eachdraidh | 3rd Chassé | Video for Both Courts

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3rd Chassé | Video for Both Courts

[After the madness of the dogs, Ryan's mostly taken to spending time holed up in his room in the castle with Kelsi and her specialty-made tea, readjusting to make things more normal again.

Of course then he wakes up to a message from her.

"❤To Mr. Fred Astaire❤
I got asked to go on a quest!!!!!
It's alright, Sif is with me. We're going to deal with a manticore. I don't know what that is but I brought a few books of me along the way.
See you when I get back!

PS. I took your hat so I won't feel so lonely. Sorry!"

There were several things wrong with the equation:

1.) Kelsi ended up going on a quest.
2.) Kelsi ended up going on a quest without him.
3.) Kelsi ended up going on a quest without him and with his hat.

Then there was also the other question…who the hell is Sif?

Fine. Whatever. He can deal with being apart for a few days. Anyway he had his own business to go about. He needs to get back to his training and the longer he puts off the advice from Queen Solais, the worse off he'll be.

When the video on his locket clicks on anyone watching will notice that Ryan's sitting on a cliff in the sunken ruins. He's busy watching a small group of mermaids swimming below him and the bit of sunlight filtering through the cracks in the walls are bouncing off of his hair now that it's not sheltered by one of his hats. He's humming a song under his breath for a few moments as he continues to watch, only mildly aware he's even humming that particular song to set the mood. Maybe he was more homesick now than he initially thought. Whatever. He can't do anything about that now, he has other goals to reach.

Truth be told, he's kind of wondering if he should ask at all considering everything else that's going on right now. Yeah. He's aware of the things happening at Redgate. He's heard the broadcasts from other people, but…

…but if he doesn't ask now, how the hell is he supposed to really help in the future?]

Weird question. If you were a mermaid, what would be the most flattering thing a person could tell you?

[A beat.]

Scientific purposes only, I swear.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Yeah she's not really fussed with her title here :v]

Aye, he's still alive, although less a leg. [She purses her lips together a bit, chewing the bottom one in thought at his question.] Weapons are useless; his back is a literal graveyard of fallen warriors whose weapons were left impaled. Th' best we can do is drive him off.

[She blinks a bit at the news before she frowns.]

Well that's a bit daft! Manticores are poisonous!

Better to be less a leg than less a head. [Though that's debatable because Ryan really likes being able to walk and dance. The fact that this demon-bear is apparently impenetrable? Not a good sign.] Sounds like a rough deal. Someone has to know how to stop him though...someday.

[As far as Ryan's concerned all evil can be stopped. However that thought's pushed out of his mind because poisonous creatures are not okay.]

Wha--she told me she was selected to go on a quest to find this thing! Why would they send someone after something poisonous?

[She laughs a little at that. Her father had always said that, though she hadn't seen the humor for a long time. She shakes her head, smiling softly.]

One day, maybe. For now th' best we can do is pull up our defenses an' rely on my father.

[Although one day he won't be there, but she pushes that thought out of her mind and back into the pits of hell where it came from. Merida blinks a little at his question, tilting her head.]

Tae go after th' poison? It's in most poison healin' remedies tae be able to counter th' poison somehow.

Must be a good king if he's keeping you guys all together. [You have to see a little bit of a bright side in everything, or everything's not worth it, right? Right. Except, y'know, there is no bright side about manticores.]

Sooo...they have to risk being poisoned themselves in order to make an anti-poison? How does that even work. [Ughh okay. Okay, fine.] I'm starting to think the quests they send people on aren't actually good ones.

A great king's worth is only measured by th' love of his people, an' my father would fight for our clansmen until his dyin' breath.

[And the people of DunBroch love their king dearly. The royals had a fairly decent relationship with their subjects, built on years of trust and protection. Not that any of the clansmen weren't capable of protecting themselves, but it lifted their spirits seeing a big hearted man like Fergus head the charge.

She can't help laughing a little.]

How would it be a quest if there wasn't a bit of danger? I ventured into La Llorona for mine.

Yeah, I get that. [If he's keeping up with the analogy that Troy's the prince of East High, then he fits the bill of fighting for his people. "We're all in this together" right? Troy had changed everything for them all and even when they were all capable of bettering themselves they drew on his strength.

It was weird, thinking of his time at East as something medieval but...it made sense now.]

I don't know, I've never really been on a quest. What was in La Llorona?

Apparently a spirit's been killing off those who are lost or get too close tae Quendi.

[Said as though they're talking about the weather.]

A few vampires lost their dayguards an' asked me tae search for them.

[Drabwurld: becoming more horrifying one day at a time.]

Vampires? I didn't even know we had vampires here. [Probably because he never asked.] You went alone...? I mean obviously it was fine since you're here but it just seems like the quests they send us on are really crazy.

A few reside in Caer Scima from what I know. [And that wasn't counting the ones from other worlds.] Aye. Well, I had Angus but he's a bit of a scaredy cat so I had tae leave him a bit further from where I found their armor an' weapons.

