms in her chest. her fingers wrap more tightly around the cup of mead in her hold as she sits upon a log that earns a brilliant view of the blazing fire, the reflection of it against her eyes making it appear as if they burn within.

she simply hadn't imagined coming face to face with a sight like this, to be within it, simple folk with little to their name save for the lands around them that they live on. her natural instinct is to scoff and think the naive idiocy of peasants, but she can regretfully recall a time she longed for this, when she'd watched the druids attempt it, when she wanted this life for herself. ]

Quite a sight, isn't it? [ she says quietly, with a nod of her chin. she speaks of the locals mostly, their enthusiasm for their work, their drive in maintaining their livelihood. there's a desire to look at it with spite, but within, she's aware there's something else — envy, perhaps. subtle as it may be. ] With the desperate call for our assistance in this world, you'd think it'd all be burning. Even if it were, where is our obligation to save it?

[ though her tone doesn't bear any scoffing sharpness, but rather, a pondering one, her eyes unfocused and lost in thought. ]

DAY TWO, POWERS ; [ there's an unquestionable thrill as she watches the performance of demonstrated magic, from the flash of red of wanda's spell to the swirling wisps of blue and gold from himeka's staff. perhaps it's the lack of secrecy in it, the openness of such inner abilities, but any disinterest for this mission that's been forced upon them seems to shrivel away for the moment as she observes the capabilities within the group.

there's a sense of doubt when it is her turn, not out of any lack of confidence about what she's capable of, but rather the style of it. how long since morgana had cast something that wasn't malicious in some form? she considers herself before she makes a few attempts.

the first has her bringing out the brochure that was given to her the day prior. she flips the page until she settles on one of the drawings, snickering briefly before she lets the entire paper levitate from her hand. she hovers a pair of fingers over the drawing of her choice, the elk, muttering an enchantment. after a moment, a manifestation of the elk springs out from the page, looking less like ... a real version, and more an enlarged animation of the blue sparkling drawing, the animal prancing circles around the group.

when she mutters another spell to bring the elk back into the page, she then asks for a volunteer. smiling almost mischievously when they stand before her, she speaks another spell, words of another language, her eyes glowing gold. soon, the volunteer's body matches the glow briefly before their body shifts in its shape, followed with their transformation into a small rabbit. ]

Cute, aren't they? [ she snickers, picking up the rabbit into her hands and caressing its fur gently. all mere tavern tricks, of course, with nothing that demonstrates the real danger of those spells nor ones she doesn't choose to show off in this moment. ]

DAY TWO, WOODS ; [ don't go into the woods, it'd said on the pamphlet. several times, in fact, which only seemed to work at heightening her own curiosity of it further. she can sense it, the magic beyond it, the possibility of all that lives in there, hinting by the scribbled drawings on the page.

she has no weapon on her person, nothing but a small bag of fruits and herbs, as well as a few quickly concocted potions from what little she's pulled together. but she stares at the trees like she's more than ready — and she is, since every spell in her memory is prepared on her tongue to defend herself if necessary.

there's no fear in her eyes, but instead a sense of anxious wonder. she doesn't even turn away from it when she hears a set of steps behind her. ]

Are you coming to try to warn me or to join me?

WILD CARD ; ( hit me up for different options from the above! open to varied scenarios and spicing things up. for the transformation option, feel free to either be the volunteer that gets transformed back (she wouldn't leave them as a rabbit — this time around) or just a witness. )

[Michael wanders over to the edge of the woods with plans to act on neither of her proposed options. He's merely an observer of human behaviour. New arrivals don't generally hop to do the very thing they've been cautioned against, so she stands out as a bold curiosity among the newcomers.

He looks even less ready for a trip through the forest than she does: empty hands at his sides, light day wear, and not even a bag of provisions at his belt.]

You read the booklet they gave out, didn't you? You've already been warned. [He says it with a level, unconcerned voice. It's not his job to stop her. If she feels she's ready for it, perhaps she is.] Besides, life in the commune is not for everyone. You wouldn't be the first to make your home in the woods.

Is that your aim, or are you hoping to find something?

[This close to the farm they're unlikely to be surprised by anything dangerous barreling out from between the trees, but there's a potential in the quiet and shade beyond the tree line, as if the very forest is holding its breath.]

