![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
JUNE TDM + SETTING UPDATES
BEARING FRUIT (NEW CHARACTERS ONLY)
It starts out as a pleasant dream. You’re in your favorite place, with your favorite people. It’s a moment of idyllic comfort.
The light starts to fade, but only in time to see as the leaves cradling you immediately start to soften and crumble, and with it comes a torrent of dirt. Soft, loamy soil starts to fill the space around you in the dark as you’re buried. Or, rather, you already were. You reach out through the dirt desperately, and your hands finds a root, so you pull while you clutch that precious crystal so close that it almost feels like it sinks into you (in your panic, you don’t notice that it does). You reach out again, and this time, your hand hits open air and plenty of sturdy roots around to grab.
From a seed you’re born, and like a sprout, you make your way out of the ground.
And once you’ve clawed your way out of the soft earth and the roots, nearby, you see the soil shift. Another hand comes up to grasp desperately for something, anything, just as you had been.
You wake with a start, cradled by soft, velvety plants, and sticky with a sap that smells faintly of honey and iron. You can see the veins of the leaves that hold you, lit warmly and gently by what looks like a crystal embedded above you. Yet, it’s odd, because that crystal calls to you. When you reach out to touch it, it’s warm. Familiar. Important. You don’t know why, but you know you must hold onto this, because now it feels wrong for it to be suspended in these leaves. So, you pull it out.And then, it goes wrong.
The sky turns dark above, and as you look up, you see the black expanse of space spotted with faraway pinprick lights of stars. Yet, they’re not stars. You’re certain. They’re watching you. A billion eyes all looking down, and they spill forth as if sky itself was a dam holding back those dark waters. You reach back to the people you’re with, but they’re frozen in place. Their eyes are black, reflecting only the expanse of dark eyes.
So you run, even though you know you won’t escape it. You glance back and see it not overtaking, but consuming. The landscape around you is being devoured, and you can see it cracking apart. The world itself is breaking, and it cracks under your feet. You fall, and the billion eyes chase after you until the darkness swallows you whole. There’s agony as if you’re being ripped apart, and then—
You cannot see. You cannot feel. You simply are. Yet even so, impossibly, a woman’s voice speaks gently.
I’m sorry it couldn’t be saved. But, come, it’s time to wake.
The light starts to fade, but only in time to see as the leaves cradling you immediately start to soften and crumble, and with it comes a torrent of dirt. Soft, loamy soil starts to fill the space around you in the dark as you’re buried. Or, rather, you already were. You reach out through the dirt desperately, and your hands finds a root, so you pull while you clutch that precious crystal so close that it almost feels like it sinks into you (in your panic, you don’t notice that it does). You reach out again, and this time, your hand hits open air and plenty of sturdy roots around to grab.
From a seed you’re born, and like a sprout, you make your way out of the ground.
And once you’ve clawed your way out of the soft earth and the roots, nearby, you see the soil shift. Another hand comes up to grasp desperately for something, anything, just as you had been.
TWO CITIES, ALIKE IN DIGNITY
With the new Shard-Bearers present or en route, it is Kathova and Cetina that approach the established ones, requesting that they form mentorships with the new souls to assist them with the integration process. To this end, they have both provided a centralized zone in both Highstorm and Springstar for a small, casual meet-and-greet to be held before the new Shard-Bearers are unleashed upon Kenos as a whole.
Additionally, as Springstar and Highstorm are holding their events on different days, it is possible for the knowledge-hungry to participate in both informational sessions -- the tones and opinions held by both cities are doubtless to differ, and some Shard-Bearers who have chosen to harmonize with either faction may even find their way to the opposing faction's session as well.
However, for those who have attended such events in the past, they'll note a marked difference—Only newly arrived Shard-Bearers and members of the faction are welcome. If you're a member of the opposite faction, you'll be questioned and ultimately turned away. If you want to join the party, you'll have to be a little sneakier, it seems.
