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abraxaslogs2021-06-12 12:13 pm
abraxasmods) wrote in abraxaslogs2021-06-12 12:13 pm
Entry tags:
- !event,
- !intro log,
- !npc,
- !player event,
- abby littman; the lovers,
- abigail hobbs; the hanged man,
- achilles; the hierophant,
- adora; strength,
- adrienne peters; the empress,
- aerith gainsborough; the sun,
- alan wake; the magician,
- alhaitham; the hermit,
- alice elliot; the empress,
- alicent hightower; the tower,
- alina starkov; the hanged man,
- aloy; the hermit,
- altaïr ibn-la'ahad; the magician,
- alucard; the hierophant,
- amos burton; the lovers,
- anakin skywalker; judgement,
- anthony lockwood; the devil,
- apollo; the star,
- arthur hastings; the hanged man,
- astarion ancunín; the wheel of fortune,
- bartimaeus of uruk; the wheel of fortune,
- bay kennish; the star,
- belle; strength,
- benedikta harman; the devil,
- billy kaplan; the hanged man,
- boothill; the hierophant,
- brad bakshi; the wheel of fortune,
- brother cadfael; justice,
- bucky barnes; the hanged man,
- byleth eisner; the devil,
- caitlyn kiramman; strength,
- cal kestis; the hanged man,
- captain jack harkness; the hanged man,
- carl grimes; the empress,
- carmy berzatto; the magician,
- cassandra de rolo; strength,
- cassian andor; the tower,
- castiel; the hanged man,
- catra; the tower,
- cersei lannister; the devil,
- ches fields; the lovers,
- chris halliwell; the tower,
- cidolfus telamon; the hanged man,
- cirilla of cintra; the devil,
- claire fraser; the empress,
- claire novak; the hanged man,
- clarisse la rue; the chariot,
- clarke griffin; strength,
- claude von riegan; the wheel of fortune,
- clive rosfield; the tower,
- cloud strife; the hanged man,
- cole cassidy; the hanged man,
- commander shepard; judgement,
- coraline finch; the tower,
- courtier 6; death,
- daemon targaryen; the tower,
- daenerys targaryen; judgement,
- daisy johnson; strength,
- dan heng; the high priestess,
- dante; the devil,
- dean winchester; the lovers,
- diana prince; the empress,
- dion lesage; the emperor,
- dustin henderson; the sun,
- eddie dean; the sun,
- eddie kaspbrak; the lovers,
- eddie munson; the devil,
- edelgard von hresvelg; the emperor,
- edward teach; the devil,
- eli clark; the empress,
- elias bouchard; the wheel of fortune,
- elidibus; the high priestess,
- eliot waugh; the star,
- elrond; temperance,
- emet-selch; the emperor,
- eponine thenardier; the hanged man,
- erik lehnsherr; the hermit,
- esme frost; the hanged man,
- estinien wyrmblood; the hermit,
- ezra bridger; strength,
- fandaniel; the hanged man,
- father maxwell; the wheel of fortune,
- felix fraldarius; the magician,
- finn; strength,
- frank castle; the hermit,
- g'raha tia; the lovers,
- gabriel; the wheel of fortune,
- galadriel; the hierophant,
- gale dekarios; the lovers,
- garrus vakarian; justice,
- geralt of rivia; the hanged man,
- gideon nav; strength,
- goro; the chariot,
- haelva lueltar; the magician,
- harley quinn; the wheel of fortune,
- harrowhark nonagesimus; the magician,
- heather montgomery; the magician,
- hector; the magician,
- hendrik; death,
- henry creel; the hierophant,
- hilda goneril; the lovers,
- himeka sui; the fool,
- homelander; judgement,
- hornet; strength,
- hythlodaeus; the empress,
- inara serra; temperance,
- inej ghafa; the hierophant,
- iris black; the hanged man,
- istredd; the high priestess,
- jack frost; the fool,
- jack kline; the sun,
- jack skellington; the fool,
- jack townsend; the moon,
- jacob frye; the sun,
- jaime lannister; judgement,
- james sunderland; the hermit,
- james t. kirk; the tower,
- jaskier; the sun,
- jasper; judgement,
- jayce talis; the magician,
- jerry pascal; the sun,
- jesper fahey; the wheel of fortune,
- jessica jones; strength,
- jill warrick; death,
- jinora; the world,
- jo harvelle; strength,
- john blake; the tower,
- jolie ann harmony; justice,
- jon sims; the high priestess,
- jon snow; the emperor,
- jonathan crane; the magician,
- jonathan emmet reid; the empress,
- jordan hennessy; the moon,
- joseph kavinsky; the devil,
- joshua rosfield; death,
- julia wicker; the tower,
- julie lawry; the wheel of fortune,
