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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gardens.

[eldr]

[the woman she approaches is sitting quietly, away from the food and any general clamor. Brynhildr takes in the day with a calm air - how long has it really been, since true sunshine fell on her without winter's chill to go along with it? true, she doesn't quite feel such temperature, but it was not lost. autumn, and what blooms within it, is more soothing to her senses than dealing with the idea of being severed from the mission.

still, to hear another woman's voice, she turns, even if she doesn't manage much of a smile yet. there's something vague about this stranger, though, enough that it pricks just at the edges of her senses.]

Of course. What do you require?

[with how softly she speaks, no wonder she was excusing herself.]

bryn-oneechan!!!!!!!!!

[royaliability]

[...somehow, the feeling is mutual. Is it familiarity? Hostility? The feeling is so quiet she can't even pinpoint how it's making her feel. Still, even if it were so strong as to metaphorically slap her in the face, she's nothing if not professional. It doesn't show whatsoever as she responds.]

...my thanks. I am looking for my spear; the shaft is simple black iron, yet the head resembles a finely carved crystal. I do not know if my separation from it was intended by whatever it was that brought me here, but I was hoping perhaps someone had seen it.

[A small hope, but she can't just give up on it. It's far too important.]

she's here!

[eldr]

[she too was looking for a spear...curious. Brynhildr has not yet tried to see if she could summon hers, though things still feel normal from her gauge. consideration furrows her brow, and she looks back to the closed doors of the library.]

I have not seen such a spear yet, although that building might contain it, being closed to us. Perhaps our unseen hosts wish to avoid any violence and so have removed weapons.

[though there is not an abundance of spirits to get people drunk and rowdy in ways where you really did have to have everyone set their weapons aside, or at least vow to not use them. the disquiet from being called somewhere else alone could set trouble brewing. it's logical, and it seems terribly like mages.]

But I shall look for it with you, and tell you should I see it.

[royaliability]

[A fellow spear wielder. Good taste.

Gwendolyn offers a brief dip of her head in thanks.]

You have my thanks. On my honour as a valkyrie, I, Gwendolyn, shall not rest until that which has been taken is returned to you as well.

[eldr]

[this...may have been the wrong thing to say. Brynhildr's eyes widen, her hands gripping the fabric of her skirt before she relaxes - that explains the feeling. the great sorrow that ran through her and then left, the memories of another who was her and was not briefly touching her and then departing.

that was not a name among the sisters who she had to end. this...could be something else.]

You...are one of the valkyries? In truth?

[it is not far flung at all to think that the host of them would exist in some other world, another life.]

[royaliability]

[She's a bit surprised by the reaction, moreso by the familiarity. Gwendolyn was written before multiple world theory became the norm in media isn't exactly familiar with the concept of parallel worlds. Being brought here has given her the experience to know they seem to exist, sure, but before today she knew of Erion and only Erion. Nobody ever hypothesized about the existence of worlds beyond her own and, even if they did, she isn't exactly a scholar. It would have escaped her notice.]

...yes. [...is the short answer. "No" is the long answer and not something she's willing to divulge to a stranger.] You know of Lord Odin's valkyries?

[That could be good or bad, depending. He's public enemy number 1 outside their kingdom.]

[eldr]

Yes.

[to hear Father's name spoken like that...it had been a long time.]

For my name is Brynhildr, and I am another of their number.

[Gwendolyn's reaction to the name would tell her what she should think of her - but she knows, in her heart, how she already considers the other woman. if she can be so fortunate as to be lesser known, without the legend that she carries around...]

[royaliability]

...I see.

[It's hard to actually know how to feel about such a claim. Her first instinct is to tell her she knows every single Valkyrie, their names, their faces...

On the other hand, the people here hail from different worlds don't they?...could her father exist in another world, with other Valkyries? Other family? The idea rests in the pit of her stomach, weighing her down just a bit.]

I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar with your name. Despite that...these are unfamiliar circumstances. [Weird Library Circumstances that is.] So for now, I suppose...I'll welcome the company of another Valkyrie.

[Assuming this isn't some farce remains unsaid.]

[eldr]

[this is a relief. this is an escape, much as she longs for what she knows - this means that she will not be seen, pitied, held to the same suspicion. her features relax, and she offers Gwendolyn a hesitant smile.]

As will I. I know that these strange times are confusing, but I am glad to meet you, regardless.

[the sincerity of her words cannot be denied - it's evident in her expression, her body language. as unsettled as Gwen might be, Brynhildr is happy enough for something like comradeship.]