Winter RP: The Citadel

[shadowsong26]

It's late afternoon, just approaching evening, and one of the less-imposing reception rooms in the Citadel at the heart of the City of Glass is lit up by a glorious sunset. The dry heat of the desert day is starting to die off; the temperature sits at a pleasant level now.

The walls of the room are made of thick, solid glass panes, in deceptively delicate white stone frames. They are punctuated at regular intervals by wall hangings embroidered with intricate geometric patterns, in green and gold. There is a large, extravagant rug, woven in similar colors, covering the floor. The ceiling, high above, is more glass, fogged, and gilded around the edges to match the gold in the tapestries.

One wall is dominated by a pair of double doors that swing open onto an enclosed pleasure garden, with carefully maintained flowers climbing the walls and a murmuring fountain in the center. There are white gravel paths marking out four regular quadrants.

The portals are opening once again...

Comments

Host: Lonura

[shadowsong26]

Lonura had been looking out for Nolani and Isselu for two weeks--she had left Feredar two months ago, rather than staying with them for the whole visit, because the King had asked very pleasantly for her to stand in for her lover on a ceremonial occasion, and her own estate had been woefully neglected of late, so they had decided she shouldn't make the extra trip back.

But this morning, the palace had received word that the Crown Princess and her son would be arriving by nightfall, which gave Lonura just enough time to prepare everything. Isselu was only six; he would probably bounce everywhere for an hour or so and then sleep hard, leaving her and his mother to catch up. And it had been a very long two months without her beloved.

Of course, ending up in the green reception room instead of their suite hadn't been part of the plan.

Re: Host: Lonura

[bookblather]

It was entirely possible that Leah had taken a wrong turn. She'd been walking while reading, as she always did, and usually she had a fantastic sense of direction, but there was a first time for everything, and maybe she'd walked somewhere she didn't mean. But this was... um.

This was the most beautiful room she'd ever seen, with the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen standing in it.

Leah went bright red immediately. Fucking Irish skin, thanks Mom.

Still, she had to ask somebody where she was. Shyly, she edged up to the beautiful woman. "Um, excuse me," she said. "Sorry, just... where am I?"

Re: Host: Lonura

[shadowsong26]

Lonura turned, to see a very sweet-looking young woman who couldn't have looked more out of place if she'd tried--bright red hair was rare enough in the desert, and she was the fairest person Lonura had ever seen, in all her visits to Feredar.

She smiled. "You're in one of the reception rooms in the Citadel in the City of Glass," she said. "I take it you were planning to be somewhere else?"

Host: Kesshare

[shadowsong26]

Sixteen was, Kesshare thought, not a bad age to be, something along the lines of half-adult. Old enough to sign certain contracts and start seriously planning for her future, young enough to be given her head and not taken overly seriously.

Her age, at present, was the greatest asset she could exploit. Most of the time.

At the moment, though, she was more concerned with calming her not-inconsiderable temper. Ulore again, always Ulore--the cousin that least threatened her plans, because he was the youngest, and the one who most threatened them because he absolutely destroyed her composure, no matter how hard she tried to maintain it.

Hopefully, that would get easier with adulthood.

For now, she was heading for one of the empty reception rooms, to practice dancing and--gods save her--flirting with a mirror. If she couldn't calm herself, she could at least get frustrated at something more easily--and quickly--overcome.

Somehow, though, a left turn changed to a right and she ended up in the green hall, which wasn't mirrored at all. She swore under her breath, more creatively than she would have allowed herself if there was anyone of consequence around, and resisted the urge to kick a hole in the wall or set one of the hangings on fire.

Re: Host: Kesshare

[shipwreck_light]

The first thing she did when she passed from the back room of the house and into the enormous, glittering space instead.

"Naila?"

Call for her bodyguard. At once, Alexis bit her lips and blushed. She was not a child anymore. She knew better than to call for her bodyguard. If Naila was had followed to her, well, wherever this was, Naila would /know/ to present herself and offer assurances and draw one of her knives if need be. That was what truly dedicated bodyguards did. Calling for the woman bordered on an insult as long as they had been together.

How disconcerting the shift from house to... here should not have mattered.