- jyn erso; the tower,
- kai parker; the fool,
- kaveh; the star,
- kay faraday; the fool,
- kaz brekker; the chariot,
- kell maresh; the magician,
- kelson haldane; the tower,
- kenzo tenma; the empress,
- kiryu kazuma; the tower,
- klaus hargreeves; the fool,
- koby; death,
- kol mikaelson; the hanged man,
- kyle; the hanged man,
- kylo ren; the tower,
- lan wangji; the hierophant,
- laura hawley; death,
- lenore; the lovers,
- leon belmont; the wheel of fortune,
- leonard mccoy; the lovers,
- lestat de lioncourt; judgement,
- lila bard; the fool,
- linhardt von hevring; the high priestess,
- link; strength,
- lloyd henreid; the lovers,
- loki; the devil,
- lord john grey; justice,
- louis de pointe du lac; the lovers,
- louis; death,
- lucifer; the devil,
- lucy maclean; the hierophant,
- majima goro; the hanged man,
- malyen oretsev; strength,
- marc spector; the tower,
- marianne von edmund; the hanged man,
- martin blackwood; the empress,
- marty mcfly; the hanged man,
- mat cauthon; the wheel of fortune,
- matt murdock; the tower,
- matthias helvar; the lovers,
- max mayfield; the hermit,
- merrin; strength,
- michael ralston; death,
- michael; the emperor,
- misty day; the lovers,
- morgana pendragon; the tower,
- nadine cross; the world,
- nanaue; the fool,
- natasha romanoff; the lovers,
- nathan drake; the fool,
- nebula; death,
- nero (dmc); the chariot,
- nero (drakengard); the devil,
- nicholas d. wolfwood; the lovers,
- nico di angelo; death,
- nikolai lantsov; the fool,
- norman jayden; the hermit,
- oberon; the hanged man,
- obi-wan kenobi; death,
- percy jackson; the lovers,
- peter maximoff; the devil,
- peter parker (comics); strength,
- peter parker (mcu); strength,
- petra macneary; strength,
- phoenix wright; the lovers,
- prince wilhelm; the tower,
- princess zelda; the high priestess,
- queen maeve; the hanged man,
- quentin coldwater; death,
- randall flagg; the tower,
- relena peacecraft; death,
- reno; the chariot,
- rey; the star,
- rhaenyra targaryen; the emperor,
- rhy maresh; the lovers,
- richie tozier; the hanged man,
- rinwell; the magician,
- rita farr; the star,
- river tam; the fool,
- robin buckley; the hanged man,
- rocket; the chariot,
- roland deschain; death,
- ronan lynch; the moon,
- rowena macleod; the high priestess,
- ruaidrigh mac raith; the hanged man,
- sabine; the empress,
- sam wilson; justice,
- sam winchester; the hierophant,
- samus aran; strength,
- sandor clegane; strength,
- sansa stark; the high priestess,
- sasarai; judgement,
- satoru gojo; the devil,
- sebille kaleran; the hanged man,
- sephiroth; the tower,
- shione daymore; the hermit,
- shuten-douji; the devil,
- some ovmennet; the empress,
- sophia of yaldabaoth; the world,
- stephen strange; death,
- steve harrington; the lovers,
- steve rogers; the hierophant,
- suguru geto; the hanged man,
- susan delgado; the lovers,
- sylvain gautier; the sun,
- sypha belnades; the tower,
- taylor hebert; death,
- teddy roberts; death,
- thancred waters; strength,
- thane krios; death,
- the commander (syrlya); strength,
- the darkling; death,
- the doctor; the fool,
- the medicine seller; the hierophant,
- theodore blackwell; temperance,
- thor odinson; the fool,
- tifa lockhart; the empress,
- tony stark; the magician,
- travis guidry; the chariot,
- triss merigold; the empress,
- urianger augurelt; death,
- vash the stampede; death,
- vi; the lovers,
- viktor; death,
- wanda maximoff; the hanged man,
- wei wuxian; the tower,
- wen kexing; the tower,
- will solace; the empress,
- wrench; the hanged man,
- wylan van eck; the magician,
- y'shtola rhul; the high priestess,
- yennefer of vengerberg; the chariot,
- yuffie kisaragi; the tower,
- yuri lowell; the tower,
- zagreus; the chariot,
- zelda schiff; the magician,
- zhou zishu; strength,
- zoya nazyalensky; strength
EVENT #1
EVENT #1
Welcome to our very first event! This event will be divided into two parts: one for honored guests, and one for prisoners. There are some opportunities for characters to go to the opposite group's event, so read on below and make sure to check out the accompanying OOC plotting post for extra details!
