genessia | The Crown and the Ring [Action|Closed]

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The Crown and the Ring [Action|Closed]

[It's been a week since Dracula went home. Since Soma's life had been turned completely on its head. It's been a whirlwind of activity, between making his connection to the castle as stable and non-insanity-inducing as possible. This is the first day he's had that he hasn't been either fighting the castle, making arrangements, or generally running around like a headless chicken.

All the while, he's had one thought on a back burner - a promise he'd made when this whole ordeal started, which he still had every intention of keeping. Thus it is that Anastasia Leonheart will find on her nightstand, apparently delivered while she slept, a formally sealed letter.]

Mr. White would like to invite Princess to an adventure at Holodeck'd in Nova City. Wear your best carnival attire.

[Signed]
Mr. White

[Very short and to the point, but still a little mysterious. Would she remember that day, so long ago now?

When she enters the building, she'll find it's already running a simulation. A carnival, complete with a row of carnival games - people walking hither and thither, some carrying prizes, others carrying food. And at one stall, wearing what looks for all the world like armor patterned after a dragon's scales...]

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[It was peculiar to wake up alone this time. Even more so is this letter signed by Mr. White.

That name bothers her for no other reason than a vague memory that bombards her mind. Why is this name so familiar? Yet there is also an air of worry. Why the Holodeck? Why in a carnival outfit? Nothing ventured, nothing gained. If Soma's in trouble, it's her job as his girlfriend to bail him out. All she has though is a masquerade costume she was saving, so it will have to do.

But now that she is at the specified room, it was indeed as it implied. It was a carnival, and a weirdly familiar one at that. She can feel herself walking the same path she did as a child and that one weird man... That thought came apart when she happened upon a stall with a man wearing dragon-scaled armor. She stared for a moment, but then began to approach, a small smile began to play on her lips as she finally remembers it all.]

Mr. White, I presume?

[The man in the dragon mask completes his action - throwing a knife at a target in the booth - and turns the motion into a courtly bow as he turns to face her. If there was any doubt, the white hair visible behind the mask certainly should dispel them.]

Indeed, Princess. I apologize for the deception, shallow though it was. Do you remember this place?

[It's a passable recreation of the Cirque du Vrai, without the creepy overtones - no magic masks involved here. Granted the games are still crooked as all hell, but that's a carnival for you.]

Perhaps a better question... do you remember its significance?

[The memories flood back in full force, she feels like it was yesterday that she had been here. And this time, she's taller.
For her own motion, she turns around and takes a few slow steps forward and away from the stall.]

Indeed I do... This is where we first met.

[She holds her hand flat up and over the ground, woven mana calling up pebbles off the ground and coalescing into a larger stone. She turns and throws the stone towards Mr. White.]

Think fast~!

[Just as before, the knife he throws hadn't been in his hand a moment before. Conjured out of thin air, she'll know now - one among many, MANY such feats of which he is capable. And just as before, it strikes the stone out of the air, then evaporates before it even hits the ground.]

We were both of us younger then. You but a child, and I recently arrived, not sure of anything at all, and certainly not looking for what I found.

[He takes a step toward her. And then another. And... what's that in his hand? A stuffed bear, wearing a ribbon, and a charm - the same one he won for her that day. But there's something different about it - something on the ribbon. Something that gleams in the light.

Before she can take it from him, he kneels.]

Back then, I told you that we dragons are fond of carrying off the maidens that knights are so fond of defending. So, o maiden, will you let this dragon carry you away?

[She was just a child then, one well on her way to harboring the darkest thoughts until she met him. Thanks to him, she was able to manage well into adulthood.

She remembers this bear and charm. That same bear should still be on her bed back at their apartment, yet still her heart begins to flutter happily, the same as it did then. The moment he kneels, she begins to suspect something, the gesture seems familiar, but the question itself leaves her confused. Is this what she thinks it is? She needs to be sure.]

I... I'm not sure I understand the question.

[He has to fight not to choke. He'd said it exactly that way so he wouldn't have to use the traditional words. But... well, she deserves them. After everything they've been through, they both do.]