Tables draped in white-and-gold-trimmed fabrics fare filled with fare typical to Springstar's mild winters-- fruits and wines, savory smoked meats and roasted vegetables, and large bowls of soups like youvarlakia and fasoalda have been lain out to encourage forum participants to snack as they speak. The atmosphere is ambient with informality and friendliness, though topics will inevitably stray towards philosophic or political, Springstar's meeting grounds are decorated with handsome chaise lounges and slouching klismos chairs in small, intimate groupings. This is a forum in the classical sense, where people are encouraged to speak freely, no matter the topic.
However, there’s a little tension in the air at this particular gathering. Whether you’ve recently arrived or you’ve been here nearly a year, it’s not hard to figure out—Meridian has just lost the Iconoclast Oracle, and though the Blight (see below) is improving, letting such an important things slip through their fingers again is painful. Without the Oracles, they’ll never see home again, after all. Yet to make matters worse, Meridian lost an unknown but not insignificant amount of its Shard-Bearers to Zenith’s sway. Even in the Seat of the Tribune, it’s not hard to overhear conversations about “what should be done to ensure they win the next Oracle” or questioning “if Tribune Cyrus is really up to the task.”
There are few places to be seated in the Manor's courtyard, resulting in a milling of bodies as they flow and ebb between smaller gatherings, clustering in small-to-large groups with small platters and shimmering flutes of drink held in their hands. Yet, as you look, you’ll see that the selection is also quite interesting. The foods and drinks on offer are from a multitude of worlds, and so you may find a new favorite! Or something not suited to your palate at all. It’s at least a chance to be adventurous.
The mood of Highstorm is subdued as always, but still seems to be pleasant and joyous thanks to claiming the Iconoclast Oracle. Again, it’s worth noting, as the Oracle was contested and therefore rightfully theirs in the first place. Congratulations are given to more senior Shard-Bearers for their efforts, and those who have just arrived may be regaled with stories of bold heroism at the first battle in the Scorching Isles or stories of wits and cleverness at its reclaiming last month. However, these stories aren’t always true, exactly, as only the Shard-Bearers have been present for either conflict. It seems they’re getting a bit of mythology built around them by the public.
Additionally, as Springstar and Highstorm are holding their events on different days, it is possible for the knowledge-hungry to participate in both informational sessions -- the tones and opinions held by both cities are doubtless to differ, and some Shard-Bearers who have chosen to harmonize with either faction may even find their way to the opposing faction's session as well.
However, for those who have attended such events in the past, they'll note a marked difference—Only newly arrived Shard-Bearers and members of the faction are welcome. If you're a member of the opposite faction, you'll be questioned and ultimately turned away. If you want to join the party, you'll have to be a little sneakier, it seems.
SPRINGSTAR, αιώνιος ήλιος
In Springstar, the Seat of the Tribune becomes available for such a forum. While a section of the building itself has been reserved for the meeting between fresh faces and experienced Shard-Bearers alike, the hustle and bustle of Heliopolis continues around them -- acolytes still gather their robes and tomes, hurrying from their quarters to lessons. A score of young militants march in step across the yard to the training grounds.Tables draped in white-and-gold-trimmed fabrics fare filled with fare typical to Springstar's mild winters-- fruits and wines, savory smoked meats and roasted vegetables, and large bowls of soups like youvarlakia and fasoalda have been lain out to encourage forum participants to snack as they speak. The atmosphere is ambient with informality and friendliness, though topics will inevitably stray towards philosophic or political, Springstar's meeting grounds are decorated with handsome chaise lounges and slouching klismos chairs in small, intimate groupings. This is a forum in the classical sense, where people are encouraged to speak freely, no matter the topic.