This event takes place ICly from June 14th to June 19th.
It's June, and that means the annual Summer Festival in Castle Thorne. The newcomers are causing quite a buzz and, for the first time in ten years, a representative from the increasingly independent city of Nott has agreed to attend. The representative, Lyle Vela, has a lot of political sway in Nott and the impression he takes back with him will affect whether Nott begins to repair relations with the rest of Thorne or moves even further towards independence.
But that's not all there is to do here! The residents of the city surrounding Castle Thorne are intensely curious about the newcomers and several of the events at the Summer Festival have been designed by the mages to show them off. At some point you may begin to feel more like a prized pony than an honored guest, but there are rewards and gifts and good food to be had for all, so what's the harm in showing off a little?
The festival runs all week (June 14th-19th) and the list of events are as follows:
If your character has been imprisoned but you want them to attend the Festival, an honored guest may lobby for them to stay behind and help set up. It'll be work, but they can sneak off to have a bit of fun and it won't be as difficult as what's in store for the rest of them. If you wish to have your character stay behind, please post to the OOC plotting post. Because we know that claustrophobic tunnel horror isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, there is no limit to the amount of prisoners who can stay behind.
Good news, prisoners! You get some time away from your cells in the beautiful snow-covered mountains of northern Thorne. A volunteer work opportunity has arisen, and you are all volunteers. If you do well enough at your assigned task, perhaps your prisoner status will be re-evaluated. Or perhaps your supervisor will take all the credit for themselves and throw you right back where you came from. Life's unfair sometimes! You'll at least be given a nice set of boots and heavier clothes to keep you warm.
Your task: to harvest as much crystal as you can from the burrow of a Giant Frostwurm. From June to September, the Frostwurm hibernates and is generally non-aggressive. Huge and territorial, Giant Frostwurms are only rarely encountered and are considered endangered by Thornean biologists. All known Frostwurm habitats are marked and harvested once every few years as the crystals that grow on its body are highly valuable for use in medicine and, erm, recreation although the latter is frowned upon by Thornean authorities. Don't worry, you don't have to touch the Frostwurm itself, it sheds every now and then and leaves a healthy supply of crystals in the tunnels of it burrow.
That's not to say it will be an easy task. There's a reason they're using "volunteer" prison labor, after all. The tunnels are deep and labyrinthine, and it's easy enough to get lost down there and wander in circles until you die of thirst or starvation. The crystals themselves also have a certain disorienting effect that turns hallucinogenic after prolonged exposure and, because of the Frostwurm's unique psychic properties, hallucinations can be shared between individuals. Like a contagion, spending time around someone who is hallucinating can cause it to 'catch'. These hallucinations may be pleasant or frightening, but the only cure is to get out of the tunnels and away from the crystals for a while.
Tunnel cave-ins are also a possibility, in which case you best start digging and hope you choose up. Getting too lost can result in an encounter with the Frostwurm, and while it needs to conserve energy and won't give chase, it'll bite or whip at you with its tail if you get too close. Both prisoners and supervisors are instructed not to kill the Frostwurm under any circumstances, even if it means sacrificing someone in their party. They're endangered, after all!