Anastasia, I'm asking if you will marry me. Theatrics aside, as plainly as I know how to put it - I've loved you since the first day we met, though it was a little different then. We've both come a long way, and even if it only lasts while we're here, in this place... I would like to continue to walk with you.

[She is very sorry! But she had to know, full and complete, and it was exactly as she expected. The fluttering in her heart intensifies, it wasn't a difficult question to answer.

Holding back her excitement, she reaches down to gently touch his cheek with the tips of her fingers.]

Soma...! I couldn't ask for anything better... I want us to continue walking this path together. Of course I'll marry you!

[There's something he has to do before he can do any of the myriad things that answer makes him want to do. Something that tradition demands - something he'd not dared believe would happen, but which he was nevertheless prepared for. He slips the ring off the ribbon, over the charm, and sets the bear aside, then reaches for her left hand. On goes the ring - a perfect fit. Getting her size wasn't hard, not when they were living together for the past... however many months.

Then, once that vital detail is taken care of, then he gets to his feet and plants the kind of kiss on her he'd frankly been dreaming of for at least half those months.]

[She was trying not to giggle in absolute delight, to just let out all the joy. She was only able to hold back by keeping a hand over her mouth as Soma slipped the ring onto her finger. It was simple, but full of meaning, the importance of it.

She pulls herself into his embrace, and allowed the kiss he gave her seal their engagement.]

[There's a lot of emotions to unpack with that kiss. It's probably gonna last a while. But once it's over, and they've both caught their breath, Soma shuts down the sim and leads her outside - where there's a car waiting. Not his bike, an actual car, and a pretty nice one at that. He opens the passenger door for her, makes sure she's situated, and installs himself in the driver's side.]

We're going to stop back by the apartment first, because this stuff is surprisingly heavy, but we have reservations at the best restaurant I could find in two hours.

[Note: Best, not most expensive. And it definitely isn't in Nova.]

[Given that, she may need to reapply her lip gloss. But it was worth it. Going with him, her hand in his, she was quite surprised that it was an actual car. It has been a long time since she's ridden in one, not since Satsuki was still in Genessia.]

Heavy? Do you mean these costumes?
And where are we going? Or is it going to be a surprise?

[He shakes an arm to demonstrate his point - those are real armor scales. He's wearing real armor.] Scale mail. Not what I'd generally call casual wear. As for where... it's a place in Fayren. Which means we're not going to get there in the car, when all's said and done. We'll be riding horseback on the other side of the gate, so you'll probably want to dress accordingly.

[This may be the first time Soma's ever taken longer to change/get dressed than her. Armor, real armor that's meant to protect someone, is hard to manage solo. In fact, after about twenty minutes...]

Anya? I hate to ask, but... I kind of need a hand with this. It was easier to get on, I swear...

Here I thought it was plastic...

[Heavy indeed. Without effort on her part, she can't lift it with Soma's arm. Now back at the apartment, Anastasia just finished with her own changing after Soma called for help, so she came in dressed in fashion similar to her old Princess attire, but toned down to be more fancy-casual. She can still fit in with Fayren's culture.]

Stuck? Well, I know less about armor than you, but... What do you need me to do?

When I lean forward, take hold of the back of the neck of the cuirass and pull. I'll have to wriggle some to get it off, so don't be surprised.

[Ever try to take a shirt off without turning it inside out? Picture that. Then make the shirt really stiff, fairly tight, and not at all stretchy. Then make it heavy, and put a half-inch-thick felt gambeson under it that's all of those same things. Fortunately he's already undone any lacings that needed to be loosened.

Now picture him with his arms extended in front of him, completely unable to see once the cuirass passes over his eyes. Wriggling. It's really funny as hell to watch, though his hands may accidentally hit her at some point. Certainly not hard enough to cause damage, though maybe in awkward places.]

Oof! Sorry about that...

[She tries to stay in front of him so his flailing arms don't hit her as much as they could while she takes hold of the collar and pulls. But there was some lucky shots at her hip. Though she doesn't make any noise about it.]

I think it's almost off. Just a little more.

[Thus, likely out of poor judgment, she adds some weight to her pulling to get this darn armor off.]

