eachdraidh

Well.

[ Well indeed. The Red Hand's plan didn't quite go as they wanted, but the Void didn't kill them all. That's something, right?

Of course, John doesn't say that, or much else that he's thinking about the battle or the Gem or the far worlds. He just shakes his head a little. ]

If anyone's ended up somewhere and has a hell of a long trip to get where they actually want to be, I might be able to play taxi for a while. I fully intend on checking all these new -- to us, at least -- places out, so I might as well be useful while I'm at it.

starspangled

For anyone who doesn't know me, my name's Steve Rogers. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to meet many of you at the feast. Things came up, but I at least wanted to introduce myself.

[For reasons, curiosity. Maybe he's a limited edition but he's definitely not one of a kind.]

I also wanted to talk about something else. Some of you might remember Sam Wilson - in fact, if you ever met him, I'm willing to bet that you do. Sam served two tours in the military, so he could definitely hold his own in a fight. But what he really loved to do was help people. My entire world had turned its back on me, and Sam took me in, made me bacon and eggs. That's the kind of friend I hope to be to anyone who'd call me one.

[Emphasis on 'anyone'.]

Sam's gone now, but he started working on something before he left. It's a clinic, he called it The Nest. There's some medicine and stuff there, but it was more than that. It was a place for people to come if they just needed to talk, or if they needed to rest. I never realized it before, but sometimes in a war people need that as much as they need bandaging up.

[Steve pauses there to take deep breath. Here comes the hard part.]

This is my friend's legacy, and I've tried to keep it afloat. The problem is, I don't know how. And it's hard for me to ask for help sometimes.

[He can barely even maintain eye contact. But the same thing keeps going through his head, fuels him on: for Sam.]

But if you have anything to offer...if you have medical knowledge or if you're just a good listener, even if you want somewhere else to stay. There's a place for you here.

I guess that's it. Again, welcome, and try to watch yourselves out there.

undeterrable

[It's been a...strange few weeks. Even with being used to other worlds by the time of his arrival, he's never stayed for this long. By now, Terra has a fair idea of how things work around here, and if not an idea, then he can guess at least. Or at least he thinks he's got this. In front of him, there's a chess set, set up in a rather peculiar way compared to most. For instance, there are a few raised platforms, and the pieces, while obviously still intended for their original uses, look different.

A little faerie chirps on the other side of the chess board, trying to lift one of the pieces near her and obviously failing if the way her body gets pulled down with the piece is any indication.]

Hey, hey. Careful or you'll hurt yourself.

[He reaches to help her and the faerie puffs her cheeks and pouts at him, wings beating as fast as a hummingbird's as she lowers the piece and crosses her arms, making him chuckle and shake his head before returning his attention to the network.]

I didn't think they were actually able to do it. Bring us things from home I mean.

[Terra holds a piece up, then places it down.]

I'm set up in the library if anyone is up for a game. Strong minds are equally as important as strong bodies.

[He then inclines his head.]

Unless you're looking for getting your butt kicked in the more physical sense, I'll be down in the training grounds later.

[And the feed ends.]

hallways

[ the video feed opens up onto an image of a chair in a small room. at first there's no indication that there's even anyone in the room, and then a woman walks into frame and sits on the chair. she looks composed, calm, although there is an intensity to her gaze that may give away just how displeased she actually is at the moment. ]

Hello, everyone. I am Princess Michelle Benjamin of Gilboa, and I wish to address our captors. As I have not been able to find a way to be permitted an audience in person, I am forced to air my grievances publicly.

[ she leans forward slightly in her chair, but remains as composed as ever. it wouldn't accomplish anything to make her frustration obvious; that is not how you deal with foreign dignitaries. at the best they think you're a petulant child with no real power, at worst they may take offense. a negotiation like this takes a delicate, thoughtful hand, and michelle is determined not to fail in this as she did at port prosperity. ]

I was lured here under false pretenses, with no knowledge or explanation of my purpose here. I have no desire to participate in a war, particularly one between nations I don't know. If you've taken me against my will, I have no doubt you've done the same to others, and so we get to the point of my address:

[ michelle folds her hands calmly in her lap, pauses for a moment, then continues. ]

I wish to negotiate for the safe release of all those brought to this place without full disclosure. Those who accepted to fight in your war of their own free will shall of course be exempt from this deal. In return, I give you my word that you will face no fear of reprisal from my father King Silas for my kidnapping.

Should you fail to return me and the others you have kidnapped to our homes, I must inform you that my father's temper runs hot of late, and he has seen his children taken from him far too much in recent months. He will not hesitate to retaliate.