Alexis tried to uncross her arms where they'd fastened around her chest. She couldn't seem to quite let go of herself, however.

So, she tried again, and damned if she knew why: "Umm. Pip?"


(OOC- Alexis is about fourteen. Her legs are glitter-laced resin art prosthetics from mid-thigh down.)

Host: Isshiri

[shadowsong26]

Getting stabbed was an awful experience. Isshiri wouldn't recommend it to anyone. It didn't hurt as much as getting burned, maybe, but between the bloodloss and the fever it had left the world fuzzy and uncertain on the edges for days.

That part, at least, seemed mostly past, but he still got dizzy a lot faster than he liked, and his balance was shot all to hell again. And, once again, he tripped and staggered against a wall, which turned out to be a door, which led to--

Well, that was strange. He could've sworn he was on the opposite end of the palace from the green reception room.

He put a hand out and steadied himself against the wall, waiting for the room to settle around him, then looked to see if he was alone.

Re: Host: Isshiri

[bookblather]

"Okay what the fuck," Morgan said aloud.

Zie had intended to go have a coffee. A nice, long coffee, plus the free wifi, was worth the risk of being misgendered. And zie had really been looking forward to it, too, which was why this place was both unexpected and unwelcome. And... deeply weird, who built things with glass?

Morgan scowled at the general company.

((Morgan is very androgynous in appearance, and that's the extent of my knowledge.))

Zita

[serpentine]

Wandering into strange portals as curious Firebirds may or may not be prone to doing, especially if there seems to be a promising warmth that was lacking in her current location, Zita walked into a different place full of pretty glass.

And so much warmer. Warmer than those frozen Vaelan winters where it was freezing everywhere and the locals were insane enough to go naked from the Bathhouse to cool their bodies in the snow. Zita was pleased with this and so declared herself happy to be here for the moment.

She wandered into the garden to admire the pretty flowers that were in bloom.

Ksenyia

[serpentine]

Running head-forth towards battle, it took Ksenyia a few moments to realize she was no longer in the grassy field with a dragon and instead in a place that looked uncomfortably like a palace.

She swore very loudly, using words her mother would say were not lady-like and certainly not becoming of a princess, but she didn't care. She /ran away/ to get from the palace. Not to end up in another one.

Re: Ksenyia

[shadowsong26]

Kesshare turned on hearing what could only be a stream of expletives. The source was a young woman clearly dressed for battle, who looked about as pleased to be here as she was.

"I suppose this is not where you were expecting to be?" she asked, as dryly as she could manage.

Danny

[bookblather]

Oh, yeah, that was much better. Danny ran a hand over the top of her recently cut hair and sighed in relief. It wasn't that she minded having it long, exactly. She looked pretty cute with her hair really long, but it just got so irritating after so many years in the Navy. Pixie cuts kept it out of her face and out of her-- heh heh-- hair.

So there was absolutely no way her hair was causing her to hallucinate a weird green glass room. Okay.

She could've gotten mad about it. Before the Navy, before she met Nathan, she probably would have. Now... eh. Wasn't worth it, unless it gave her a reason.

Danny shoved her hands in her pockets and rocked forward on her feet. "Well. This is interesting."

Sam

[blossomdreams]

Sam rubbed his face as he looked at the report in front of him. He was five pages away and he couldn't think of a way to wrap it up without repeating himself or writing how much he hated this paper. He leaned back against his chair and placed an arm over his eyes. "Ed!"

When he didn't hear anything Sam got up and opened the door to his office. However, he noticed he wasn't in his hallway or even his home. Sam blinked in surprise at the solid glass planes as he walked around in his slippers. Wherever he ended up it was a very beautiful place. It still didn't help him figure out his location. Maybe he could just wander around a little bit. It was much better than poking at his paper.

Re: Sam

[bookblather]

Molly really liked the way her new shoes sounded when she walked down the hallway. Bright blue, mock suede, they added a much-needed five and a half inches to her height, and provided a pop of color in her outfit, an otherwise sedate jeans, black tank top, and leather jacket. Little too casual for work, but she could probably get away with the heels, if she wore something more professional up top...