If your character has been welcomed to Thorne but you still wish to go on the Frostwurm excursion, they can volunteer to be a supervisor. There are currently 24 prisoners and they will be divided into groups of 3, so we will accept a maximum of 8 supervisors (potentially less depending on how many prisoners stay behind to help with the festival). Be aware that supervisors will be in danger as well, and they will be punished if they try to help the prisoners escape, but unlike the prisoners they will be paid for their efforts and seen as having initiative by the Thornean authorities. If you wish to be a supervisor, volunteer on our OOC plotting post.
The timeline for this part of the event is as follows:
Questions
Will there be any mod NPCing during this event?
The three visits with Lyle will be NPCed but other than that, no. Feel free to play random townies, guards, or black market sellers on your own!
Can I try to free the prisoners/can my imprisoned character break out?
Ambrose will be willing to hear cases for prisoner freedom after the event has concluded. You can try to smuggle the prisoners out of town during the festival or escape from the mountain, and prisoners can try to escape, but they will be caught and punished at this stage. Please post to the appropriate header below if you wish to have your character try!
Are the prisoners still powerless?
Yep! Don't worry, inmates, there'll be opportunities to be released for good behavior OR do a prison break soon. More details about the status of the prisoners will be released after this event.
Can my prisoner or supervisor character break away from their assigned group?
Yes, the tunnels are disorienting so individuals may wander off, especially if they are hallucinating. Feel free to interact with anyone and everyone.
What can the hallucinations entail?
Anything! They can think they're being chased, imagine a portal to a green oasis or even scenery from their own homeworld, and anything else you can come up with. They won't be real or tangible so nothing will remain of them once the affected characters are recovered (unless a special mod consequence is given...) but as stated above they can be shared between characters so everyone can see the same thing.
Can my character attend both the Summer Festival and the mission in the tunnels?
Alas, no. Both events will take the whole week, so it's one or the other!
This event takes place ICly from June 14th to June 19th.
The Summer Festival (Honored Guests)
It's June, and that means the annual Summer Festival in Castle Thorne. The newcomers are causing quite a buzz and, for the first time in ten years, a representative from the increasingly independent city of Nott has agreed to attend. The representative, Lyle Vela, has a lot of political sway in Nott and the impression he takes back with him will affect whether Nott begins to repair relations with the rest of Thorne or moves even further towards independence.
But that's not all there is to do here! The residents of the city surrounding Castle Thorne are intensely curious about the newcomers and several of the events at the Summer Festival have been designed by the mages to show them off. At some point you may begin to feel more like a prized pony than an honored guest, but there are rewards and gifts and good food to be had for all, so what's the harm in showing off a little?
The festival runs all week (June 14th-19th) and the list of events are as follows:
Sparring Contest: Honored guests will be asked to spar in front of an audience. Depending on the time of the week the fight takes place in, some guests may have some or most of their powers back, but the audience is here to see a show and just trampling your opponent in seconds won't do much for them. Try to add some spice to it: a good narrative and a close fight are much more enthralling. You may decide the winner of the fight between yourselves or ask the mods to roll for an outcome below. Prisoners who stay behind can sneak into this event but will not have their powers.At the end of the festival on June 19th, there will be a huge feast available with all manner of fancy food and some alcohol if you wish to get a little drunk. Beware, Thornean alcohol is strong! Prisoners who stayed behind to help out with the festival can easily slip in and take some food and drink for themselves.
Magic Demonstration: Show everyone what you can do and demonstrate a Thornean magic spell in front of an audience. This should be a simple beginner spell such as a smaller elemental magic spell, some minor healing, a small illusion, and so on. Feel free to decide what spell you'd like your character to perform and post to the header below so the mods can roll for your character's success when performing it in front of the audience! Regardless of success, your character can learn the chosen spell by the end of the event. Unfortunately, prisoners cannot access this event.
The Black Market: Castle Thorne is much less secure during open festivals than it is during the rest of the year, so it's no surprise that some shady characters have managed to sneak in. They're trading potions and magical items, and luckily enough for the penniless newcomers, they're interested in things other than money. They may ask for some blood, saliva, or the chance to perform a spell on the hapless newcomer. Prisoners are welcome in the black market. Please post to the header below to see what item your character gets from the event (and what spell they'll be subjected to if you choose that option).
