TDM 1 ⬡ The Oval Portrait

[liburuzaina]

	Casting Call The Oval Portrait Edgar Allan Poe »» "Long — long I read — and devoutly, devotedly I gazed." Name: The Aristocrat Casting Call: Characters with a Birthday from September through December Physical Notes: Desperately wounded, to the point of being bedridden, but not losing consciousness. Personality Notes: Curious, and prone to becoming enraptured by the pursuit of learning about whatever has caught their curiosity. Mildly delirious due to injury. Compulsions: To learn about their surroundings, whether through study of the portraits in the chateau apartment, conversation with a companion, or ill-advised exploration. «« »» "We established ourselves in one of the smallest and least sumptuously furnished apartments." Name: The Valet Casting Call: Characters with an Unknown Birthday Physical Notes: Older than The Aristocrat by ≥ 5 years. Personality Notes: Willing and able (by force or by cleverness) to break in to a home for the well-being of their employer. A caretaker by nature. Compulsions: To see that The Aristocrat is comfortable for the night and their wounds are tended to, and to get some rest themselves once their duty is complete. In the absence of The Aristocrat, The Valet is free to act as they please. «« »» "She was a maiden of rarest beauty, and not more lovely than full of glee." Name: The Maiden Casting Call: Characters with a birthday from May through August Physical Notes: Young, aged from 15-20. Personality Notes: All smiles, loving and cherishing of all things, hating only The Painter's art, for they deprive them of their lover. Compulsions: To live life to the fullest, to love, to be happy... But also to make their husband, The Painter happy, by being a good and willing subject for his portraiture, should he ask. ⬡ Will slowly waste away and die, should they sit and allow themselves to be painted. «« »» "And evil was the hour when she saw, and loved, and wedded the painter." Name: The Painter Casting Call: Characters with a birthday from January through April Physical Notes: Older than the maiden by ≥ 10 years. Personality Notes: Passionate, studious, austere, wild, moody. More in love with his art than his wife. Compulsions: To paint. To paint, and paint, and paint some more. To ask their lovely wife to be the subject for their next piece, and to throw themselves into the completion of it. ⬡ Unaware they are doing harm with their painting, until it is complete. «« code @ efryndiel The Chateau ⬡ Common Cast Characters most likely to originate in The Chateau are The Aristocrat and The Valet ⬡ Literary Description "To all appearance it had been temporarily and very lately abandoned. We established ourselves in one of the smallest and least sumptuously furnished apartments. It lay in a remote turret of the building. Its decorations were rich, yet tattered and antique. Its walls were hung with tapestry and bedecked with manifold and multiform armorial trophies, together with an unusually great number of very spirited modern paintings in frames of rich golden arabesque." ⬡ For Your Exploration Characters may attempt to explore the Chateau, but it will be shrouded in darkness, and every room they enter will bring them back to the apartment chosen by The Valet. What decorations may be seen are dark and victorian in design, and the room and halls may be lit by candlelight. The Maiden's portrait is on the wall, and will initially be cloaked in shadow for The Aristocrat to find. It appears remarkably lifelike, almost as though it is a window instead of a portrait. The other paintings on the walls will contain figures that are almost familiar to The Aristocrat and The Valet - as though they could be someone they know, but only if they squint. There is no electricity. Characters will not have access to any powers. The Artist's Tower ⬡ Common Cast Characters most likely to originate in The Artist's Tower are The Maiden and The Painter ⬡ Literary Description "But she was humble and obedient, and sat meekly for many weeks in the dark, high turret-chamber where the light dripped upon the pale canvas only from overhead. But he, the painter, took glory in his work, which went on from hour to hour, and from day to day." ⬡ For Your Exploration Should characters leave the Painter's studio, they will immediately be transported outside, to a sprawling field of wildflowers. There won't seem to be anything else around, but there will be a light breeze and the sound of the sea in the distance. Inside the studio, the air is stale and musty, smelling of oil paints and turpentine. It's dim, lit only by a skylight. There is a stool for the subject and an easel with canvas sitting in the light, but everything else - art materials, more canvases, both empty and with the beginnings of paintings, and props - are all pushed to the sides of the room and cloaked in shadow. Like The Chateau, there is no electricity, and characters will not have access to their powers. The Library ⬡ Welcome! Free from their roles, through either death, completion of the Story, or from not being pulled into the tale in the first place, characters will find themselves in the gardens outside of the Library itself. As always, it will look and feel like a temperate, autumn afternoon. As this setting is part of the Library itself, characters will have full access to all their powers. ⬡ Grand Opening Coming Soon! The front door will, unfortunately, be locked, and a sign will be taped on the doors, detailing how the Library will be opening soon, but in the meantime to please enjoy the grounds and the pizza party in the courtyard. ⬡ Pizza party? Pizza party! In the courtyard, there will be tables set up that will be absolutely covered in stacks of paper plates, 2-liter bottles of any soda one could dream of, and stacks and stacks of pizza boxes, containing any flavor combination that could be desired. Opening a random box will provide a random, but popular, flavor. Opening a box with an Intent and a Desire for something specific will provide exactly that. Enjoy! It won't run out. navigation • premise • reserves • faq