She was daydreaming about the outfits she might put together when the sound of her heels changed, and she looked up to find herself in a room made of glass. Because that wasn't weird at all.

"What the frick?"

...her dad taught preschool, okay, the children of a preschool teacher learned weird swearwords.

[shipwreck_light]

"So, let's say you and me…"

Nene turned the knob of her apartment door, only to have the door straight up vanish on her for a change.

Which was fine. The door had it's own deal, being part of a hallway which, frankly, bordered on inscrutable what with the whole sometimes leading into other worlds business.

The sort of business it had /right then/.

It's timing needed work.

Nene did her best to take this in stride. These were some straight up glorious digs- like something a Tolkien fan would dream up, only lit up orgiastic gold instead of Strictly English Moors On A Cloudy Day, besides the whole actually existing as stone and glass and smells besides epoxy for the stage crew to sniff . Anyway, the walls felt like real leaded glass when she planted her palm on them (for science, she planned to swear).

A grin spread over her.

She could enjoy this.

True, the plan for her own evening had involved enjoying Seb, who she might kind of have left tied to her bench.

And she herself had escaped her own dimension bonds in a pair of strappy bondage pants and see-thru tube top.

To say nothing of the riding crop currently slung over her shoulder.

[bookblather]

((I am 100% here for Seb getting tied to a bench.))

Well. That was an outfit you didn't see every day. Danny wandered over. "Nice pants," she said. "Where'd you get them?"

The answer wasn't likely to be very useful if that was a hallucination, but hey, on the off chance it wasn't.

[rootsofthestories]

Here Nene, have something you might not be expecting.

A dog.

He's trotting up to you, tilting his head and wagging his tail. He's got bright, cornflower blue eyes and he's bigger than he really should be. There's no collar around his neck and despite looking friendly, he seems lost.

he's a good boy, he takes orders and does what he's told, he just had no one to follow right now.

((I promise i did not just throw you a random dog. He's cu aidhe and a recent escapee from the organization who raised him and is a liiiittle fucked up right now. But hey, puppy!)

Summer

[bookblather]

Summer didn't mean to wander away from Mama, she honestly didn't, but this place was so interesting, all shiny glass. It felt good under her palm, smooth and cool. She pressed her forehead against it, then her face. She liked the feel of glass. Maybe Mama would let her have something glass in her room, to hold when she felt bad.

((Summer's about eight here.))

Re: Summer

[shipwreck_light]

Well, damn.

Maybe this was all just what she got for listening to Duclos, considering some of the things, substances and people the two of them had gotten up to back in the day. "Oh, the new place makes their own gin." In retrospect, how did that /not/ come with the caveat of "and it will send you on a trip to a glass room that smells like the most amazing flowers ever".

But, it had gotten her out of the meeting with the "specialty financial consultant".

Vola specifically chose not to argue with what had befallen her. As far as hallucinations went, she could have done a /hell/ of a lot worse. This one was pretty cozy, so far as those went and enormous, echoing spaces could be.

She just kind of wasn't sure about the little, redheaded girl. Why, she was all by herself, and even in a dream bestowed by suspect gin, that didn't suit Vola. She thought of her little sisters and the fit she'd have had if they'd managed to escape into a place like this, unaccompanied.

Wait. Best not to assume. A guardian dragon could pop out of the wall at any time.

Vola held her distance, drinking in the delicious aroma (not quite as intoxicating as liquor, but awfully close in the dream), but definitely keeping an eye on the girl.

(OOC- wait. Isn't Vola Summer's great(x many) grand niece from the future XD?)

[rootsofthestories]

Here Summer, have a puppy. He's big dopey and friendly, at least right now he is. he's a large thing though, probably on par with Summer herself. Cornflower eyes watch her eagerly and a big bushy tail wags in hopes of making friends. He's not jumping or anything, just sitting nearby and watching, hoping she might like him and say hello.


((Meet someone new, he's a cu sidhe with no name, due to the fact that the people who raised him never gave him one and he only recently got acquired by a nice lady how is going to show him how things work when your'e nto being kept by an organization who hates and wants to weaponize the fae.)