Visit with the Representative: Near the end of the Festival, three honored guests will be chosen to have one-on-one audiences with Lyle Vela in the hopes of impressing him. Ambrose hasn't had the time to get to know each guest individually yet, so he's asked that they choose the three candidates among themselves. If you wish you have your character volunteer for this position, please make a case for their suitability under the header below! If your character is not running for this position, have them vote for another character. Prisoners who stay behind may vote as well.
If your character has been imprisoned but you want them to attend the Festival, an honored guest may lobby for them to stay behind and help set up. It'll be work, but they can sneak off to have a bit of fun and it won't be as difficult as what's in store for the rest of them. If you wish to have your character stay behind, please post to the OOC plotting post. Because we know that claustrophobic tunnel horror isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, there is no limit to the amount of prisoners who can stay behind.
In the Tunnels (Prisoners)
Good news, prisoners! You get some time away from your cells in the beautiful snow-covered mountains of northern Thorne. A volunteer work opportunity has arisen, and you are all volunteers. If you do well enough at your assigned task, perhaps your prisoner status will be re-evaluated. Or perhaps your supervisor will take all the credit for themselves and throw you right back where you came from. Life's unfair sometimes! You'll at least be given a nice set of boots and heavier clothes to keep you warm.
Your task: to harvest as much crystal as you can from the burrow of a Giant Frostwurm. From June to September, the Frostwurm hibernates and is generally non-aggressive. Huge and territorial, Giant Frostwurms are only rarely encountered and are considered endangered by Thornean biologists. All known Frostwurm habitats are marked and harvested once every few years as the crystals that grow on its body are highly valuable for use in medicine and, erm, recreation although the latter is frowned upon by Thornean authorities. Don't worry, you don't have to touch the Frostwurm itself, it sheds every now and then and leaves a healthy supply of crystals in the tunnels of it burrow.
That's not to say it will be an easy task. There's a reason they're using "volunteer" prison labor, after all. The tunnels are deep and labyrinthine, and it's easy enough to get lost down there and wander in circles until you die of thirst or starvation. The crystals themselves also have a certain disorienting effect that turns hallucinogenic after prolonged exposure and, because of the Frostwurm's unique psychic properties, hallucinations can be shared between individuals. Like a contagion, spending time around someone who is hallucinating can cause it to 'catch'. These hallucinations may be pleasant or frightening, but the only cure is to get out of the tunnels and away from the crystals for a while.
Tunnel cave-ins are also a possibility, in which case you best start digging and hope you choose up. Getting too lost can result in an encounter with the Frostwurm, and while it needs to conserve energy and won't give chase, it'll bite or whip at you with its tail if you get too close. Both prisoners and supervisors are instructed not to kill the Frostwurm under any circumstances, even if it means sacrificing someone in their party. They're endangered, after all!
If your character has been welcomed to Thorne but you still wish to go on the Frostwurm excursion, they can volunteer to be a supervisor. There are currently 24 prisoners and they will be divided into groups of 3, so we will accept a maximum of 8 supervisors (potentially less depending on how many prisoners stay behind to help with the festival). Be aware that supervisors will be in danger as well, and they will be punished if they try to help the prisoners escape, but unlike the prisoners they will be paid for their efforts and seen as having initiative by the Thornean authorities. If you wish to be a supervisor, volunteer on our OOC plotting post.
The timeline for this part of the event is as follows:
June 14th: Prisoners will be led from their cells in chains to a Thornean fast-travel portal (a glowing circle of neon light) that will take them about a mile away from the Frostwurm's burrow. It's cold and the air is thin, so they'll be given the rest of the day to rest and acclimate before being sent inside.Please visit the accompanying OOC plotting post to choose your team of three, and a supervisor if your group has one (groups without PC supervisors will be sent off on their own with no NPC supervisor). This event is designed to have some element of risk to it (but no one will die, don't worry!) so while you can plan what happens to your characters out with your group if you like, we also encourage you to post an action or two to our IC Consequences header below and leave it up to chance. Who knows, something awesome might happen.
June 15th-18th: Down in the tunnels with you! Characters are sent into the tunnels and can experience any of the effects listed above. If your party makes it out after sunset they'll be permitted to sleep in a tent, if they're lost then they will sleep in the tunnels. On the 18th, anyone who comes out alive will not have to go back in and the supply of crystals will be counted.