Unless you want to fight a war on two sides, I suggest we sit down for negotiations.

[ with that said, michelle is finished. she closes the locket and ends the recording, then takes a deep breath. she's never been in a position like this before, and doesn't quite know what she's doing. she has to do something, though. these people can't just get away with kidnapping everyone here. ]

pontificus

( Seelie )

[She sits in the courtyard of the Fortuna mansion, her back to building itself. There are guards that can be seen from the corners of the video, though she doesn't pay them any mind. It is something she has long since been used to. Instead she addresses the locket gracefully, her chin pointed down.]

I understand that I am addressing my own court, and as such that mostly means shardbearers. I would consider you all allies, and in turn that means that I, too, would do as I can to help. But I must speak on matters that seem to darken my fair city of Treun.

[Her words are thoughtfully chosen, and despite the sternness to her voice, the meticulousness of how she speaks, Lucrezia as always has a softness to her.]

There are some, perhaps in the other court or shardless, that judge Governor Fortuna for his status here in the Drabwurld. That his supposed ties to the Seelie court do him more harm in a city where being one of the sharded is now a hated thing.

[Her jaw tightens, voice becoming lower.]

These threats do not scare me. I am a Borgia of Rome before I am a Fortuna of Treun, and I have learned to be hated for a name, a thing I cannot help. But I am Fortuna, and the Governor has always been kind to me. So I stand with him even in this time. I would hope the same goes for any Seelie, but especially for those in Treun.

Should any find themselves in need of aid, please contact me. I include those of you who have fled from Leathann.

[Lucrezia gives a solemn nod of her head before ending it there.]

bondedgryphon

[Zhaneel had been living in I Othrann-in-Heneb for the last two weeks, enjoying greatly the change of scenery. She knew there was enough denying the coming Void, and she was prepared to do her share to fight alongside others to hold it at bay, but that did not change the fact that she was enjoying having some time away; and Aragorn was as good of company as she could hope for.

She had been practicing her archery and by his hand was improving every day, and he had taken to teaching her Sindarin and Quenya at her request. As long as she was there, she thought it best to take advantage of the knowledge he had and learn as much as he could teach her. She was an eager student, and a fast learner and that eagerness brought her to the Elven courtyard as it had every other morning since her arrival.

Only Aragorn was not there to meet her. She had searched and when she'd come to his quarters, she'd found his belongings and his shard.

She gathered the items, donning his shard born palantir necklace and slipping Faramir's teleportation ring onto her unadorned hand. Elrond's picture, along with Maglor's letter and lockets belonging to Nuala and Arwen, were safely packed into a pocket of the Disillusionment Cloak she pulled over her shoulders. His shard went into a satchel that hung around her neck, the Elven made cloth fine, but strong.

She gathered herself and took to the skies, returning to the Cothromach first. She knew of the departure of the Starks that had ruled the battlement... most importantly, the departure of its lady Keeper Sansa. It wasn't until she tapped on his door and swung his door open, that she knew of the departure of one of her last friends, Dave Stutler, and his shard found itself tucked safely aside Aragorn's.

It's then that she activates her locket, her head held tall even as her throat tightens around the words.]

Aragorn, Keeper of I Orthann-in-Heneb... and David Stutler, sorcerer of the Cothromach... Both are gone from this world. Never could I have hoped for two finer men to call friend.

[She almost angrily wipes away the tear that slides down her cheek, tossing her hair from her eyes.]

My heart aches and they will be missed greatly... to those that knew them... [She looks at the locket again, this time allowing the tears to fall as they will.]

I am sorry. If you know of others that this message may not reach, I beseech you to share it.

[When she is through, she closes the locket and lifts the shard-made palantir, sending the same message across its confined channels to those that remain.]

boutant

( cw: language, mindfuckery, mentions of suicide/attempted suicide )

falconkick

Dude, why did no one tell me the High freakin' King of this joint is a black guy?

[ that's it, that's the post. ]

depicted

[Oh, look, it's Dorian Gray! Everyone remembers Dorian Gray, right? Sweet kid, a little naive, recently got scolded at the royal audience? Well, today you wouldn't believe it, not from how very self-possessed he looks, how pleased, how utterly brazen.

One might think that someone who just got publicly called out and punished might feel more need to keep their head down and be discrete, but apparently not. Every actor needs an audience, and this actor, at least, seems to be particularly committed to enjoy the show he's putting on. Feline in recline, he speaks as one who savours language, gesturing in smooth, languid movements. He is the 1890s Aesthete come to life, in all its hedonistic glory, and he is here to share.]