[shipwreck_light]

Zephyr poked at the edge of his bandages where it had left a rumple in his button-down. He didn't feel himself there at all, not underneath his clothes anyway. Just on top.

A blank handprint in his nerves covered the space between his shoulders and his chest. No pain, but the wires in that spot were just /off/ so far as he could reach into them. Oh, and his ink was wrecked and…

He shoved off from the closet and headed for the door.

His apartment turned him right the hell off at the moment- nobody there but him and nothing there but his stuff. All of this more than familiar to his touch. Or, what of it still worked.

The hall wound on quiet too though, at least for part of the usual distance.

That just all of a burst out into flowers and sunset around him.

Zephyr blinked long and hard at the sudden shift of light.

He glanced one way down the path. Then the other.

Ah, screw it. So what if someone saw him. Someone would be someone and judging from the last couple of times, someone probably just wanted to shoot the shit. He could go for that.

Zephyr stretched out beside a bank of jasmine. And he sighed.

Too bad he could only tuck one arm under his head.


(OOC- Zephyr has a wound from a knife v. his left collarbone. If you've not met him before, he's A) somewhat telepathic with people who touch him B) heavily tattooed.)

The Space Witch

[rootsofthestories]

She's used to finding herself in strange and beautiful places and this seems to be yet another. There are weapons at her belt, a knife she has enchanted and a gun that is more for show than anything else. She hardly needs weapons to defend herself.

She moves through the space with curiosity in her yes and in her fingers. She touches whatever she can, tracing the lines of objects and letting her eyes close as she picks up little impressions of what they had been ad what they will be.

She looks friendly, ribbons in her hair and a smile on her face. She looks like she couldn't be any trouble at all. Looks can be deceiving though and while she's happy to be nice to anyone who's pleasant to her, she wont' be nearly as sweet if you prove to be trouble.

Re: The Space Witch

[bookblather]

Oh, this crap again. Kayleigh sighed heavily, a distinct, put-upon teenager kind of sigh, and looked around for someone interesting to talk to. If she had to be here for a couple of hours she wasn't going to talk to anybody boring.

The woman with ribbons in her hair looked interesting-- she had a knife and a gun, anyway, and didn't look like she was going to use either, so there had to be a story there. Kayleigh went over to her, shuffling in her sister's too-big ballet flats.

"Hi," she said. "New to this? I'm Kayleigh."

Teddy and Anya

[rootsofthestories]

"Heeeey," Teddy is grinning fiercely, his camera in hand. "Hey Anya!"

She's a few feet away, headphones around her neck and eyes on one of the decorations. "If you're wanting me to turn around so you can record me, I'm going to punch the camera, then make you swallow it."

"but--"

"Punch and swallow, Teddy. Punch. And. Swallow."

he sighs, then turns the camera on anything that is not her. He's having a great time, recording everything he can and all around being a dork about the visuals in the room. "You know," he says after a beat. "I bet Dave'd get a kick out of some of this."

"Oh?" She turns around, facing his back. "Probably. Think they sell prints or something around here?"

"Who knows."

And that lead to Anya staring at the wall fixtures and wondering if she could steal any of them. Teddy realized this a beat too late and is currently putting as much distance between them as he can without actually leaving the room.

Molly

[rootsofthestories]

Although she had not expected to find herself in any place beyond the shop and her flat, she's not complaining at the change of scenery. Her pace is light and careful as she moves, almost ti-toeing through the area. Her wings are out today, a light cream color that are large enough to take her flying if she so chose. She considered pulling them in but decided against it for now.

She's looking for interesting things, be they people or objects and her smile and warm eyes are probably a welcoming sign to anyone who looks like they may want someone to talk to/

Re: Molly

[shipwreck_light]

He's only been flopped out under the jasmine for a few minutes when the girl comes along. At first, he's just watching her from the corner of his eye and with a handful of thick, purple buds in the way besides. So, as she's taking in the flowers, he doesn't notice at first. She's so careful- the way she moves and the tiny sounds she makes.

It's the out of place woosh when she turns has him cocking his head to take a better look.

To his credit, Zephyr doesn't do a double take. He does however sit straight up and bosh his head on the jasmine branches.