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[mudpie]

[His smile does not drop-- it may lessen in radiance, and the shadows around the muscles of his mouth lessen as it softens, but he does not let the expression fall completely from his face. There's no sense in looking worried.

Even if the reality is staring him in the face-- if Sandalphon does not know either, then perhaps the Singularity is not here at all.]

I woke in a manor, and tasked with being someone's assistant for a while. I found it quite refreshing, having to wait on someone... but I must say, it's not as exciting as assisting you at your stall, Sandy.

[purport]

[ So they had been placed into the same circumstances, despite being ancient, powerful beings. Or perhaps because that's what they are, and someone out there finds the notion just that amusing. Sandalphon doesn't fancy the prospect.

And yet...what could so easily overpower the Supreme Primarch? For that matter, whatever manner of creature Lucio is?

Nevermind that bit about assisting him. ]

You attract more trouble than anything else. That's less excitement and more nonsense.

[ He huffs, though he is aware Lucio has no control over his swarming admirers. ]

We need to find the others.

[mudpie]

Hmm... [Instead of considering a place they could go first to find their errant crewmates, Lucio picks up one of the large bottles filled with drink-- this one looks coffee-colored, just is darker, yet slightly more translucent than Sandalphon's favorite beverage.]

Perhaps we could stay in place instead, and await their arrival here! After all, it seems we were ushered here for a reason.

If we stay, they'll come to us soon enough, and we'll all be able to have pizza. [Then he starts to shake the bottle, even if he has no idea what that would do.]

[purport]

[ Eyeing the way that bottle's contents bubble up, Sandalphon questions what in the world it is. Unlike the pizza, it sparks no recognition for him. A pity, that coffee is replaced with some bottles of unfamiliar, fizzy substance. ]

You're being far too cavalier about this.

[ The folds his arms with a vexed huff, eyes narrowed at the doorway across the room. ]

What if they're in danger right now? Something - or someone - brought us here without our knowledge or resistance. That can't bode well for the others.

[mudpie]

Mmm...

[Well, he cant fault Sandalphon for being a worrywart. But Lucio imagines that there would be no cause for alarm for the rest of the crew, if they had the same experiences that he himself and possibly Sandalphon had as well.

He stops shaking the bottle, watching the contents with fascination. He perhaps thought it could be an alcoholic beverage, like the ones the grown skydwellers love to imbibe at night, but none of them have reacted like this.]

But Sandy... If we were to lose ourselves in this unknown place as well, how do you suppose we return to this courtyard?

[purport]

[ Becoming lost was a possibility, and yet... ]

Are we not lost already?

[ They don't know where they are, nor how they got here. Remaining near sustenance would matter for mortals, but they have no need to consume food for energy. Besides, there was no guarantee that anyone would make their way to this spot.

He glances Lucio's way, ignoring forcefully the way he still struggles with the sight of his countenance. Even now, it's still too much like... He needs to put it out of mind. ]

At least then we might find them.

[mudpie]

But Sandy, we know exactly where we are!

This is the courtyard of a wonderfully strange, but wonderful place.

[Lucio twists the cap of the bottle once the bubbles have stopped rising, unmindful of the resistance he meets at first. And when the cap comes off, some of the top of the drink foams and spills right out, less like a geyser and more like an overfilled mug of coffee. Just with so much bubbling and foaming.

He could not be more delighted about this development.]

Oh!

[purport]

No place is wonderful if it drags you in without consent.

[ Without their awareness at all, no less. His frown is fast becoming a permanent fixture, unwilling to trust their surroundings nor accept their circumstances, nebulous as they are, and he's uncertain why Lucio is taking this in such lackadaisical stride.

