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avalonmods ([personal profile] avalonmods) wrote in [community profile] isleofavalon2021-07-20 01:26 am
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EVENT ✨ Tournaments & Trust


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This is the event log for IC comments only! Ask OOC questions/plot/view event notes HERE or use the FAQ for general questions. Click here to view top-level comments only.



SUMMARY: King Arthur needs to go meet with Queen Elphame. Celliwig holds a tournament to invite other people to come with during the communication and celebrate their newfound friendship. A temporary barrier was put up so the river is currently mostly impassible.


After the departure from Celliwig last month, the people of Celliwig have been working hard to make the area around their town safe again from the angered specters. For now, there are makeshift barriers that are preventing anything from crossing the river, dead or alive, except over the Pure of Heart bridge. It will, at the very least, prevent more from coming over and overwhelming the land surrounding Celliwig again.

The city is open and, while the Elphame traders have stuck around to help train people in the proper use and treatment of mounts, the safest way to speak to Elphame is through Celliwig's hall of mirrors. King Arthur, Merlin, and a couple of other members of the royal court entered to speak to Queen Elphame directly in order to find out what information she knew about the Calamity and to begin discussion of what it would take to reclaim Excalibur. With the magics of Avalon having recovered significantly enough to not be at risk of falling apart if some of the otherworlders leave while still maintaining the barrier to keep Avalon safe, they need to begin discussing action.

At the same time, in celebration of King Arthur's arrival and a royal wedding within Celliwig, a tournament is underway! Celliwig's tournaments work a little differently, however, and focus on a little more than just combat skills-- a modern tournament for the modern person. (Though there is fighting as well, of course.) Celliwig's Top Talents Tourney hasn't been held in a good many years since it's been closed off, so everyone is invited to participate. Invitations have been sent to all of Camelot's residents. The tournament categories are as follows:

  • Cutthroat Cooking - For the chef's out there! Compete against other chefs to show off who has the best culinary skills. All contestants start with 2,500,000G which will be theirs to lose through the course of the tournament. This money can be used to purchase sabotages to use on other chefs throughout the course of the competition.


  • Vicious Vocals - Singing competition. Anyone may participate, there are no auditions. Each contestant will compete solo first, then have to do a competitive duet with another person who moved onto the second round. The final round involves performing and singing at the same time, so you may want to go find friends to give you tips between each round and help you come up with an awesome set-up that will wow the judges!


  • Speed Sculpting - This one's for the artists! Celliwig is really big on art, in particular sculpture. Any decent sculpture can be sold whether it wins or loses. Sculpture form can be made with anything you want-- glass, sugar, and ice are popular choices in Celliwig because of the city's aesthetic, but any materials are possible-- plants, stones, clay, chocolate, fabric, whatever you want as long as it stands on its own after you're done creating. (You can use your magic to sculpt if that's what you want.)


  • Melee Mania - Fight your fellow competitors one-on-one. Weapons and magic are both allowed. Healers will be paid generously for assisting after combat is finished.


  • Familiar Feud - Let your familiar have a little fun and combat each other! They're the star of the show here and otherworlders are only there in a support role.


  • Mario Party - It's literally a series of Mario Party games. If you win your block, you move onto the next round and so on. 4 max players per game. If you don't rage quit at any point, you get free energy drinks throughout the day because this party isn't stopping.


  • Silent Assassin - This competition will take place throughout the course of the tournament. All competitors are kept confidential, but required to wear a hidden body cam so that the experience can be shared online for audience viewing later. All competitors are given fake weapons (paintball guns, rubber knives, and so on) with sensors in them and have to find and "kill" the other competitors throughout the tournament period.


  • Anyone who shows up to either participate in or watch the tournament will receive 50% off a hotel room and a single (Potion) Counter-curse.