[ she'd hope for him to choose neither, since she'd rather not have anyone trying to command where it is that she is or isn't permitted to go nor is she really is the mood for company, since she carries little trust for anyone she's been thrown alongside with the assumption that she's meant to ally with these strangers. it's a relief when he doesn't persistently jump on either choice. ]

Yes, the scribbled drawings by children really accented the danger that's ahead of me. [ she bears a heavy weight of sarcasm in her words, though she does believe the warnings. it's only that she doesn't think of it as enough to stop her.

with his question, she scoffs a short laugh. ]

No. I've no interest to sleep upon leaves and dirt. [ not that her sleeping conditions here are any better, she doesn't say. instead, her eyes peer ahead again to the trees, pensive once more. ] But if there is magic in these woods, I intend to see it for myself. You can say ... that it something of a duty of mine.

[Though rarely one for open displays of anything, least of all humour, Michael makes a sound that's distinctly amused. He appreciates the sarcasm.]

The scribbled drawings of a grown man, rather.

[Not that he has any disdain for Nero's artistic capabilities. The brochure communicates what's most important to know, and that's what counts. Anyway, who knows? Perhaps some of the creatures lurking within the darkest depths of Solvunn's forests are misshapen and brightly-coloured.]

I wasn't suggesting you sleep upon the ground, though you did turn a man into a rabbit. Surely you could make a bed out of a log. [It might smell better than the current barn-based arrangements for newcomers, too.] In what sense is it your responsibility to witness whatever magic there is here?

[She's just arrived. What ties could she possibly have to this world? Michael glances between her and the trees, curious now. The suggestion of duty intrigues him. He's come to expect the natives of Solvunn to claim responsibility for the land and its shrines, but new arrivals not so much.]

You're joking.

[ drawn by a grown man? what kind of hands are leading this little camp? though the details, she supposes, aren't truly all that important. what she concerns herself with most are the contents, which is exactly that which she hopes to investigate now. ]

Animal spells are far more common for study than mattress transformations, I'm afraid.

[ so, unfortunately, no, she can't just make a bed for herself in the woods even if she'd wanted to. though it certainly is something to consider for future study, especially if she's meant to stay in this place for longer than she wants to.

explaining her situation further to him isn't necessary and she has little obligation to say anything more about herself to anyone. but, in the same breath, she has no real interests in keeping much of herself a secret. she is not in hiding here, after all. ]

I am a High Priestess of the Old Religion. Though my loyalities are not for this world's gods, I do not take my role lightly. And it is the duty of a High Priestess to comprehend the laws of the magic around her — and control it, if necessary.

[ Claire's sitting space is being shared, and she's been fine with the quiet between them. She's been good at pushing off the homesickness while there's something to do, but now that she's still, her heart feels like it's trying to squeeze out from between her ribs. It isn't just that she misses Jamie. It's that this time, she's sure the hurricane swallowed him up, breaking apart the ship and dragging him, Fergus, and Marsali into the depths of the ocean. Claire as well, but instead of being dead, she's wound up here.

When her company finally says something, it shakes Claire out of her thoughts and she glances over. ]

I've been in two wars and survived another that had nothing to do with me. At some point, it isn't just them you're trying to help and protect. It's yourself, and the people you've unwittingly started to care for.

[ Her gaze moves back to the fire. ]

If we're here long enough for the latter, in any case.

[ I've started wars. the words are almost there on her tongue, not to carry with any sense of pride, but because it's already become so entwined with her being that she no longer knows what it is to live without being so encased in it. what the woman says might have resonated with her years ago, but she feels cold to them now, even as the heat of the fire through the air warms her skin. ]

A sense of survival and loyalty, then. [ she responds, as if breaking down what she's been told. both would typically be required in the face of war. pointless sacrifice would do no one any favors, after all. but she's seen far too much of the latter to have any care for it.

she sighs, shaking her head after a brief lingering thought. ]

With any luck, I won't be. It's difficult to care when you've been brought here with no choice of it. I've little loyalty to provide within a prison, no matter how large.

Not only those things, necessarily.

[ She hadn't wanted to care about anyone in Scotland, and certainly not Jamie. Even while she was marrying him, Claire had no plans to love him, only to leave as soon as she could manage an escape. It's something to think about, and it's why she feels as if she understands what to expect. It may take time, but there will be people she grows to care about, here. Not just in Solvunn, but other places on the star. ]

I suspect we won't be able to leave on our own anytime soon, and I can't imagine there are many of us who actually want to be here. If we're here longer than each of us hopes, it may be better to keep someone close who shares the same experience. My trust has yet to extend to the permanent residents, and I'm getting to know the rest of us Summoned. Slowly but surely.