[He's certainly not trying to do anything untoward. Fortunately for Anya, the bed's behind her when she applies that extra weight - she and the cuirass go that way while Soma goes the other, landing flat on his back. Fortunately, his gambeson is still intact so there's no carpet burn, but it's still enough to draw an 'oomph' out of him.]

Ow... memo to me, next time, get the kind that has latches. You okay?

[Definitely not the wiseest move on her part, but at least she fell and landed on the bed. Sure she fell in a somewhat compromising position coupled with a little dress for evenings, but she was quick to recover. She gets back up to straighten herself out.]

Ugh. Yeah, I'm fine. You?

[Nothing more than a glimpse for him, fortunately, so he's not actually catching fire. He levers himself back up to an upright position without much effort, even in the stiff 'shirt'.]

Nothing that won't mend before we get to the restaurant. Once we get this shirt off I can finish getting ready. I'm afraid it's more of the same, though - I need help with this one too.

You big baby. All right, let's do this.

[Anastasia says in jest, of course. She believes starting the sleeves is a good start. She helps the cuffs still and straight, hopefully giving Soma enough to het his arms free.]

[Getting his arms free first seems to be the right call, as things go much more smoothly this time. Could also be that the cuirass was sticking to the gambeson some, too - being made of what feels like heavy felt, it certainly has coarse enough fiber for something like that to grab onto.

That leaves Soma in just his pants - she's definitely seen him like this before, so it shouldn't be TOO awkward... right?]

[Nope, sorry, you're on your own for this one.

At least, that's what she wants to say. But she somewhat has an obligation as his wife-to-be to help.]

The trousers too? You don't have some incoporeal spell you can use?

Edited 2019-08-05 07:49 (UTC)

I-I can handle those myself! [Okay yeah he's about to set off smoke alarms at that one. WOW.

Once she's out, he makes quick work of the rest, and soon emerges wearing something much closer to normal - sturdy pants, a tunic that's a bit older-fashioned but should fit right in in Fayren, and his signature boots. No coat today - it's too hot out and he's not expecting trouble.]

[While Soma worked on that, Anastasia decided to change. Because of course she did. She switched out the little dress for a much longer one, suitable to covering up the ankles and avoid being captured and burned at the stake for witchcraft. Hopefully.

But now she is finally ready. Hopefully they are not running late.]

Sorry, had a change of thought in dress. This should be much better.

[This is Fayren they're going to. Witchcraft isn't just encouraged, it's taught as part of the K-12 curriculum. But he's not going to complain; he enjoys seeing her in different outfits, and now that he's asked the Big Question, he feels comfortable in admitting to that.]

We should have just about enough time to get there, if we're quick. And considering Nightmare's speed, it's really not much of an issue.

[He offers her his arm - the classic chivalrous gesture.] Shall we?

[Still, she worries her magic may be regarded as too dangerous for some societies.
Like a courted lady, she takes his side and wraps her arms around his.]

Let's~ Time to begin the rest of our lives together.

[Back down to the car they go, thence to the Fayren gate. They have to leave the car behind, sadly - Fayren isn't really set up to deal with them - but once they're on the other side, it takes almost no time for them to find their new mounts. A matched pair of Nightmares. Soma will of course assist her in mounting before taking to the saddle himself.]

Where we're heading is technically a pub - something like an adventurer's guild, from what I've heard. They have excellent food, the staff are courteous, and the patrons are generally well-behaved.

[But she thought they were going to a fancy restaurant? Well, she trusts his judgment of fine eating.]

A pub? I've been to one before back home. They were all too drunk to notice me there, so it'll be interesting to see how it varies here.

[She may have 'pub' mixed up with 'tavern'. While a pub does serve alcohol, they also serve food - often quite good food. And a pub tends to be more upscale, in his experience at least.]

I don't think you'll have that problem here, but we're not looking to draw attention anyway. We have a private room - we won't be in the main hall.

[That, then, is probably what he meant by reservations.]

[She may have them confused. She only encountered a few in her lifetime and were only sometimes helpful with information.]

Is that so? A table all alone to ourselves? I can hardly wait to see this.

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The Crown and the Ring [Action|Closed]

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