    How the tournament will be run is a little different from an OOC standpoint. Any characters can participate, but in order to determine a winner, we will need anyone who thinks their characters skill is great enough to win to comment to the name of the tournament they are entering HERE! If your character would have canon advantages in a category, write +1 advantage in your comment. (So if you are from an idol series, you'll have a leg up on singing, or if your character is a skilled assassin in their canon, they could gain a +1. It won't guarantee they win, but it will give them a leg up so we're not ignoring their skill!) If you do not think your character has any chance at winning, please do not comment. (Someone who's never cooked a day in their life isn't going to magically win the cooking competition, you know?) If you think/want your character to lose even if they may have skills, we do not need your information. This is only an RNG for potential winners. We will RNG the winners from those who comment for each competition as linked.

    ICly, anyone who wants to thread any part of it out, go for it! You can thread out watching, you can thread out participating, interfering, anything you want! Thread out having an intimate moment with a healer after a battle, a tearful failure and hurt/comfort consolation, buying a round of vodka flashes for your fellow losers. Whatever you want! Just have fun.


    SUMMARY: King Arthur & Co. are still in chambers. A woman shows up and claims they're in danger, argues with Glwelwyd that she saw it despite that those abilities are not possible right now. Players voted to determine the next course of this prompt. (This section may be skipped for prompts now, but is still posted for reference.)


    The day after the end of the tournament days, all seems well and peaceful as usual within the city of Celliwig. The mirror hall that King Arthur's party had gone into is still closed shut. The Hall is guarded by a 7 foot tall man with a long, scraggly beard and huge rippling muscles named Glewlwyd IV. (You may have seen him around at past events.) None may enter until negotiations are completed, and it is his sacred duty passed down by his ancestors to ensure that none shall pass his guard. Most in Celliwig won't even try, knowing the futility of such an action, which is why it is particularly peculiar that Gwion can be found yelling outside of the halls that they need to be let in. After an argument and a call to action, some other worlders chose to find Gwion and ask questions.


    "Listen to me, there's something wrong, you need to let someone in there! Look for yourself! I saw it!"

    "Time is frozen, the future cannot be seen. A dream is but a dream, not a prophecy. Disrespect from the people of Celliwig interrupting a meeting of the fae and King Arthur's party would spell much more certain fate.
    After one more failed attempt to get past him, the woman stomps off to a nearby bar to blow off some steam, and ends up posting to the AOL Network instead.


    The King's party is in danger. No one is allowed in or out, but they're going to die if you don't work together to get past Glewlwyd. You can ask how I know, but it's a real long story and we're real short on time, so I'm kind of going out on a limb here. I'll be at Celliwig's bar if anyone wants more details.



    SUMMARY: A very close battle ensues in front of the Hall of Mirrors, with the doors eventually being forced open to reveal a dark, possessed hall. Reflects prey on characters' deepest insecurities and anyone who falls victim to them are trapped within the reflections. King Arthur and the Pure of Heart and Brave of Soul Mirror used to communicate with Elphame are possessed by angry specters trapped on Celliwig's side after the river barrier was put up.


    After the drama caused by Gwion's warning, the city of Celliwig is rather unsettled. There's an air of tension thick enough that you could hear a pin drop, and enough people who thought it was more important to protect the integrity and wishes of the fae than to worry about the unlikely chance that a seer had a vision while time was stopped. A large number of people have shown up to stand by Glewlwyd's side and defend the Hall of Mirrors, a show which will not be forgotten by the people of Celliwig... However, the strength in both numbers and battle goes to those wishing to enter the Hall of Mirrors. The battle is strenuous, a mixture of both Celliwig citizens and Camelot's otherworlders, and anyone wishing to play out part of it should put either defense or offense indicators in their prompt title to clearly attract those wishing to play out the fight.

    Those who manage to break through the line will make it into the Hall of Mirrors. The first and most notable thing once the door is open is that it's as dark as night. Not at all conditions for a meeting. And it's cold, condensation and fog forming at the door where the freezing night of the hall and the summer heat outside. It is not at all like it was the first time visitors were allowed in to place their Pure of Heart and Brave of Soul crystals in the mirror to communicate with Elphame. There is absolutely something going on, and those on either side of the battle may want to redirect their attention to the Hall. None of the party seems to be seen. Those who dare to venture forward into the hall will find themselves rather quickly at a loss for where the door went. There is a dim light still visible from it, highlighting the other people in the room and the edges of glass and mirrors throughout the hall.