[ It isn't an offer, only a suggestion, though she wouldn't mind slowly getting to know this person, bristly as they are. ]

Isolation has its benefits too, I suppose.

Often, isolation can be the safer choice.

[ if things were easy, of course she would be quick to try to find the people here she could place her trust into, to find those she can rely on who would make her stay in this world more easier in the face of any trials which may dare to come. but trust can be such an easy betrayal and she isn't certain she has the heart for it, not anymore.

even now, she can feel the ache in her back where mordred had pierced the skin with his dagger. they both know it wouldn't have killed her, but it'd been enough for him to voice that his loyalty was devoted, not to her, but to her enemy — to her brother. with even his betrayal, why should she dare believe that anyone in this place wouldn't simply do the same eventually?

unfortunately, things may not go the way she would prefer them. she sighs, bringing her cup to her lips for a drink, swallowing a long sip. ]

Though, I suspect, we may have little choice in even that, with all they intend to keep us together. I just don't know that it's enough to simply sit around and chat as though we're all meant to inevitably be friends. Shared experiences can only go so far in forming alliances. Any one of us will jump at the chance to save our own skin when the opportunity arises. Why pretend otherwise?

[ Briefly, unable to help it, Claire thinks of the nine years Jamie spent living in a cave, alone, hiding from the British until he couldn't. Isolation was safer, until it threatened his family.

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she listens, then lets quiet settle around the words as she thinks of what to say in response. ]

There are those among us who feel the way you do, I'm certain of it.

[ She almost says that she's stayed on battlefields tending to the wounded and dying so long she nearly died for it. That she's risked her life for more people who've never known her name than she can count. There's no need to, though, and instead, she can't help but wonder. ]

Anyone who's been betrayed in the past or has ulterior motives during the chaos would certainly feel the same way.

[ Claire doesn't outright ask because she doesn't think she'd get an answer. But she's getting the distinct impression that this young woman has been greatly wronged in the past. ]

[ there was a time where morgana understood selflessness, where she'd have given up her own life to save those less capable than her. she, a lady of the court, would have died to save the life of her own maidservant, for any of the commonfolk which uther had deemed unworthy over the lives of royalty. she'd given up food and clothes to make sure they knew they weren't forgotten, that she would fight for them.

eventually, she realized none of it mattered, that her life didn't matter to so many others. the only one who would protect her was herself.

she can hear the suspicion in the statement, with a level of accuracy that she could easily be impressed by. her eyes stare into her cup as though she can remain unfazed by it, but the silence that follows probably gives her away. ]

Perhaps it is I with the ulterior motives. [ she turns to the woman, curving her lips into a sly smile. easier to perform wickedness than to give away the hurt that lives inside of herself. ] After all, I wouldn't hesitate to let you all rot on the field when it comes down to it.

Duly noted.

[ If the statement was meant to shock, Claire, unfortunately, doesn't give Morgana the satisfaction. She's been threatened by too many, by too much, to be afraid. She's too old to question who she is and where her morals lie. ]

If that's the way you choose to live here, I'm not going to try and talk you out of it. But when no one else is willing to help you, do feel free to come to me. I won't turn you away if you need anything.

[ Claire takes a sip of her warm drink, finding it more palatable now that she's had more than a few sips. ]

[ she speaks her own words with pride and conviction, like a shield that has kept her safe in the last several years since it's all she's been able to rely on. best not to rely on others, after all. waiting for a savior has only ever been met with disappointment, anyway.

there's a part of her that is surprised to hear the offer that still stands even after her own spoken stance. and yet, it almost sounds familiar. like something she'd have heard out of gwen's lips, someone who'd become so naive, she could have been so easily trampled with how open she'd been with her kindness.

the memory leaves her with both disdain and a melancholic ache. ]

Do you always hand out such ridiculous offers after someone tells you they couldn't care less if you died before their eyes?

I normally don't say anything.

[ She says this coolly, glancing at the other woman. Since Geillis, Claire is more on guard about the people she meets and hands her friendship out to. ]

Don't mistake my personal values for caring. I'm a healer, and I take that seriously. I swore an oath, and I don't care who the other person is, I was trained to fix others, and that's what I intend to do.

[ Claire's gaze turns back to her. ]

Ridiculous or not. As for those I do care for, well, I'm not all medicine.

Edited 2023-03-01 23:23 (UTC)

[ She's seen levitation, she's seen some level of manifestation of thought...

But goodness, there's something about seeing one of Nero's drawings come to life that is the most delightful thing she's seen in ages. Himeka readily claps at the show, considering asking if Morgana can do Eli next. (Only hoping that is own devious personality wouldn't be translated so readily, lest he turn on the group for a siege of headbutting.)