How dreary we all are getting. It's the fin de siècle all over again, but with far less Oscar. Or Yeats, for that matter. [Suitably, mockingly dramatic:] "And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, / Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?"

[And here's a scoff.] I'm not feeling it. We are meant to be the court of tradition, of love, of welcoming the apocalypse. And yet I haven't seen even one orgy in my time at Caer Glaem. Frankly, I'm unimpressed.

[The headshake turns back into that canary-eating smile, and he purrs out his proposal for fixing this shameful problem.]

So tonight, at the sun's setting, I'll be holding a, ah, ritual in the Magi's Workroom. Wine from Mandragora Estates—top of the line, for those tragically ignorant of the most up-and-coming vinery in the Drabwurld—and various other substances. Children not invited.

It's a protection ritual, for the record. It would be so very unsuitable to be decadently useless in our embrace of the End. Try to bring yourself as magically charged as you can.

[ooc: THERE WILL BE NO LOG FOR THIS I am not going to put up an actual orgy log dear god. But this a thing Dorian will really be doing, any character can come as long as they're over the age of consent. Wine, drugs, and sex, all night. Technically, it really is an actual magical ritual.]

thequitecontrary

[Waking up from being asleep for a year is much like coming out of a coma. It took Mary a few days to feel truly herself again, but now she's back and well and truly confused about what happened to her.

The last that she remembered, she had finally been able to smash the damn harp in her dreams and get some rest from the depression that constantly haunted her for weeks. One night she drifted off and the next thing she knew it was May... a year later. Obviously, much has happened and she wonders why she had to be the one to be put into a magical sleep and miss everything.

She experienced a dream, or what felt like a dream, during her sleep - that she was back at Downton and that she had interacted with her family members, even lived her life there for a year while her body was asleep here. The details of what happened are clear, though remembering it feels like watching everything happen through a veil over her face.

On the locket she appears rested, to say the least. She's bathed, washed her hair, and styled it so that she looks presentable. But there's confusion and a bit of fear in her eyes as she tries to get answers.]

Have I truly been asleep for a year? I fear this could be quite a long conversation, but what have I missed? And was I the only one afforded this privilege of missing out on a year of my life?

rube

[ben is nervous, but not because he's about to share another vision, but because of what he knows is about to come. he's not entirely sure if it's all relative, but he'd been hoping it wouldn't happen so soon. the winter had been a harsh one. for a lot of people, this may be the first time they've seen, let alone spoken to, ben in a long time.

he finally speaks, his voice even but urgent. he seems to finally be ready to speak of his vision.]

It might be too late to change anythin', but I saw somethin' over the winter. It's hard to describe if you haven't seen it, but it's all important, even if it ain't gonna happen right away.

[he lets out a sigh, rubbing his temples,]

Black line in the horizon, only gettin' bigger. Far as I know, it's the Void-- that ain't news. It's comin'. There was-- there was a head, no body, and arrows hittin' the beach. There was some kinda noise there, too. Damn loud, if you ask me. Then the birds came, bigger than anythin' I've seen before, grabbin' at snakes as big as them.

[he pauses; he doesn't look thrilled at what he's about to say.]

The Shuck was eatin' the White Hart. [he licks his lips, gaze hardening,] Whatever's out there, we got to prepare ourselves.

[the feed ends.]

fulminants

[ The face that comes onscreen after a few obvious jostles might be one you're familiar with (if you are, sorry, he's probably not the one you're looking for). Johnny's half-concerned, half-amused with the general state of things and it shows in the way he's looking into the locket, clearing his throat. ]

Ever wonder how this feels like some weird State of the Union address? Except with a lot less people. Or maybe it's like making a YouTube video. Here I am, talking to you guys, and I can't even see your faces. [ He shrugs. ] Oh, well -- anyway.

What's up, strangers of Drabwurld? I have three questions: [ Holds up one finger. ] one, why is it called Drabwurld? Did its founders hate being here, or does Brightworld just not have the same ring to it? Ha, there's your thought of the day.

[ Two fingers. ] Two: Anyone seen a big orange walking rockpile lately? Grumpy, looks like he lost a bet with a mudslide? Failing that, how about a guy who can stretch to grossly disproportionate levels, or a girl who can turn invisible? If found, let me know; they can be pretty ornery, and reach dangerous levels of boring when put together for too long.

Three, and I can't believe this didn't come first. It's a very important question, so I'm gonna need all of you to be honest with me, whoever you are.

[ He leans closer to the screen, loses the smile and gets serious. This is crucial. ]

Which side's got the hotter babes? The Seelie, or the Unseelie?

winterwork

[There's only a soft voice that rises, familiar to some but less cheerful than it's normally known to be.]