    An eerie blue glow reflects through the number of the mirrors, but it seems to move about as if passing impermenantly. Those who try to chase it will find themselves further lost from the entrance, until they find themselves face to face with a reflection that doesn't seem to follow their own movements. This reflection will begin to speak with the character's voice, then immediately target the character's deepest insecurities. Every bad thought that they've thought of themself is fair game. If the character can remain calm and keep moving forward, then they will not fall victim to the trap. However, should they react with a burst of emotion, argue, or be unable to move forward when faced with their own insecurities, they will find themselves trapped in the mirror, replacing the reflection.

    Those who manage to pass the mirrors will find themselves at the Pure of Heart and Brave of Soul Mirror. The communication is still open to what appears to be an ornately decorated, natural throne. The Queen is long since gone, having been escorted to safety to keep her safe from the cursed mirrors. Notably, every crystal lining the edge of this mirror seems to have been infected by the blue, almost spectral color. Approached, a chilling laughter echoes from the possessed mirror, but the laughter is finished by King Arthur himself, back turned and facing the mirror. He turns around and wields his sword, ready to defend the mirror, eyes filled with the same blue as the mirror. As more people approach, reflections of Arthur seem to walk out of the mirrors as well to fight more and more people. It's hard to tell which is the real one, so can you really kill him to get him out of the way and get to the mirror? Fight the small army of King Arthurs and gather enough death mages to exorcise the spirits out of the mirror.. or maybe just smash it. Did you think this was the last choice you'd make this week?




    Please refer to the plotting post for any additional plotting needs and to check added notes for the third prompt. Timeline-wise, the new/third prompt doesn't start until the 23rd. The poll for it is here.
    gunmettle: (• 009)

    II

    [personal profile] gunmettle 2021-07-20 05:32 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ After stumbling around the maze and clanking his barrel on more mirrors than he’d care to admit, at last Juzo comes across another sign of life. A familiar face, even, though it’s clear pretty quickly that Marianne’s attention is elsewhere – on the reflection of herself. The reflection’s tone is quiet but in the near silence of this corner of the maze, he can’t help but overhear.

    Monster, huh? He’s not so sure about that.

    The reflection decides to take it literally, and it’s ultimately the scream that spurs Juzo into motion. He’s there before he realizes it, one arm wrapping around Marianne to pulls her to his chest as he puts himself between her and the creature. He stays like that a moment, stock-still waiting for the sound of shattering glass and the sting of claws digging into his back, but it never comes. The monster is confined to the mirror, at least for now.

    He eases up a bit, looking down. ]


    You okay?
    sereneadherent: (recadreuse 07)

    weh ;_;

    [personal profile] sereneadherent 2021-07-20 05:55 pm (UTC)(link)
    [Marianne puts up no resistance when Juzo pulls her in, although she trembles like a leaf in his hold. What follows is a prolonged silence, only broken when Juzo shifts from defending to checking up on her.

    The entire time, Marianne's eyes never leave those of the monster in the mirror. Of who she really is.]


    You should keep your distance from me.

    [A part of her, deep within, cringes at the statement. It's been quite some time since she's felt this way. She thought she had conquered her fear, defeated the Beast, but yet... here it is, staring her down and daring her to deny its presence.

    She finds that she cannot. Suddenly, she feels like a lost teenage girl again.]


    That's me in the mirror. I-I could... I'll just hurt you if you stay. Please, just go.
    gunmettle: (• 014)

    [personal profile] gunmettle 2021-07-20 07:42 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ With his arm around her, he can feel the way she trembles, shaken to her core by the thing in the mirror. Juzo wouldn’t say he knows Marianne well, but he understands her struggle. He knows all too well what it’s like to look in the mirror and see someone, something, only capable of harm. ]

    I’m not scared of gettin’ hurt.

    [ He keeps his grip on her, albeit somewhat loosely, as he angles his body, turning to look at the beast reflected in the glass. ]

    Besides, seems to me this thing is a piss-poor imitation. Couldn’t even get its facts straight.
    sereneadherent: (recadreuse 02)

    [personal profile] sereneadherent 2021-07-20 08:26 pm (UTC)(link)
    [Marianne shakes her head. Juzo's wrong: everything the mirror version of her has said is accurate. She's burdened, cursed, and it was stupid of her to think that she might somehow rise above it.