Then again, isn't that always the case with Lucio? ]

Stay here if you like, but I'm going to find the others.

[mudpie]

Ah, but Sandy-- [Lucio pouts slightly, because he does want to have some time with the drink... but then again, he can always keep the bottle on his person, cant he? He returns the cap onto the bottle, and cleans his soiled hand with a fleeting thought and slight exertion of his power.]

I shall accompany you, but what if they were to arrive here whilst we get lost in the library? I would say we would miss them.

[purport]

You assume I'll lose my way so easily? [ He doesn't know whether to be irritated or exasperated, and so he ops for a mixture of both. ] You needn't follow me if you're convinced they'll find their way to this location.

[ For his part, however... He's seen the others find their way to trouble far too many times to wait around for them to appear. It doesn't sit right with him, none of this does, and he can't see it in him to stand around. ]

[mudpie]

I couldn't possibly.

After all, how would I be able to look at the Captain in the eye and admit that I've lost you? And... [Lucio tilts his head, his smile softening, but becoming far less faked than before.

Dear, dear Sandy, always going off on his own, and uncaring about what he may find outside. It's a good trait, to be sure, because the best adventurers have ever been the daring ones, but even the best need someone to watch their back.]

How would I be able to look you in the eye once you're found?

[purport]

[ Folding his arms across his chest with a huff, Sandalphon wears his vexation openly. Even so, he voices it for good measure. ]

I don't need anyone minding me, and I don't recall ever becoming your responsibility.

[ Honestly, there were moments when Lucio was tolerable (not that he'd say it), and then there were moments like this. ]

I'm over two thousand years old.

[ And yet hasn't the self-awareness to realize he sounds like a moody teen. ]

[mudpie]

["I'm X years old".

Ah, the complaints of someone who is still so, so young, with so much more to see and learn... Indeed, Sandalphon's age means nothing to someone who is almost as old as the world itself, before his Master and the Realms were split in twain. Even if Sandalphon doesn't know Lucio's true age, the declaration still brings a smile to his face, the kind of smile a doting elder would give to a youngster.]

I'm merely looking out for you, Sandy. What are friends for?

[purport]

[ There it is, the f-word again.

Though Sandalphon has given the matter some thought, he still isn't quite settled enough to give Lucio a proper reply. Whatever a proper reply even entails. He had never been formally asked for his friendship, after all.

For the time being, he opts to ignore the use of the word. ]

I can get by just fine on my own, you know. If you worry after everyone, you'll exhaust yourself.

[ Pot, kettle. ]

[mudpie]

I insist, Sandy!

[Just so he can keep an eye on the dear, young, Supreme Primarch. He pats the bottle he's still holding, with every intention of bringing it along with them.]

I shall even bring the refreshments with me.

[purport]

...Very well. At least I can keep an eye on you this way.

[ Because Bahamut knows that mortals lose their minds at the sight of Lucio, and the last thing they need is chaos erupting as they fight over him.

Sure, Lucio has gotten better at managing and placating them, but it's no less aggravating to bear witness to. ]

Let's see what we can gather about this place.

[ With that, he turns on his heel and marches toward the building proper. ]

[mudpie]

[Lucio's wings flutter, and he's lifted off of his feet so he can catch up more quickly to the archangel. Only then does he return to walking, keeping up with Sandalphon's pace.]

Ah, to know you're making sure I am keeping safe... Little else warms my heart!

[purport]

[ With a scoff, Sandalphon nudges Lucio's face away when he deems him to be too close. Granted, his personal bubble may be particularly broad for his stubby-winged companion, so there is no small measure of bias. ]

Nonsense. Every little thing pleases you.

[ He casts a pointed glance at that fizzing bottle of dark fluid Lucio has brought along for their venture. ]

[mudpie]

[Oh, oh, how rough.

But Lucio gets the hint-- Sandalphon would like some space, and thus he flutters away and puts himself at arm's length of the young primarch. His own arm length with his superior reach, and not Sandalphon's, and that should suffice.]

Should I not be pleased with the world as a whole? Many, many wondrous things surround us, should that not be enough to smile?

[purport]

The fact remains that we've been spirited away from the ship and deposited here without explanation.

[ Here he pauses for emphasis, biting back a bitter frown. ]

Without apparent means to leave.

[ Because of course he's tried. Of course he has. And once more, he finds himself caged. This time, however, isn't linked to a particular transgression. ]