So this world is kind of in a crappy place right now, isn't it? [A sigh is heard along with a pause, but he continues.] It's not gonna be safe out there. For anybody. So if you don't feel safe, let me know and I'll find you. I'll make sure you're out of the way. Somehow.

[Another pause as he struggles to speak. This whole month, this entire war, it's too much of a mess.]

I'm not gonna let any of you die, okay?

PRIVATE VOICE MESSAGE TO; ariadne, hiccup, lancer, korra, mako, jon.

Merida's asleep, by the way. Just like I was. I don't know the details of it, but if it's anything like my case, she'll be asleep for an entire week. Except she ...

[He swallows hard, remembering his three hundred year hiatus.]

There's no telling how long it'll be on her side. It could be a day, it could be twenty years, I don't know. So just ... make sure to give her some support when she wakes up, okay? Trust me. She's gonna need it.

slugout

Man, you guys are serious about this whole... stabbing-people-you-don't-like thing.

If you're out in the woods, be careful! There's a marine wandering around in the dark hunting [ LARGE AIR QUOTES ] "rabbits" and he's pretty grumpy. He'll throw rocks at you if you're not careful. [ juNPEI YOU STARTED THAT. ] I don't think he's a fan of baseball, either. He was in the Noa Woods earlier, but he's probably moved on by now, terrorizing the rabbit and rock populations.

Anyway, does anybody know the best way to make money here that doesn't involve stabbing people shaped individuals? We don't mind fighting....

[ cue him getting smacked in the back of the head by some pink sweatered demon offscreen, effectively cutting him off from whatever he was going to say.

the recovery, to say the least, is conspicuous. ]

... Large angry rabbits?

notyetlegend

[Merida appears to be outside the manor when her locket flips open, brushing out some of the feathers in Angus' wings since he doesn't seem to know quite how to preen them himself just yet. She's wrapped up for the weather, a warm-looking cloak draped over her shoulders and fur trimmed dress, held together at her breast by a hand carved cloak clasp. She tugs the cloak around her a little more, depositing feathers into a bucket before she turns her attention to the locket.]

When I first got here, I was already familiar with th' terms Seelie an' Unseelie, an' Drabbish is close tae th' language of my people. Seelie means 'lucky' or 'blessed', while Unseelie means 'misfortunate' or 'unholy'. [She shakes her head.] I don't believe there's a difference, personally. In all th' stories I was told as a wee lass, Seelie were known tae tell just as many lies as Unseelie. Th' only difference was, Unseelie were more honest, believe it or not, while th' Seelie's words were like roses. Pretty, but not without their thorns.

[tl;dr - all fae were assholes.]

There's many a tale of both of them lurin' men from their path, or kidnappin' children in exchange for their own young, that sort of thing. There was a man who came into DunBroch claimin' he'd been down a sìth for th' last few hundred years. We even have a demon bear who used tae be a prince that roams th' lands.

[She brushes her hands off, then slips them further into the sleeves of her dress as Angus leans his head down towards his water trough, ear flicking as his wings fold back properly into place now that they've been groomed. Merida pats his neck, then tilts her head as she sits down on a bench in his stall, not caring about the hay or snow littering it. There's two saddlebags near her, both appearing to be carrying as much as she needs. Leaning back against a wall of the stable, she fidgets with her cloak clasp as Angus leans over the stall, nuzzling at another horse.]

I suppose what I'm tryin' tae say is, people are more alike than they care to admit, even those who are too prideful tae say so. [She gives a small sigh, lips twisting into a wry smile as her eyes shine with a bit of guilt.] I'm...a lot more like my mother than I'd ever have thought before I arrived. She'd be Seelie if she were here.

[Merida shakes her head, pushing her hair out from her cloak, the material falling down around her shoulders.]

I'd also like tae apologize tae those of you who I suggested come tae th' manor or those I was goin' tae do things with, but I'll be unavailable. I have some travelin' tae do.

[a.k.a she's getting the hell out of dodge. The redhead opens her mouth to say something else but she's interrupted when one of Angus' wings flick over her head, fluffing her hair up over her head and causing her to fumble and drop the locket, cutting the feed on her next cry.]

Angus!

wipedclean

[He looks slightly nervous. He still... doesn't do this talking thing well, and he doesn't really see the point of introducing himself to everyone. Making himself known to the entire network... showing his face on a recorded device... he's not supposed to, and it's just a bad idea for an assassin but...

But Steve said he should, so... well. He is.]

...hello.

[He swallows, his gaze flickering off to the side, where, unseen to the camera, Steve is nodding and giving him a thumbs up.]