    The monster in the mirror, meanwhile, speaks again. Its voice is no longer Marianne's--it's deep and tortured, affected like every other part of her.]


    "This is what the blood in your veins carries. This is the fate that consumed your father, and that will consume you.

    "You feel it sometimes, don't you? At night, when you're restless and can't sleep. When your blood feels like it's on fire, and you're too afraid to ask yourself
    why."

    [Marianne can't listen to this any longer. She pulls away from Juzo and starts to run away. The mirror beast seems to smile, reaching out of the mirror in order to intercept her and pull her in.]
    gunmettle: (• 010)

    [personal profile] gunmettle 2021-07-20 10:39 pm (UTC)(link)
    Marianne!

    [ The beast's claws stretch out, trying to catch her as she runs, but Juzo gets there first, hand snapping out to catch her by the arm and pull her away. His other hand, massive and glinting with steel, the ammo chamber set into the back of it catching the light, comes to rest on her other arm, holding her in place. ]

    I need you to listen to me. That thing said you were alone, right? You're not alone, I'm right here.
    sereneadherent: (recadreuse 08)

    [personal profile] sereneadherent 2021-07-20 11:14 pm (UTC)(link)
    [Marianne looks up at Juzo when he grabs her by the arms, eyes wide and wet but slowly recognizing that he's actually there. Almost out of reflex, she starts to protest, but she forces herself to bite the words back. The forceful way he's keeping her attention on him and not the mirror is working just well enough that she realizes she needs to get a grip.

    Juzo's right. She isn't alone. She hasn't been alone for some time. Hilda, Claude, the Professor, the other Deer... she has them. They're her people, her family. And here, she's been blessed with the opportunity to reconnect with friends long lost on top of that. And she's even made new friends, a feat once utterly impossible for her, Juzo not least of all.

    She's learning to share her burdens. She's healing, dammit.

    Not quite trusting her voice, Marianne nods. At the same time, the monster scoffs.]


    "Nonsense. He doesn't know you, not the real you. Would he still be here if he did?"

    [Marianne flinches, but she doesn't pull away or even turn to face the mirror.]

    I... I think he would.

    [Her voice is small and strained, but still defiant. She's coming around.]
    gunmettle: (• 001)

    [personal profile] gunmettle 2021-07-21 02:13 am (UTC)(link)
    [ He keeps his grip on her firm, but as ever, he’s cognizant of his strength and makes sure not to hurt her. Right now, he’s trying to be an anchor, something sturdy and unmoving. A lifeline out of the dark.

    Somewhere off to the side, the reflection spits more venom, words that strike Juzo somewhere behind his own ribs with familiarity. ]


    I understand.

    [ His own voice is soft, a low rumble to match her broken tone. ]

    I know what it’s like to look in the mirror and see a monster. To think your life isn’t good for anything but causing people harm. I was built to be a weapon. I was built to kill, but that’s not all I am.

    That’s not all you are either.
    sereneadherent: (recadreuse 09)

    [personal profile] sereneadherent 2021-07-21 03:04 am (UTC)(link)
    [The anchor is sorely needed, and it's working. It's keeping her in place, even as the monster continues to try and lure her in. She focuses on him, his voice, and the way in which he gets it. Of course he gets it. Hadn't she suspected as much, during their first meeting? He'd dismissed the idea, but...

    Her eyes well up further, tears actually starting to fall, and she nods slowly in response to him.]


    You're right. We aren't.

    "He isn't!"

    [Marianne turns her attention back to the mirror, and something seems to snap in her expression. Before she even fully realizes what she's doing, she pulls away from Juzo and runs at it, brandishing a bony sword that she still sort of resents, but brought with her for the fight. With a shrieking cry, she smashes the mirror with the blade. There's a flash of blue light that flitters from the mirror to places elsewhere, and the monster fades.

    In the silence that follows, Marianne looks back at Juzo. Just as quickly, she's back to being awkward and sad.]