However, there’s a little tension in the air at this particular gathering. Whether you’ve recently arrived or you’ve been here nearly a year, it’s not hard to figure out—Meridian has just lost the Iconoclast Oracle, and though the Blight (see below) is improving, letting such an important things slip through their fingers again is painful. Without the Oracles, they’ll never see home again, after all. Yet to make matters worse, Meridian lost an unknown but not insignificant amount of its Shard-Bearers to Zenith’s sway. Even in the Seat of the Tribune, it’s not hard to overhear conversations about “what should be done to ensure they win the next Oracle” or questioning “if Tribune Cyrus is really up to the task.”
HIGHSTORM, луны-близнецы
Eternally in opposition, Highstorm provides the Manor's courtyard as the setting for their informational meeting. Formality is of utmost importance here, with attending Zenith loyalists and residents dressed in beautiful, albeit austere attire -- they are, after all, standing before Lady Yima's home. A buffet-style luncheon is spread alongside one of the largest reflecting pools, wherein you may gaze and find your memories revealed in retrospect upon the water's surface.There are few places to be seated in the Manor's courtyard, resulting in a milling of bodies as they flow and ebb between smaller gatherings, clustering in small-to-large groups with small platters and shimmering flutes of drink held in their hands. Yet, as you look, you’ll see that the selection is also quite interesting. The foods and drinks on offer are from a multitude of worlds, and so you may find a new favorite! Or something not suited to your palate at all. It’s at least a chance to be adventurous.
The mood of Highstorm is subdued as always, but still seems to be pleasant and joyous thanks to claiming the Iconoclast Oracle. Again, it’s worth noting, as the Oracle was contested and therefore rightfully theirs in the first place. Congratulations are given to more senior Shard-Bearers for their efforts, and those who have just arrived may be regaled with stories of bold heroism at the first battle in the Scorching Isles or stories of wits and cleverness at its reclaiming last month. However, these stories aren’t always true, exactly, as only the Shard-Bearers have been present for either conflict. It seems they’re getting a bit of mythology built around them by the public.
SETTING UPDATES
In both locations, information passes between all in a forum, spread and disseminated among the masses - it's a good opportunity for city residents, faction loyalists and interested new parties to share and share alike. Once the meet-and-greet has concluded, twin missives from both faction leads are read out -- invitations for all present to explore the cities to their heart's content, and warnings about stumbling ill-prepared ( or at all ) into the Below, or worse yet, the Beyond. As Shard-Bearers new and old take in their cities, they'll all see it change throughout the month...
OOC, these are all updates to the setting at large that players both new and old are free to interact with as little or as much as they wish! Feel free to use them as prompts on this post, in your characters on-going lives and arcs, or just let them go "that's none of my business" and ignore it. The world of Kenos is shaped by our playerbase, and these are some of the wider reaching effects of various player plots and actions.
OOC, these are all updates to the setting at large that players both new and old are free to interact with as little or as much as they wish! Feel free to use them as prompts on this post, in your characters on-going lives and arcs, or just let them go "that's none of my business" and ignore it. The world of Kenos is shaped by our playerbase, and these are some of the wider reaching effects of various player plots and actions.
THE BLIGHT (CONCLUSION)
The Blight, a strange, time-related disease that had been ravaging Highstorm and Springstar both is finally being addressed concretely thanks to the efforts of a few Shard-Bearers (game-locked log) and unknowingly, of Aetós. While the cities are both still affected by the Blight, it’s now on the mend as the knowledge gained in the Scorching Isles is applied. For living things, a vaccine and medicinal potion has been developed, and for the environment, a technique has been developed to reverse the effects. Efforts are ongoing for each to eliminate the Blight from the cities entirely.FURTHER DETAILS
- Though the two cities are at war over the Oracles, the Blight is an area in which they’re unified because of the level of threat it presents to everyone. As such, the people of Highstorm and Springstar will both gladly accept help in distributing vaccines/potions or purifying the Blight from objects, regardless of their faction.