I'm... Bucky.

[He hesitates when he says it, because... it's the first time he's said it. That he can remember.]

I was told I've been here before, but I don't remember.

[He frowns.]

So I'm sorry. If you knew me before. I don't remember you.

[He glances over to the side again, shifts, shakes his head. He's done, he doesn't want to do this anymore.]

That's it.

starspangled

Looks like we're getting the new arrivals again. My name's Steve Rogers, sorry I missed the feast. I should probably start by telling you that it doesn't matter which court drafted you into this war, and that it's not some shard inside of you that makes you important. But I think a lot of us already know that.

Another thing that I've learned is that you can get so focused on this world, you start to lose touch with the little things that you love about your own.

[The subject that he's about to bring up is also full of jubilation and heartbreak, love and victory and loss. And in some cases, betrayal.

He's looking at you, Dodgers.]

For me it's baseball. Does anyone else play? Because I couldn't help but notice that there's plenty of field around here. Maybe in the spring we could find a couple of bats, or even just toss a ball around for a little R and R.

See, the thing I love about baseball is that both sides get a fair shot. Everyone on the team wears the same uniform, from the manager to the rookie, and it's not over until the last out. It's for everyone, doesn't matter if you're a little bit smaller than the other players. If you can swing a bat or throw a ball, you might just make the hall of fame. It's about hope.

Plus it's a heck of a lot more fun than fighting.

[He gives a slightly sheepish smile when he's done, because Captain America waxing poetic about America's pastime, where's his handful of apple pie.]

So I guess all I really wanted to say is don't forget where you came from. You can even share what you miss about it, if you want. I'm not really much of a hunter, so I've got the time.

antagonising

[ The locket opens and the view from the message's intended audience shows the condition of the Station, after Ariadne-Lawkamercyme's rampage through the place not days earlier — claw marks on the walls, furniture and interior structure shredded and destroyed, carpets ruined, basically the entire place in shambles.

Then, Natasha appears. ]

I don't need to ask what happened, here — it's pretty evident that those things got inside somehow and tore the entire place up. I'm a little surprised they'd cause this much damage, though; they hadn't seemed that large when I'd encountered them on the road from Caer Scima.

I assume the threat is gone, for now? If anyone from either court is interested in assisting with the clean-up and repair, I'd imagine they could use someone here with a little more construction know-how than I have. [ She's an expert in demolitions, not rebuilding, and she gives the locket a small smirk. ]

I'm sure the fairies and imps will appreciate it.

starspangled

Looks like there's shortcuts now. Good to know, and I'm sure it makes my horse a lot happier.

[Because carrying around this big solid man for weeks isn't a graze in the pasture. Steve's reached a new destination though, with the help of a fairy ring or two. There's a lot of hustle and bustle behind him, the background so different from the rest of this world that it's obvious where he is. The effect is a lot like when he crashed through a wall and into the new and improved(?) Times Square.]

I think we were supposed to leave cakes for the fairies, except I didn't have any. I don't have much at all right now.

[His brow furrows at that. His plain white t-shirt is easy to see, and a glimpse of soft blue pants isn't impossible either. Yeah, he's been travelling from the other Court in his pajamas.

But at least he still has his shield.]

My name is Steve Rogers. I come from Earth, and I grew up in Brooklyn. I joined the Army, and I've been in a war before, so I thought I knew what I was signing up for when I came here. What I've found are people on both sides who really don't wanna fight. So I don't care if you're Seelie or Unseelie, if you're out there and you need help, I'll do whatever I can to help.

[To the absolute delight of travelling best buddy, no doubt. Steve starts to close his locket, before thinking of one last small detail.]

Oh, and for anyone who's been to the Station before, do you know where they sell shoes?

Entries tagged with steve rogers: mcu

video | all courts | from not-a-locket but open to all

Video (Seelie & Hermione-Net Compass)

first key; Seelie locked (forward dated a little)

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tenth bull ( video )

Video; Seelie Locked and Locked to those with Shard Palantirs

video | morning after the audience | unseelie & open non-locket comms

oo2 ⊕ video ⊕ seelie ⊕ backdated a day or two idk

seelie; video; why this

003 ☙ [VIDEO] | Seelie

video. (seelie court only) | a vision.

1. {video :: both courts}

sixth snowball ❅ voice (both courts; backdated to the 18th)

video, both courts. (second inning)

fourth arrow → VIDEO → both courts

[Video | Open to Both Courts]

Video | Both Courts

oo1 ⌛ video ⌛ open to both courts

video ☆ open to both

Links