    Um. Thank you. I'm sorry you had to see that.
    gunmettle: (• 007)

    [personal profile] gunmettle 2021-07-21 06:03 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ If not for the shift in her expression, he’d have pulled her back, but even before the weapon comes into play, he can tell that she’s fighting back instead of giving in. The shattering of glass and Marianne’s cry of defiance are thunderous in the small space, sound bouncing off of rows and rows of mirrors, until they’re left in the relative silence of their little corner, the sounds of conflict distant. ]

    Don’t need to apologize to me.

    [ He rises to his full height from where he’d been half-crouched over her earlier, glass crunching beneath the soles of his shoes. ]

    We all got demons. Not your fault this place decided to put ‘em on display.
    sereneadherent: (recadreuse 03)

    [personal profile] sereneadherent 2021-07-21 09:39 pm (UTC)(link)
    [Marianne sheathes the sword and idly shoves some glass away from her with her foot, not quite up to meeting Juzo's gaze (or as much so as she's able, since she's not entirely sure where his eyes are). The exposure of her demons--almost literally--has her feeling vulnerable and uncomfortable, especially in front of someone she doesn't know well.

    Although... he's handling it, and her, very well given the circumstances. Perhaps a bit of mercy from the Goddess, who she knows in her heart hasn't abandoned her. She never answered that prayer because She wanted Marianne to live.]


    Even so, I... I should have been more able to stand up to it. I would have been in a lot of trouble if you hadn't been here.

    I've been trying to put those demons behind me.
    gunmettle: (• 002)

    [personal profile] gunmettle 2021-07-21 09:56 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ It's clear he's looking at her, barrel angled in her direction, watching as she shuffles around and refuses to meet his gaze. Well, he can't say he blames her.

    He digs around in his pocket for his cigarette case and lifts a smoke free, clamping it between his teeth as he next fishes around for a match. ]


    No shame in faltering. That's the thing about humans - we're only human.

    Just glad I could help.
    sereneadherent: (recadreuse 08)

    [personal profile] sereneadherent 2021-07-22 07:13 pm (UTC)(link)
    [Marianne chances the briefest of glances up at him.]

    Thank you.

    [She takes a deep breath and makes herself stand a bit taller, picking her head up--although not quite ready to look at Juzo just yet.]

    We should stick together as we keep moving. It's... safer that way, with these mirrors being like they are.
    gunmettle: (• 012)

    [personal profile] gunmettle 2021-07-22 09:07 pm (UTC)(link)
    I got you, stay close.

    [ If she wants, he’ll offer her his arm - or at the very least his sleeve to hold onto so neither of them go chasing after each other’s reflections by mistake. For a small mercy, there are no more voices coming out of the mirrors to taunt them. The only snag is a brief encounter with one of poor Arthur’s doppelgangers, but he’s dealt with swiftly enough thanks to a sharp blow to the back of his head by Juzo.

    Without any further excitement, they manage to slip out of the maze into the comparatively quiet streets of the city. There are enough people still left behind to deal with the mirrors and the king that Juzo doesn’t feel terribly guilty about leaving them behind for a spell. ]


    You wanna sit down somewhere?
    sereneadherent: (recadreuse 08)

    [personal profile] sereneadherent 2021-07-25 07:01 am (UTC)(link)
    [Marianne hesitates, more out of habit than anything else, but she ultimately takes the offered arm and allows Juzo to lead her out of the mirror maze and into the open air of the city outside. She feels guilty, that she's been so shaken that she needs to tag out, but she's also not really in any condition to argue it. This is a rescue, not a war battle. They can take the luxury of a break so that she can mentally regroup.

    At his question, she looks around and spies a stone bench nearby. Sitting probably wouldn't be a terrible idea.]


    Yes, please.

    [She leads him to the bench, takes a seat, and lets out a long exhale.]

    I... I guess you have a lot of questions about what happened in there, don't you?
    gunmettle: (• 016)

    [personal profile] gunmettle 2021-07-25 07:16 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ Juzo meanders along after her, casting one long glance back at the Hall of Mirrors, its doors now flung wide. He can't catch much of what's going on inside, but it seems like chaos.