- Distributing the vaccines and potions is quite standard, should you wish to assist with that effort, but both cities are offering monetary incentives for anyone willing to collect or donate its most important ingredients: gold, silver, or platinum (if you’re willing to kindly donate objects containing these materials to the cause), Turquoise Vitalia (a flower that grows in the highlands of World’s Edge), and Blue Lotus (a flower that’s springing up and growing rapidly near bodies of water in Highstorm).
- You can also assist by purging the Blight from inanimate objects that are under its effects. Any Shard-Bearer who has Harmonized can be taught the process by some of the more senior NPCs that are in the bodies of government, but the basic process is simple. It requires a member of each faction, and similar to the purification of Discord, you’ll both push your faction’s energy into the object. As the process starts, you’ll innately sense that there’s a stronger presence of one energy over the other, and you’ll work together to equalize the energy.
CITIES IN RUINS
As part of the disastrous side effects of the Blight once ravaging the cities, large vines and roots have torn through the cities. This has created zones in them that are now uninhabitable because of collapsed buildings (which can be viewed for Highstorm and Springstar). There are efforts to rebuild both cities that are ongoing, but the unusual weather effects that were witnessed seem to be a bit more intense after a new batch of Shard-Bearers have arrived. This “unusual weather” can be pockets of thunderstorms of flurries, but they always carry additional effects such as (but not limited to) causing one to hear voices from the past or future, visual or auditory hallucinations of themselves from different timelines, pockets of space where old injuries, illnesses, or previously known physical conditions are re-experienced as if their body is going back in time. However, there are some new oddities that are also present...FURTHER DETAILS
- You may see ghostly specters of Shard-Bearers who have come and gone. Sometimes, they seem to notice that you’re there and flee deeper into the districts and disappear. Other times, they just go about what seems to be daily life in the district, though things don’t always match up. They might be leaning against a counter that’s no longer there, for example. Very rarely, you might even find one that you can have a conversation with, though not for long.
- OOC, if your character is one that you’ve dropped, feel free to have them make a cameo reappearance. This is more a chance to give a little hello (or farewell!) to CR and is totally optional. We ask that you not make a toplevel for them (unless you’re planning on reapping them), but we’ve made a toplevel for these kinds of interactions here. We also encourage you to give some friendly (or maybe not so friendly) hauntings to new players!
POLITICAL TURMOIL
After new Shard-Bearers arrive and settle into their new homes (so much as they can), those that frequent Springstar will see that the tension of the welcoming forum wasn’t a one-off. Meridian is a faction with opinions and ideals that are as diverse as the worlds people hail from, and so not all are happy with Tribune Cyrus’s performance in leading the faction to lose the same Oracle twice. Debates spring up in restaurants and bars, but it’s only aided by two notable Springstar residents encouraging such debates. Desmond Ó Ruadháin and Agapitos Voreen both draw crowds in public places as they speak to the people that gather. Their talks are peaceful and encourage people of Springstar to talk amongst themselves… But they’re also distinctly political about the future of Meridian and Springstar.FURTHER DETAILS
- Desmond is the foreman who oversees how the unique architecture of Springstar is made, and as such as a deep connection and investment in peoples’ home worlds. When Desmond speaks, he brings people together and tells stories from his homeland and well as from others that he’s heard. It’s something he encourages for those gathered, though it does make the sting of the loss of the Oracle more worrying. If Meridian doesn’t get the Oracles, then they’ll never see home again. There’s an undercurrent in his speeches that having been born here and to a noble family that’s living in Springstar for generations, Cyrus can’t truly understand the stakes here. He may be a good Tribune during peace, but this is war.
- Voreen is a businessman whose family owns several large shops throughout Springstar, and as such has a deep connection to the city and its people. When Voreen speaks, he brings people together by focusing on how Springstar itself is almost a miracle, and how it’s brought people from all walks of life together. His gatherings encourage people to get to know each other and to learn more about the people and the worlds they come from, since he deeply believes that the diversity of experience and knowledge is Meridian’s strength (…and frequent cause of arguments, it’s true). There’s an undercurrent in his speeches of a deep distrust of Zenith and especially of Yima. Anyone that offers you exactly what you want always has strings attached, right? Cyrus is too conciliatory towards Yima, and it makes Meridian as a whole seem weak. He may be a good Tribune during peace, but this is war.