June 19th: Today would be the day of the Summer Festival, if they were back at Castle Thorne, but their captors aren't completely merciless. The prisoners and supervisors will be marched back to the fast-travel portal, where a small feast has been set up for them. It isn't as glamorous as what's back in Thorne, but it's the best meal the prisoners have been served since they arrived. And, as a bonus, the guards might slip you some alcohol if you did a good job in collecting the crystals.
Will there be any mod NPCing during this event?
The three visits with Lyle will be NPCed but other than that, no. Feel free to play random townies, guards, or black market sellers on your own!
Can I try to free the prisoners/can my imprisoned character break out?
Ambrose will be willing to hear cases for prisoner freedom after the event has concluded. You can try to smuggle the prisoners out of town during the festival or escape from the mountain, and prisoners can try to escape, but they will be caught and punished at this stage. Please post to the appropriate header below if you wish to have your character try!
Are the prisoners still powerless?
Yep! Don't worry, inmates, there'll be opportunities to be released for good behavior OR do a prison break soon. More details about the status of the prisoners will be released after this event.
Can my prisoner or supervisor character break away from their assigned group?
Yes, the tunnels are disorienting so individuals may wander off, especially if they are hallucinating. Feel free to interact with anyone and everyone.
What can the hallucinations entail?
Anything! They can think they're being chased, imagine a portal to a green oasis or even scenery from their own homeworld, and anything else you can come up with. They won't be real or tangible so nothing will remain of them once the affected characters are recovered (unless a special mod consequence is given...) but as stated above they can be shared between characters so everyone can see the same thing.
Can my character attend both the Summer Festival and the mission in the tunnels?
Alas, no. Both events will take the whole week, so it's one or the other!
go to the OOC plotting post
no subject
It isn't often anyone lingers to catch his attention, but Jaskier is happy to meet any (potential) fans, and as the younger woman comes up to him, he still meets her with an easy smile.
Even if her laugh was, ah... exuberant.]
Ah! Well, they don't call me a master bard for nothing! [He bows to her, dipping over his lute, and peeks through his hair. Perhaps in another setting, Jaskier would have easily overlooked her -- he was, after all, quite famous -- but a small girl in what looks like stolen clothes reappearing more than once at his performances did catch his attention.
Not enough to worry, of course. He imagines there are some folk here that hear little music at all. In fact, he may slip down to the cells and offer a bit himself -- you know, if he can avoid being arrested for it.] Is the lady enjoying the festival? I can only imagine so! It's rather lovely, isn't it? I haven't played at one myself for quite a while.
[He was far too big for that. Usually.]
no subject
Yeah! It's-- it's incredible, I've never seen anything like it before. Everyone showing off magic is amazing - I've never seen people use it before, I-I didn't even know it was real!
[She lifts a hand from where they're hovering nervously near her sternum to brush her hair back behind her ear - her sleeve slips down a little, revealing a half-healed burn as she pushes brown tresses behind an ear that's a little bit pointed, just enough to be noticeable.]
Is your music magical as well? I've never heard someone play so well!
no subject
[Look, his knowledge of magic is still rather limited, but he's interested in the idea that one's never seen it.
Though he glances at the burn, he certainly doesn't bring it up. The oversized clothes are certainly not noble clothes, and considering how he's been treated himself, he can't imagine this girl is someone who would be named an honored guest. (No offense.)
And for that fact alone, he's delighted to humor her. Jaskier laughs, a quiet sound through his nose.] Have you never heard a bard, dear lady? I mean, I am one of the best, but that surprises me. No magic, no bards? Surely that must feel a bit dull? [Er, not to depress her or anything --] If my lady is so happy to hear it, then I'm more than ready to play a few more song just for her. At no extra cost, of course.
no subject
If magic is real in my world, I've never seen people use it. And we definitely don't have travelling bards. [It's tempting to give him conflicting information, just to see his response, but she's already got too many irons in the fire just keeping her stories straight between the chosen ones.] It's just me and my dad, I get to follow him when he works, but it's nothing like this.
[Her eyes flick down to his lute as he plays it seemingly mindlessly.]