    At last he takes a seat beside her, taking a drag on his cigarette and turning his head to blow the smoke away from her. ]


    Got a few, but you don't have to explain yourself if you don't want to.
    sereneadherent: (recadreuse 13)

    [personal profile] sereneadherent 2021-07-28 03:07 am (UTC)(link)
    [Marianne kicks her feet idly, considering how she wants to proceed. Juzo is being more than generous--clearly curious, but willing to let it lie if she needs him to. She's so used to the likes of Claude and Linhardt, who were unable to let the thread go once they found it, that this is a bit of refreshing change.

    Ultimately, she decides to open up. Something he'd said back there, about understanding what it's like to see a monster in the mirror, makes her think it will be all right to. Sharing burdens, and blueberries, and all that.]


    Where I'm from, people are sometimes blessed with power in their blood. We call that power Crests. It's said to be a gift from the Goddess, and it gives the families blessed enough to have Crests in their bloodlines a great deal of power and privilege.

    Except for mine. It's considered cursed, and... and there are rumors that I'm doomed to become a monster because of it. My parents disappeared several years ago, and I was blamed for it. And I was blamed for so many other things, so I started to believe that everything was just... always my fault.

    I don't know what happened to my parents, but... it isn't difficult to imagine my father transforming due to the same cursed blood he passed onto me and killing them both. Even after facing the actual monster that killed people I was accused of killing, I still worry that's what happened to him. What could happen to me.

    [She's staring out somewhere into middle distance, careful not to face him lest she burst into tears again. As it is, it's precarious.]

    What you saw was all of those fears, made manifest. I thought I'd made my peace with who I am, but I guess I have more work to do.
    gunmettle: (• 023)

    [personal profile] gunmettle 2021-07-28 05:06 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ He’s quiet as he listens to her tale, barrel angled upwards to keep the smoke drifting from his maw out of her face. Sounds like more magic mumbo-jumbo to him, but if he doesn’t believe in magic by now, then he’s got bigger problems.

    Their situations aren’t wholly the same – even if he has no memory of it, Juzo surely chose to become what he is – but he can still empathize with her. How long did he think that his power, the power of a Gun Slave Unit, could only do harm? ]


    I’m sorry, for what it’s worth. No one should have to live like that.

    [ He did more than his fair of it, and if Marianne has gone her whole life with this hanging over her, well, she’s got him beat. Not a competition anyone wants to win.

    Juzo plucks the cigarette out of his mouth and gives one last exhale before leaning forward to rest his arms over his knees. It hasn’t escaped his notice that she refuses to look at him, nor does he miss the tears still wetting her eyes, so he makes an effort not to obviously look at her either. ]


    I don’t think there’s a person out there wholly at peace with who or what they are. That’s just part of bein’ alive. But if you’ve managed to make peace with the worst of it, and live your life as best you can, that’s pretty commendable to me.
    Edited (repetition whomp) 2021-07-28 17:07 (UTC)
    sereneadherent: (recadreuse 05)

    [personal profile] sereneadherent 2021-07-29 02:46 am (UTC)(link)
    [Marianne pulls out a handkerchief and starts gently dabbing at her face with it. The fresh air is helping her calm down, as is Juzo's presence. He's serving as an anchor, empathetic and encouraging but lacking in fuss or fanfare that would likely only fluster her further. It's exactly what she needs right now.

    After she wipes away the remaining tears, she speaks up quietly.]


    I'm sorry, too. That you understand how it feels.

    [He hasn't told her his whole story, but he's told her more than enough. While her lot is the result of bad luck and, arguably, fate, his seems much more terrible to her. He said he was built to be as he is. Made into the monster he sees in the mirror. Someone else had done this to him, and with ill intent. It causes her stomach to tighten uncomfortably just thinking about it.

    She knows what it's like to feel like a monster. She can't imagine how it must be to feel like nothing more than a weapon. An object.

    Marianne turns to look over at Juzo. Her eyes are red and swollen, but her expression is no longer clouded by the demons that had been flung into her face back there.]