- This is also a situation that Yima is well aware of, and she’ll send a brief message to Zenite Shard-Bearers to inform them of the unrest brewing in Springstar… And that for those with a deft hand for such matters, it’s a good opportunity to encourage this unrest in whatever way they see fit. She makes it clear that if Springstar is busy with internal politics, it’ll be much easier to stop their occupation of Alenroux as well as ensuring that the city itself may not be able to provide resources or backup to its Shard-Bearers in the fights for the Oracles.
SMALLER CHANGES
PASTORAL PEACE (ALENROUX)
Thanks to the ongoing efforts of both Shard-Bearers and Springstar’s military forces, Alenroux is now a much safer place to stay at night. While the threat of creatures roaming its lands isn’t negligible, the Southern portion of the island (close to the main Cornerstone) is now a place that can be inhabited by those willing to make the effort. Think of living there as being similar to living on the frontier—you have to build your own place to live and once night falls, you’re essentially on your own to protect yourself. Creatures will naturally gravitate towards anyone that chooses to set up a residence there as if they’re drawn to the life force, but so long as a home is well-fortified, it should be safe during the night. However, this does not apply the further North you go.
That said, while the people that work in (or just generally really like) Alenroux may be grateful to Springstar for its help in this regard, it does now seem unnecessary… Which is in large part thanks to Zenite efforts to undermine Springstar’s occupation. As a small town starts to be built around the Cornerstone, Springstar’s military or those that have been seen supporting it are treated with suspicion, if not openly told to leave. While the burgeoning community of Alenroux can’t said to be pro-Zenith (yet?), they’re definitely leaning decidedly anti-Meridian.
THE BALANCE OF POWER (KOWLOON)
For those that have been in Kenos for a while and frequented the underground city of Kowloon, it’s been clear for a while that the drug den and bar Draumahol is under new management. Or, should we say, Draumah👁l? The establishment is now very openly owned by Silco, but anyone who spends enough time in the city to learn about its loose form of governance would also pick up that this means Silco has likely scooped up a position on the city’s “council”, though concrete confirmation of that is still hard information to get.
However, in a definitely unrelated point (it’s not), Meridian characters may find themselves running into more difficulty while in Kowloon. There’s no open hostility or even widespread distaste. It might seem more like bad luck unless Meri talk amongst each other. They may be more likely to be pick-pocketed or mugged, may find that some shops offer an arbitrarily higher price to them, etc. These are all free for players to decide, but should be on the level of being unlucky or a particularly bad day down in Kowloon rather than anything more serious.
OOC NOTES
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
kenoslogs.
no subject
It really depends on who's sitting at the table, or whether or not there are any better places to sit instead.
[ But Midna's table has the most space, and she's easy on the eyes. Her table's the one. Dark's boots, befitting of a heavy metal god, leave some holes in the public forum's grass before he drops to the side of the table across from her. His attire swallows the backrest of his chair, and he props his arms up behind himself. ]
Midna.
[ Greeting her properly. He grins. ]
You're unharmonized, huh. Bland like white bread and still fresh out of the dirt by the Tree. The geezers at these newcomer gatherings will blab your ears off. Probably better off hearing all the gossip from your fellow shard bearers directly instead of listening to the NPCs.
[ His labels and philosophies may come off strange, but Dark knows better than to think such minor, unnamed characters could ever be too important. ]
no subject
[She scoffs. She knows what that really means. She hasn't made a decision on where her loyalty will go and she still isn't okay with the concept of pledging loyalty to anyone but herself. Although it is true that the notion of restoring her so-called destroyed world aligns with her personal desires. She just doesn't have an interest in anyone else's affairs other than her own.