I've heard a lot of the songs you've been playing - um. [She flushes a little darker, bright pink on sun-deprived skin.] Do you have more songs, from your world?
no subject
The Conjunction. This is simply -- another one. This whole. Thing. A meeting of worlds. Magic smashing them together into one mushy paste.
One of his strings twangs.] Well, of course. I didn't lose them on the trip here. Are you particularly interested in music? [He smiles, tilting his head. Curious.] Perhaps a budding poet?
no subject
I can do a little bit of, um. Free rhyming? My dad and his friends liked teaching me bar songs when I was little. [The first time she'd come home and sung "cheap lousy faggot", her mum had gotten so mad at her dad that he had to sleep in his work car.] I like singing, though, my dad says I'm pretty good - but I'm not as good as you, I think.
[Added as a rueful but perky admission. A little dash of flattery is such good social grease.]
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[It wouldn't surprise him at all to know any child knows the lyrics to baudy songs considering the sort of children that run around the Continent, kicking corpses and killing their dogs for a coin or two. And the sorts that sneak in to taverns to listen to him.
It's just how children are. Life on the Continent is shitty, to put it mildly, especially if one isn't privileged.
Which brings him to noticing that this particular child is being a bit odd, if you ask him, because he's certainly never had a child suck up to him to so terribly hard unless they were trying to pick his pockets. If she hadn't tried so hard, curving the conversation back to flattering him several times, Jaskier would've been more than content to soak it in.] No, you predictably aren't as good as I am, considering I have entire lifetimes in this business. [Well, one lifetime, but compared to her, at least two. He regards her with a little circular gesture of his hand.] What is it that you're trying so hard to get out of me?
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I dunno, I just thought... [She brushes a loose curl back behind her ear.] Maybe you could teach me something so I could earn some coin as well. So I could afford some clothes that aren't this.
[And she flourishes at her prisoner's outfit. It makes her extremely telling, with how ill-fitting and obviously out of place it is.]
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He knows that little move. The tuck of hair behind an ear. He's done it so many times himself. Usually for, er, vastly different reasons, of course, but the point remains.
Hm.]
Not that I am against ever taking on the proper sort of student, ah... [How to put this delicately? She's on the older side, of course, but there is the chance she isn't quite aware of her precarious position.] Something tells me our betters would not be quite so accepting of a prisoner performing for coin.
[And while normally he would love to tell them to fuck off, he knows very well that attracting attention is not to his benefit. Not while Geralt is in a shit position.] Perhaps you have some other talent to put to good use? Plenty of much more inauspicious children have managed to make use of themselves pickpocketing. After this conversation, I'm beginning to suspect you'd be quite good at it.
[He pulls a coin from his small bag of them and offers it out.] Here. An encouraging start.
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She does accept it, openly hesitant, and weighs it in her hand automatically as she eyes the man up and down.
And then a lot of the fluttery pomp and circumstance simply vanishes, and she shifts her weight onto one leg so she can pull her tunic up to access her pockets.]
You know, it's not really fair - if you're gonna be this good looking you shouldn't actually be this smart too.
[There's no flirt in it this time; she's just stating a fact and being incredibly petty about it.]
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It's not her fault so many people on the Continent are equally awful as they are desperate.
And traveling with a Witcher, he's seen some of the worst.]
I'll take that one as a sincere compliment, thank you. [Petty or not, it certainly warms his heart. He grins.] See, my angry little friend, you've already a talent for theatrics! You almost had me going. [And she had. But it was a bit too complimentary.] Once you've learned to cushion your flattering in a few well-placed humbling insults, you may find the perfect balance.
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so yes, she’s madbut his praise does a number to soothe her bruised ego.She's not giving the coin back, but she'll sit on the edge of an abandoned wagon and flick her hair back with both hands.]
The last guy I tried this on only liked compliments. The girls who didn't flatter him constantly didn't work there very long. [And Jaskier can make of that what he wants. Certainly Coraline isn't going to correct him.] But thanks for the tip. Maybe bards are good for something.
[And there's a cheeky little grin as she says that, not bothering to hide it now.]
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Well, as a good-for-something bard [He emphasizes the word as if it meant the same as prince or lord,] I can give you another piece of unwarranted advice: you'll need to learn your audience. Until you have, you're simply one more stagnant mummer.