Can't say I've been over there much, so I'll take your word for it. [It's just something else he'll have to look into later.] Who's Angus and why did you take him with you if you knew he'd be too scared to go further?

He's my horse.

[At this, there's a whicker in the background and a nose pushes its way towards her locket screen, causing her to giggle and push gently at his muzzle.]

Yes, yes, we're talkin' about ye, you big galoot.

[He snuffles her hair before going back to what he was doing, and it's quite clear that she's leaning against him. Merida smiles.]

I thought I'd gotten him used tae magic an' fae folk but he's still as skittish as ever.

He's gorgeous. [Holy shit. Angus...Angus isn't your standard-issued fairy horse and so Ryan's just sort of staring for a minute, not entirely realizing he spoke that thought out loud. He can only assume Angus came to her the same way Appa came to Korra (or how he assumes, anyway.)

But hey. That's kind of awesome.]

There's a lot going on in a place like this. Maybe you can ask them for something to help make him a little more brave. [Boon. The word he's looking for is boon.]

[Angus whickers, preening and looking pleased with himself when Ryan says that. Merida just rolls her eyes at him and reaches up to rub his snout.]

Thank ye. I've had him since I was a wee lass.

[That answers that question. She taps her chin.]

Ye mean a boon? Aye, I was thinkin' that, but I was also thinkin' about askin' for him tae have some wings. Make getting around places faster than by hoof.

I can tell. [He laughs despite himself. A horse with an actual personality. Who knew?]

You mean like a pegasus? [That's...not a bad idea, Merida.] You could probably pick up a ton of speed if he could fly but wouldn't that hurt him?

[She opens her mouth, then pauses and glances at Angus.]

I could always ask that it doesn't hurt him? I've, ah, kind of learned that ye need tae be specific when dealin' with faeries or witches...

Definitely wish I'd learned that before I started asking the fairies for boons. I mean the things they've given me aren't bad but it's all trial and error.

[Back up though.]

Witches though? Really?

Aye.

[She pauses, then]

I may or may not have accidentally turned my mam into a bear because of a spell a witch gave me.

…wait, hold on. I think my locket's acting up again. I thought you just said you accidentally turned your mom into a bear. Because you took a spell from a witch.

[It's not your locket that's acting up, sorry Ryan.]

That I did. [She runs her fingers through her hair.] She wasn't listenin' tae me about not wantin' tae get married, so I bested my suitors in th' games for my hand. We got into a fight, I ran off, met this witch.

[Merida uses her hands to elaborate, though it's mostly just a lot of flailing around.]

I just wanted tae change her mind, not turn her into a bear.

[He…is not sure how to feel about that. Well let's be honest it's not like there are witches in his world (are there even bears in New Mexico…or New York? He's not even sure), so maybe this is normal?

…nah, there's no way this is normal and he kind of just laughs incredulously at the way Merida's hands are moving. He has the same habit.]

I mean my sister and my mom argue sometimes but I don't think she's ever considered turning her into a bear. [It's baffling. Except there's something bigger here.]

Why was she in such a rush to marry you off anyway?

I'm sixteen. Most girls my age are already married. Mum was fifteen when she married my dad.

[She gives a small shrug, glancing away from her locket. She doesn't make any kind of comment about his laughing at her hand movement though, so that's a plus.]

There's a lot of work that goes into bein' a princess an' a queen. I know I'm not ready for any of that, let alone marriage.

[Its just like any other fairytale he's ever heard while growing up. The princess has to be married by a certain age and that's just the way it is. Sixteen. He's eighteen now and he can't even imagine being married, but with the way Merida describes it she really didn't get much of a say.

And that sucks.]

...I know this place isn't really paradise or anything, but the break must be kinda nice, isn't it? I don't know a lot of people who could handle that.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess your mom's no longer a bear? Maybe?

Aye, I only got tae get out of th' castle every once in a while back home. Th'...th' freedom tae go where I want is nice.

[She shakes her head at that.]

We'd just found out there was a way to turn her back before I came. A friend here helped me figure out that th' witch meant somethin' physical possibly had tae be mended, as well as our bond.

I'll never understand the people that don't get to roam free. It's so...[Middle ages? Yeah, exactly. Let's not insult people, shall we? Instead he just sort of waves a hand to imply that he doesn't have a good word for it.]

That's a plus at least. Something to look forward to and I'm sure your mother will not only love you but also love not being a wild animal. [He tilts his head then, completely misinterpreting what she's said.] Didn't know you had friends from home here.

[She gets what he means, but still. Merida smiles a bit and then laughed.]

I don't have any friends back home. Just Angus. I meant one of my friends in th' Seelie court.

{She's not too sure if she should mention Diarmuid by name, considering what she promised Lady Grainne at Samhain, so she shakes her head.]

A kind knight who called on me after my locket broadcast my attack by th' fear dogs.

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