That certainly feels familiar. She felt precisely the same way when Twilight began to encroach on Hyrule, and she knows what happened then.]
They've been very open with sharing information and what they want from me. Although I haven't found myself particularly moved either way. I may not be in a position to be demanding, but I don't think they're in a place to make commands of me either. Some of the others here, like myself, seem to share that thought. I won't be answering to anyone other than myself.
no subject
[ He's far too chaotic evil for that. ]
If you want to pick based on vibes and allies, Zenith is better. Yours truly is on that side, which means if anything does ever come to an eventual shit show and drag me into it, we'll be winning.
[ He pulls the meat off his skewers, dropping them with a hollow plinking sound on the empty plate in front of himself. ]
But it all sucks. This place must be really removed from all ten dimensions after all if none of us can get our magic back without harmonizing. I've bitched and moaned for a while now, but there's still no getting around it.
no subject
What they don't know, however, probably won't hurt them. Midna can't see herself actively doing work on their behalf, regardless. Such simply isn't her way. Even when it comes to pursuing her own means, she's more likely to make use of someone else than to do it herself. Maybe. It may all depend on circumstance.]
Aren't you crass. [She observes with a gentle chiding. Not how he ought to speak to a princess at all, but it's not as if he'd know it. And it's not as though she'd not heard in passing Hyrule conversations that were probably ill-fitting for princess ears.] Crass and confident, it seems.
[Annoying and yet something she can resonate with.]
Perhaps it helps to turn things in a way to fit our advantage. In my case, I always get what I want. If I have to say a few pretty words to appease them, I don't see the harm in it.
[There's nothing stopping her from lying to anyone, after all. To trust a Midna, it seems, would be a dangerous undertaking.]
no subject
[ Just on the same note of being so confident— ]
And you always get your way, huh? Well aren't you just a spoiled little princess.
[ The irony being that Midna is, indeed, a princess. ]
I'm not about to tell you that either faction won't let you harmonize to their cause gates wide open, but if they're even a little perceptive, they should know better than to trust us, either. We should expect that eventually either way. I don't know who's writing this manga, but it seems pretty likely they'll be some kind of plot twist down the road— one where we're all being used to help obtain some other shitty goal and both sides suck; not to sound like a conspiracy theorist or anything, but I think you catch my drift.
no subject
"Well aren't you just a spoiled little princess."
With a knowing smile, impish in nature, she can't help being amused. It's possible anyone would come to that conclusion after having a conversation or two with her. Dark doesn't know how closely he strikes, however. It seems she has no intentions of telling him either, though she makes no effort to offer correction.]
Here I thought we were already being used. It's not as though we have a guarantee of anything they've chosen to say. People are just following along because they don't have any other options. They want to believe what they want to believe. However, I don't believe either of them, and I won't until I receive more definitive proof. It's a foolish thing to take someone at their word, even if it is out of desperation.
[After a moment's consideration, she continues.]
If even a brute like you can grasp that, then perhaps not everyone here is a lost cause as I thought originally.
no subject
[ He eyes the food bar, wondering if he should go back and get himself more. Even more than wanting more to eat, his throat's a little dry. The tips of his fingers roll once, drumming against the top of the table set. ]
Well. If by brute you mean a hot, beefy, stud of a multirealm genius, you'd be right. Hope you're not trying to imply that my intelligence is anything other than ahead of the rest of the pack here.
no subject
She's not ready to swallow any of that as truth. Words, after all, are only words.
Midna watches his attention move. He came with food and looks like he could probably fill himself up with some more. She's been a little apprehensive to try the food herself, but if he's still managing, she'll probably be fine, too. She sets her gaze back onto him more properly, still smiling.]
A brute tends to be known for his brawn, not for his wit. I believe my implication was that should a brute have the minimum intelligence needed to question information, that there's hope for the rest of the people here. A little, anyway.