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She pulls one knee up so she can fold her arms on it as she shrugs.]
Its not like I've really had one here. The guys in my cell aren't really talkers. Or like, two of them aren't, one doesn't really shut up. [There's some fondness there, though.] But there's no point practising on them, I live with them.
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He takes a seat next to her, the lute cradled in his lap. He's done enough performing for now, anyway. It's clearly not as lucrative as it was in a taverno n the Continent.
Yet.]
Hmm. I know well what it means to be stuck with someone who hardly talks. And the effort it takes to drag even a simple story from him! [He hums for a moment, thinking it over.] Well, I don't think it should stop you. Even better, they're harder targets.
[Is this helpful? Probably. Definitely.] Speaking of. If you're one of the prisoners, how the fuck are you wandering about up here?
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[She lowers her leg and draws the other up so she can fold them under all the spare fabric.] So I'll just have to see if I can't pester Geralt and Majima to tell me about it when they get back.
[She knows what hard labour does to people, and she feels like those two would do best with it. Alucard seems a little too prissy to come back mostly unscathed.]
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Well. Fuck --
He nearly yells.] Geralt? Geralt? You were stuck in a cell with him? [So much for acting as if they didn't know each other. Not that he cared much about it; any other prisoner was nearly in the same position as the wolf.] I should've known. [The description had fit him so perfectly.] Definitely talk at him. He absolutely loves it.
[At least he can find some strange comfort in how she said it. When they get back. Of course they'd be dragged back. It was better than nothing. Better than silence.]
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Does that mean you were writing songs about him? [She leans in again eagerly.] He hasn't mentioned you at all, what should I tell him about you to make him talk the most?
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Ah, well. Fuck it. He nods.]
Oh, don't worry. I'm more than used to it. [At least he has the decency not to huff. In other circumstances, certainly. Here, discretion is the name of the game. It means either the poor louts in that cell don't talk about their connections, or Geralt doesn't trust any of them. Now which of those is most likely?
Still, he sings about the fool. It's how he's going to scrape together coin in this place.] Unfortunately for the both of us, you'll find getting him to talk about anything in particular, especially things you're interested in, is on the same level of difficulty as pulling teeth from a dragon's mouth.
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[She smirks suddenly, hazel eyes pointedly eyeing off his instrument.] Or, he does all the hard work and you get all the coin from singing about it.
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[It's not how Geralt would describe himself, if ever did at all. How interesting. He can't help but think Geralt must either hate having this pestering little thing in the same cage as him, or he's probably thinking he needs to protect her.
Ah, Geralt. So.... Geralt.]
Oh, please. He was as poor as the owner of a titless goat when I met him. The poor bastard owes me plenty. I have absolutely no reason to go around fighting monsters.
[Only fools did that, and Jaskier was not a fool (in that regard). Geralt was trained and literally molded to fight the bloody things. And in his profession, and in his sphere, there was no shame in knowing one's place.] You're very astute -- and nosy -- for one your age. At this rate you'll be owning a brothel or a bandit guild, given a few more years.
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But the comment of owning a brothel, of all things, makes her go very, very still for a moment. When she speaks again, there's a certain kind of acid in her tone.]
I've seen how people treat the women who work in places like that. Not really sure I'm fond of the idea of being in charge of letting that happen.
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[It may not be his trade, but he feels a bit like he must defend it. The idea that this girl could do what Geralt does, after he's suffered the things he has simply to be able to do it, is absolutely laughable.
There's a reason Witchers exist and kings aren't hiring the locals.
Ah! So she does have a bitter side. It's not a comment about a brothel that he really expects it, but it's lovely to see what, he imagines, might be the real side of her.] Well, it's not happening under the eye of a succubus. Plenty of them in brothels. Men have learned from less.
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Depends on what you're hunting. Monsters aren't that scary, after a while. [Then she leans back with a shrug.] Succubus don't sound that bad, but I think I'd rather go with the bandits anyway. At least you know where you stand when people open carry like that.
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But what can one do past a warning? Perhaps this world has no monsters at all beyond men.
That'd be something, wouldn't it? With a strum of his lute, he brings the lute off around his shoulders, setting it in its case. It's far time he goes takes a break himself from all this... rebuilding of his reputation, apparently.] Banditry suits you.
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