Before she can, she sees one of their comrades become much more...fluffy.

Goodness--Morgana reminds her quite a bit of Y'shtola already. That thought makes her smile. ]

There are certainly worse things to turn into.

[ She tilts her head to the side, regarding the rabbit. ]

Is it...a glamour? Or did you actually turn them?

[ it's strange to feel a sense of excitement and entertainment from those that watch her perform her spells. never have they ever been done for such a purpose, since her years of practice came with the intent of pushing upon equal harm to those who had done it unto her.

Maybe one day people will come to see magic as a force for good, she remembers from her own younger naive mouth. though she, all too soon, brushes the thought away.

still, it won't stop her from having plenty of pride over her own power as she addresses the questions. ]

A glamour. If you look at their reflection upon a mirror or a pool of water, you should be able to see what's originally there. Though your hands won't be able to tell the difference.

[ she scratches at the rabbit's ear, fur soft to prove her point. ]

But a real transformation would be a bit more ... taxing on the affected body, I'm afraid.

[ Pride in one's own magical abilities is something that Himeka understands well--her own ability to make waves in her own world had been because of her affinity for aetherial manipulation. The loss of those powers, even for a brief few months in Abraxas had been like losing a limb.

Now more than ever they are something to celebrate. And what the Summoned can bring to the table is unique from the magicks taught across the realm. She'd truly be The Fool not to see what others can do.

What Morgana shares is familiar in some ways, yet entirely new in others. Her eyes widen at the explanation and she looks positively delighted. ]

Even to the touch?

[ Alright rabbit, hopefully you won't mind a little test...a pet to that exceedingly soft fur. ]

That's amazing! I can't imagine many would be looking for reflections outright when coming across little creatures like these. Have you always been able to do this?

[ That's amazing — it's warming to hear such words, more than she had expected, really, considering she's come to not expect the words at all. the response to magic where she is from is not so often a positive one and for those that do value magic, their motives had been darkened with their fight for survival that such positivity proves to have its rarity.

she tries not to think too much of it, since she shouldn't be won over by such simple reactions. ]

Not exactly. Though I was born with a great affinity for magic, most of it can't be performed without an understanding of the spells. And it was many years before I could earn that chance.

[ after all, she hadn't even known she was capable of it until far too late.

her eyes peer up to study the other woman, carrying a curiosity herself as her brow raises. ]

You seem quite fascinated, but you shared quite the performance yourself. Was that something innate or something you had to learn for yourself?

[ Magic is something so woven into her own world as it is here in Abraxas, sometimes it's easy to forget that that the stars others hail from are not built the same. She wouldn't ever expect someone who practices it so fluidly as Morgana to come from anything but.

Himeka will stop petting the rabbit, soft as it is. ]

Oh? That makes sense. You just needed the right teacher, yes?

[ Which leads her into her own answer with a smile. ]

It's the same for me. What I was able to do was accidental or passive. Magic really needs to be directed, doesn't it?

{ the thirst came in small waves. it was manageable as the days passed, but eventually he felt the side effects as his strength begun to return. he didn't think it would be possible to feel the strung out motions he held onto when he first got turned. it's only thanks to his decades of learned control that has kept him from finding the nearest person and giving into his thirst. instead, they were told to gather for activities, and louis figured he'll find a way to deal with it. he's always been resourceful when it came down to it. it wasn't until the bonfire that it truly hit.

louis joined when the sky was beginning to darken, and he could safely walk around. he largely avoided people at first, unless he had to be hassled into small conversations. those he can deal with, but the longer he stood around, the more he could hear one heartbeat, then another. soon enough, the delicacies of a blood flow in his ear were not going to be able to be ignored with alcohol he can no longer actually taste. his sharp nails scratched the fabric of his pants when he realized he'd have to figure a way to feed.

it had to be small enough of a creature that it wouldn't raise suspicion among the folk who seemed to care about their farmland. the goats might be out of the question when he eyed them, knowing they held enough to sustain him for days. the pesky hunger, crawling to the surface drew him to lurk between the alleyways of the farm, where he was able to catch a rabbit having strayed away. he's thankful for his speed. if someone were to see a blur, it would be gone and descending into the approaching woods that they warned him about.