[But if he walks like a brute, talks like a brute, acts like a brute, then he's probably a brute.]
no subject
[ Hung up on the details, Dark starts with a boyish grin, apparently hung up on the other implication of what she'd said. ]
You said "a brute like you." You know, I'll take some of it as a compliment because I can sure be a brute— in the sack and when I make hell for my enemies—, but you assuming my intelligence is bottom barrel and not as worth worshipping as the rest of my awesomeness? That's not gonna cut it for me.
[ He studies her. How she doesn't yield or seem intimidated. The regality and pride that she no doubt carries screams at Dark to break her one day. An invitation she's exuding to him, despite likely not by design. ]
I'll let it slide as an accident for now, Midna. I think I'm developing a thing for girls like you lately.
no subject
[Her response is to the point, though seems to lack any sharp point to it. It's not malicious or said in a way that would otherwise be insulting. From Midna, it comes out as if it's simply undisputed fact. Or perhaps that she's just not willing to see him as anything other than as a brute.
As he eyes her, she is calm and composed, refined in her own way. She can only be herself, after all, and the only way Midna knows how to carry herself is... in that very haughty, princess fashion. His response, his 'gracious' permission to let her speak as she will is worthy of a laugh.
The corners of her mouth crease with the growth of her smile.]
I can assure you, there is no one else here in this world or the next one quite like me. [Presumptuous or not, she seems to believe that, too.] I'm sure you'll come to understand that in time.
no subject
[ He aligns their similarity here by saying this. ]
All that aside, I'm about to hit up the table for more food. You want to share a plate, or are you on a diet or something?
[ Dark Schneider?! Offering to share?! ]
no subject
Well. Dark is really nothing like him. Perhaps he is a bit like a lesser intelligent Shad.
His offer causes her to raise an eyebrow. She looses a laugh. A diet, hm? Yes, perhaps she might look that way with how elongated her appearance is from a first impression, though that's hardly the first thing others would notice, she thinks.]
I eat. I'm not accustomed to food like this. [Which is true and a good deal feeding into her apprehension to eat.] I will require that you test everything prior to me having any. I trust you can do that, however.
no subject
[ Well, she did just get here. Dark had been and is still reluctant to trust anybody, but he's also too reckless to exercise any caution. In his eyes, worrying about danger is what weaklings do. To imagine being unable to fend for oneself without excessive prep. Pathetic. ]
But yeah no, it doesn't make a difference either way. I'd eat some of everything even if you were on a diet.
[ He rises from his seat and puts a hand in his hair. ]
A plate of everything it is, then. If you're fussy about any of it, I'll just your portion.
no subject
[Although whether that's true or not is really anyone's guess. Prior to Zant, Midna wouldn't have considered anyone interested in getting rid of her or removing her from her position. After Zant, she still doesn't believe there's anyone who's inclined to move against her. So maybe she just wants to make Dark needlessly do things for her.
Somehow, she isn't really surprised by what he says next. He looks like he could probably eat and eat. And it might just go into muscle. She watches him rise, considers getting up with him, and realises that she's not interested in coming across as too cooperative. Let him do the hard work (not that plating one's self is hard) and let her reap the benefits of that effort. Why should she have to expend any if he's willing to do it for her?
This seems like a win-win situation. So instead, she crosses one leg over the other, shifting her half skirt (if one wants to call it that) as needed.]
I will agree to that. Bring me something to drink as well. Wine will do.
no subject
[ To have assassin attempts and hits being put out on her. The more Dark thinks about it, the more it sounds like a drag to need to worry about poison at all. ]
Wine. Okay.
[ Dark will not gone for long. Should Midna be curious enough to what he's doing, she might see him shoulder and shove others out of his way to make their plate. After all, he's not one for waiting. Him (and her in correspondence) being fed is far more important.
When he returns to the table, he has a generous portion of everything in addition to two large goblets of both white and red wine. He hadn't been sure of what color she'd want. ]
Here we are.
