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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Sarah Williams | Return to Labyrinth | The Aristocrat

[notimefordreams]

I. THE AWAKENING

[The moment her eyes open is the moment pain floods back into her mind. How had she ignored it for so long in her sleep? She had never been a deep sleeper before but apparently she really needed it this time around.

The next few moments are spent simply blinking at the ceiling above her and trying to adjust her mind to the fact that it definitely isn't her ceiling.. At least there's enough light in here for her to actually make out most of the surroundings when she does eventually let her gaze slide over them only for her gaze to stop on another occupant of the room.

Her heart leaps up into her throat unbidden. She's not frightened exactly but just laying around while some stranger sits or lurks or whatever nearby is just a little much. There's an ache settled in the back of her skull as she goes to push herself into a sitting position.

A sharp breath hisses out between her involuntarily gritted teeth and her voice rises in a rough and breathless fashion.]

What the hell happened.

II. EXPLORATION

[Gaining her feet is no small task with that pain lurking in the back of her head and the weight of her body. Her clothes feel familiar yet foreign all at once and she tugs at the neck of the loose blouse she wears as she starts to move around the room she's in.

She huffs out a dry sort of laugh, sardonically amused as she turns around in the room at large.]

At least there's enough light in here to see.

[That's when she notes the walls are far from barren. Pictures aren't unexpected but there's something about them... she can't put her finger on it. Maybe more light would help? She turns to whoever else is in the room as well, her face pale but her green eyes bright with interest.]

I don't guess there's a flashlight around. Candles maybe?

III. PIZZA!

[... Uh? Sarah can't help but pause just inside the room, her mind still whirring and reeling from experiences just moments before. That apartment, the pain, then a garden and a locked door and just --

Finally she blows out an exhausted breath, one of her hands carding roughly back through her hair before she starts moving forward like she hasn't slept in days. Pausing just in front of the stacks of pizza boxes she seems to think over whether it's wise to even touch them but her stomach is quickly deciding that for her.

Popping open the lid on a box she looks tired but pleasantly surprised.]

Oh. Well, at least there's real pizza here.

[And it's New York-style too!]

IV. WILDCARD

[Feel free to run into Sarah in the garden or before that locked door if you want to. Or go explore the library with her. Whatever prompt you have in mind, drop it here and feel free to PM if you want to plot. c:]

I

[mercyful]

I'm not sure.

[ Angela leans forward out of the shadows and the old armchair creaks in response. ]

You appeared delirious, injured. So I brought you in here to rest.

[notimefordreams]

[Sarah's brow furrows deeper at that. She looks puzzled to say the least and eventually lets her gaze drift from Angela to the bedsheet stretched over her legs and lap as one hand drifts upward to press the heel of said hand against her furrowed brow.

Her tone sounds just as puzzled as she looks.]

Was I?

[She can't remember a damn thing, at least not about what was going on before this. What she does know right now is the obvious. She punctuates the quirk of her lips with a huff of breath and a tone that turns dryly sardonic.]

I can definitely feel it at least. It must have been a good scrape, whatever it was.

[mercyful]

Things are a little hazy for me right now as well.

[ But she's hardly going to worry about herself, is she? She serves her Aristocrat and it's her well-being that matters. ]

I hope the apartment meets with your approval. It seemed to suit our needs for the moment.

[notimefordreams]

[The most Sarah had paid attention to so far was the ceiling. The bedsheet got a curosory look but honestly she couldn't even recall the color once she looked back up at the other woman. She quirks a brow beneath the hand still against her forehead and now turns her glance to the room at large.

Then she blinks a bit in clear surprise. The dull throb in the back of her head doesn't keep her from noting just how full the walls are.]

Looks like someone was a bit of a collector, doesn't it.

[mercyful]

Mm hmm.

[ She's had time to peruse the collection while Sarah slept. ]

There's something oddly familiar about some of these portraits, but I can't think why that would be. Do you recognize any of these people?

[notimefordreams]

[There are a few on the walls nearest the bed so it's easy enough for Sarah to turn some and get a decent look at the closest ones. And yet even this close it's like she can't see them well.]

No, not at all. Why would I, I've never been here.

[But. Sarah starts to turn, shuffling the covers off of her. At least she's still dressed. Her eyes are more focused on the myriad of other images hanging on the walls to be honest.]

[mercyful]

I thought perhaps they were well known figures among the nobility.

[ She tilts her head at an image close to her and squints her eyes. ]

It almost feels as though I know this one... but no, you're right. I've never been here either.

[ She moves to stand as well. ]

Any dizziness?

[notimefordreams]

[Ah, that's what she meant. For a moment Sarah had thoroughly forgotten her status here and the circles she moved in. Maybe a blow to the head? Or more likely she had always been so indulgent in her tastes and lackadaisical in her moods that she didn't pay much attention to the popular types among the nobility.

She runs a hand back through her hair, pushing the tangled length from her face as she gains her feet and tests them all at once.]

Thankfully no. I've got a pretty wicked headache though.

[She glances back to the bed now though. In rising her fingertips had hit something just behind her and she turns now, leaning over the bed with one hand pressing into the mattress to grasp it.]

Looks like there was a book here.

[A casual flip open and it's immediately apparent by the front page what the book is for.]

I think this is supposed to describe the paintings? And critique them.

[She quirks another amused smirk.]

Okay, so we're in the house of an art critic I guess.

[mercyful]

That sounds like a logical conclusion, yes.

[ Angela gets up from her armchair, an unsettled feeling clinging to her like a mantle. She's ensured the safety of her mistress, but there's something odd about this chateau and the situation they find themselves in. And the portraits...

She turns her head away before she starts squinting at them again. ]

I would hate for you to do yourself a further injury from walking about with a headache. Maybe a cold compress will help? I would be happy to try and find a bathroom and bring you one while you lie back down.

[notimefordreams]

[Sarah isn't about to tempt the ache in the back of her head by shaking it. Instead she chooses to wave a hand lightly, eyes still settled on the book itself in her hand.]

I think laying around much longer wouldn't be that good of an idea either.

[There's something about this place. Now that she glances up back to the artwork again on the nearest wall.]

I appreciate the shelter don't get me wrong but there's something off.

[It's hard to put her finger on. It feels like she's either forgetting something or slipping into a role like she did when she still acted. The situation is still weird but it's less so than when she first woke up, even if she still aches all the same.]

[mercyful]

You feel it too?

[ It's something that makes the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. ]

I feel like... we should stay here, but I can't say why I feel that way.

[notimefordreams]

It's sort of like a compulsion, right?

[And looking over the pictures also feels like a compulsion. She begins treading the room slowly, head and body aching but otherwise she feels ... restless? That seems about right.

Eventually she wanders near the part of the room deepest in the shadows. That's where Sarah pauses, toying with the collar of her shirt in almost a nervous gesture.]

Like I've got to explore... or at least look around the room.

[mercyful]

Yes.

[ Her lips press in a firm line, not liking this feeling that has come over her. It's like someone else is trying to take control of her own mind and despite her strength of will, she already feels exhausted and like she can't fight it. ]

And I feel like I have to stop you from leaving the room. I need to keep you safe.