the brochure advised against hunting the elk. the rabbit will have to do. it didn't take long as he only entered the first tier of the trees, enough that he would be obscured and enough that he would be able to bury the creature afterwards. it'll be plentiful for the rest of the night. he must have been gone no more than half an hour and he doubts anyone would note his lack of presence. he's a stranger to them all. therefore, once he's done he walks out of the woods. the moonlight shines upon him and makes it seem as if he were carved from stone if he stood too still, highlighting his inhuman features when he wipes the remaining blood from his mouth. his fangs were still out, ready to retract. he's usually careful, but he didn't expect the gathering. he certainly was not about to allow the witness of his feeding. }

[ morgana is no stranger to the horrors that she often finds in her dreams. it isn't unusual for them to make her stir where she lays, lashes fluttering with eyes rolled back as the visions come to her in flashes, quick and unapologetic. tonight, she dreams of monsters, close up details of a snarl of crimson-stained teeth, gripping tight in the fur-coated flesh of a small animal. she hears the thrumming of a quick beating heart, soaring with the satisfaction of its feast. she watches the slide of a hungry tongue, lashing at the blood left on its lips. and then, his eyes. his eyes.

— monster or man? she moans in her sleep with the uncertainty, with the conflict of whether to steer towards fear or wonder. beneath the moon, he hunts, he hunts.

she wakes with a gasp, breathing hard, chest rising and falling in a quick rhythm as she tries to grasp tight to the sights that came to her in her sleep, often a prophecy of that which is to come. what had she seen? a peculiar creature, no doubt, possibly of magic, caught between human and beast. curling her lip inward, she can almost taste the blood he had feasted upon.

with no lead in which to follow the mystery of such a dream, she sets it aside in her mind for the moment, joining in the festivities which have been stretched across the farmlands. it is with vague interest that she drinks the mead and watches the rising flame of the bonfire until she notices the man at the corner of her eye — the same in which had appeared in her dream.

however, there is nothing else to suggest he is the beast she had dreamed of, devoid of the blood that had painted his mouth, but as she watches him with close interest, she senses a lingering discomfort before he disappears from the crowd, venturing off in the direction of the woods.

she's aware there could be a danger in following him, but she's plenty confident in her own skill to defend herself and she doubts that her dream had come to her simply to unveil a prophecy of her death at his hand (no, her own death has already been foretold, caused by the hand of another). she moves slower as well, waiting some time before she goes off in the direction of his path.

her movements are such that she is at the edge of the woods when he departs from within them, when the sight of him falls more in line with what she had witnessed in her dress, fangs sharp as weapons, remnants of blood upon his lips before he moves to wipe it.

anyone would be frightened. but morgana smiles. ]

Quite the appetite you have. [ she announces, her eyes locked upon him with no sense of care for caution. ]

{ whatever magic occurred to bring him to solvunn was great enough to take away the hunger that came with being a vampire. it seemed to be a relief at first, but then he'd experienced his withdrawals when it started to manifest again. it reset him. it was akin to his first drink in the beginning of his fledging days, when his senses were hyper focused on sedating from nourishment.

although his tongue craved the forbidden to the taste of human blood, he didn't have the choice in solvunn. he had his arrangements in dubai to feast without killing upon the willing, if one can call it such. louis wasn't about to find some unsuspecting person to munch upon in a commune where many were strangers and he had nowhere to go. he barely wanted to give any signal of his true nature if he can help it. at least until he can control how to approach its reveal.

his sharp senses were off when he fed. louis wasn't on alert when he finished consuming blood. he craved, he needed, and he provided. his careful ease was all he had left. apparently it wasn't enough, considering the comment. louis finds a woman not far off. they're at the edge of the woods, of which they were warned not to play nearby. she's bold, and it foretells enough for louis to consider the lack of fear. he cannot smell it. her heartbeat alone indicates a fortitude that speaks her own story he isn't aware of. some part of him wonders if she'll guard it as much as he has. he refuses to pry into her mind. after all, he's trying to keep a low profile.

louis is about presentations. he has yet to figure which one to give at solvunn for the sake of his own protection. he stands, at a respectable distance and after a considerable pause, he responds as he slowly lowers his arm down to his side. her smile nearly catches him off guard. }

I could have a bigger appetite. { although it can be read as a threat, it is not, and the infliction in his tone is meant to indicate it. it's truth he's chosen to live by, of which involve the diet of animals on purpose. he has no formulations over the brazen woman, but he can gauge in conversation as he steadies his gaze upon her. } Were you also set on educating yourself about the forbidden woods?

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[OPEN] Solvunn Meet & Greet

morgana pendragon | the tower

Day Two - Woods

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Bonfire

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day two; powers

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» wild card;

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