[ But before he even sits, Dark takes the first bite of what looks sort of like pakora, picking at it with his fingers and dipping it in a bright red sauce that'd been suggested as a condiment. ]
Tell me which one you want.
[ He finally, subsequently, lowers back into his seat again. ]
no subject
Midna wonders if she'd ever really thought about that before her journey with Link. In her childhood, though she'd taken her studies seriously enough, she has to admit that maybe she wasn't the most responsible. Loving her people, loving being a ruler, those are two very different things. Maybe it's possible she didn't understand the depth of the former until all that had befallen them. What do they think of her now? Well—
Shifting so she might cradle her chin in the palm of a hand, she watches him, pleasantly surprised that he's seen fit to simply do as she says. Her favourite kind of person, really. Someone who simply follows orders without asking her the 'why' and other lines of inquiry that one might be spurred toward.
He returns soon enough and the same smile is plastered on her features, though a touch more relaxed. Maybe because it's the first time since arrival that she's really felt like a princess. She can't say she can readily identify most of the food he's brought, but if he's not going to keel over from it, then it means it's safe for her to pick up with her very particular tongue.
Looking between the glasses he's brought for her, Midna's smile grows and she leans forward just a touch.]
I expected to have them both.
[With her other hand, she gestures to the plate he's come back with.]
Now, then. I'd like to hear your recommendations. What do you think I would find favourable?
no subject
The black forest cake.
[ He decides it with confidence, knocking on the fluffy dessert with the side of his fork. The prongs leave a thin mark on the brown icing. ]
Something about you makes me think you'd go straight for the sweets.
no subject
[Midna smiles sweetly, though it's questionable whether she means what she says or not. Is she more likely to gravitate towards sweet food? Possibly. She likes what she likes is how she's always thought about it. Maybe she does lean more toward sweet, dark things. Or just sweet things in general.
With a fork, she taps at it curiously.]
Did you try it already? I told you my expectations. I will only try food you have already tested for me. I must be sure, after all, that what I eat is worthy of me.
no subject
[ But Dark is complying, tilting his fork on its side to cut a sliver of the dessert for himself. He sinks the prongs into the icing and cake, lifting it to take in his mouth and chew. He watches Midna while eating, attempting to decide what he thinks. ]
The impression you give off is that you like to be spoiled. Used to it, maybe.
[ And he swallows. ]
That all said, is it really such a big surprise that I'd think you'd like something as indulgent as cake?
[ After all, it's befitting of someone with her attitude, is it not? ]
no subject
[She doesn't offer agreement or denial to his observation. She can be a brat and she's well aware of it. Sometimes that is beneficial. Sometimes it only provokes others. Regardless of whatever he may think of her, Dark still does precisely as she wants. It further solidifies the notion that he may be of benefit to her in the future.
Midna watches him with a startling amount of patience and when it seems there are no [immediate] adverse affects, she concludes that the cake is probably fine. His further assessment of her person seems to please her.]
I do enjoy being spoiled. [She deserves it, really.] And I do like indulging. Doesn't have to be cake, but that's a good thing to indulge in.
[Dropping her gaze to the cake, she dips in with her fork, taking a small and modest piece.]
no subject
Well?
no subject
Ah right. He's asked her a question.]
I don't find it unpleasant. [She finally replies with the same impish curve in her mouth.] It's rich and vibrant. Like everything else here, it seems. But I'm not an expert in sweets. Only a woman with a particular tongue and difficult to please.
1/2
Oh, he's got a taste that'll please your tongue all right, HeheHeheHEheheHEhe]2/2
[ Dark gives Midna a moment but feels that it's probably pointless. He clears his throat. ]
Let me guess, you won't make it any easier for me by letting me at least know what you didn't like about the cake. Should we try something else?
[ Because surely one of the dishes on this plate will strike her fancy! ]
no subject
Tilting her head, she taps the prongs of her fork against his plate.]
I didn't say I had anything I didn't like about it, hmm? I simply said I didn't dislike it.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)