    For what it's worth, I don't see you as anything other than a person.

    [Might as well get that out there. He may not need to hear it now, or perhaps he does. Either way, at least he'll have her opinion on the matter clearly spelled out for when he does need the reminder.]
    gunmettle: (• 021)

    [personal profile] gunmettle 2021-07-29 03:19 am (UTC)(link)
    [ They’re supposed to be talking about her, here, but then she turns right around and offers him sympathy in return, encouragement that he hadn’t asked for or thought he needed.

    He turns to look at her, quiet and unmoving, and at first he’s not sure what to say. It’s strange to hear such a sentiment from someone he barely knows, but it strikes something in him. Something deep in his core, the part of him that’s decided to live.

    A light, breathless little chuckle escapes him. ]


    You’re good people, Marianne, no matter what that mirror had to say.
    sereneadherent: (recadreuse 11)

    [personal profile] sereneadherent 2021-07-29 03:42 am (UTC)(link)
    [The compliment earns Juzo a few surprised blinks, and then--improbably, given Marianne's general disposition and the situation they've just been through--a small smile.]

    Thank you. As are you.

    [She could go on, elaborating how in the short time she's known him he's gone out of his way to help her twice or giving some variation of the blueberries metaphor she and Darin are fond of swapping, but that feels superfluous in this moment somehow. And not his style, anyway. So she leaves it at that.]

    Speaking of which: I'd like to do something for you, as thanks for this and the other day on the beach. Do you like tea? I can make some and bring it by.
    gunmettle: (• 048)

    [personal profile] gunmettle 2021-07-29 05:09 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ He wasn’t gunning for a smile, just speaking honestly, but it’s good to see regardless. What they saw back there… that kind of thing can mess someone up, no matter how much they’ve moved forward. It’s good to know that she still has it in her to smile.

    Though it’s not apparent on his face, there’s something of a smile in his voice. ]


    Thanks.

    [ What an odd pair they make, but he supposes if anyone had to see that whole ordeal, at least it was someone who can understand her. ]

    I appreciate the offer, but you don’t owe me anything. Besides, I’m not much of a tea person - there’s not a lot of that around where I come from. I’m more partial to coffee.
    sereneadherent: (recadreuse 04)

    [personal profile] sereneadherent 2021-08-01 06:11 pm (UTC)(link)
    [All said and done, this really has been a best case scenario when it comes to having to face her demons. Thank the Goddess for that.]

    Please, I insist. I don't know how to make coffee, but I can always pick some up and bring it for you. [Cafes and coffeeshops are a dime a dozen in many places in the city, after all.] If not as thanks, then as a token of friendship.

    [Are they friends? It seems they're on their way to it, at the very least. Her statement stands.]
    gunmettle: (• 029)

    [personal profile] gunmettle 2021-08-02 06:22 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ Now that’s something Juzo is still getting used to – how readily available damn near everything is. He’s used to coffee that tastes like mud on a good day, and to get high quality stuff for practically nothing here… it’s wild to him.

    In any case, it doesn’t seem like Marianne is going to let this go. (The word “friendship” strikes him somewhere behind his ribs and sticks there.) ]


    … Fine. A cup of coffee, then we’ll call it even. But let’s make it through this ordeal first.
    sereneadherent: (recadreuse 05)

    [personal profile] sereneadherent 2021-08-02 08:45 pm (UTC)(link)
    [This sort of reaching out would have been entirely impossible for Marianne not even a few months prior. It seems that she's more resilient than she believes she is, even with the shock to her system from the mirror.]

    I look forward to it.

    [And with that, she stands. They've rested long enough, and her nerves are as settled as they're going to get.]

    I'm ready to return to the fray if you are.
    gunmettle: (• 024)

    [personal profile] gunmettle 2021-08-02 09:03 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ He tilts his head, looking her over as if to make sure that she's not just saying that. She's still a little shaken, but miles better than she was just a few short minutes ago.

    Yeah. She's gonna be all right. ]


    Let's get to it. The king's not gonna save himself.

    [ Cigarette clamped back in his teeth, he makes his way back into the Hall of Mirrors at Marianne's side. ]