realmofstories | Another party in the Beasts' castle

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Another party in the Beasts' castle

Characters: Jean Kirstein [The Beast]
Campaign: Break
Format: [ brackets ] AND/OR prose do either
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Summary: There's a party at the Beasts' castle!

A message (written by a furniture) is sent out through the devices. The strike outs are Jean trying to censor things but they can be seen if you squint.

Welcome to the party on April 10th!
The place is indicated on the attached map.
It is also our Masters' birthday this week (7th)
Do with the information as you please.
Let's have a delightful time!

The places in the castle

The castle & the surrounding rose garden: there are also some wolves wandering in the nearby woods but they do not attack.

Dining room: where the main event, dinner is held. It will take some time for the food to be served since they do a dance.

Library: Not as impressive as the Index main library and most of the books are empty.

Fireplace / Living Room: A cute leg rest that acts like a dog will help you relax by standing under your feet.

Study & the Magic mirror: The magic mirror shows who you're thinking about - if they're in Index, that is.

Dance hall & the attached balcony: The furniture will try to help anyone they think are couple material or seem like need help with making A Move. They may get it wrong sometimes.

West wing & the Enchanted Rose: the restricted area. All the furniture will warn you not to go there and while Jean won't be as aggressive about intruders than before he will still be cautious and snippy.

You can imagine any furniture to be alive, except any bathroom furniture for the sake of my sanity. The main butler is a candelabra, much like the disney versions but even more obnoxious and Lumiére. All the furniture have a French accent except for the leg rest since it barks like a doggo.

Jean's wolf cubs, Connie and Sasha, are around in the library or following Jean. There is also a third one, Frost following Weiss.

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[Things might have been a little...rough between them and although things are on the mend, it'll still take some time before things are closer to how it was before. However it's at least enough for them to attend what sounds like an interesting and fun party—and they're both going to be particularly "dressed to the nines" because try as they might, there's no getting out of dressing like "royalty" thanks to their Essences. Alvin cuts for a gallant prince with white suit and green vest, and at least he could at least use his usual personal flair, like using a green formal scarf to go with his outfit. Unfortunately he couldn't completely get away from the whole frog theme. At least a little subtle, cuff links, buttons, belt, even the pattern on his vest had something frog or water themed to it.

Nothing more annoying than the crown that is forever on his head, but at least he's grown more accustomed to it.

For now he and Leia are exploring the castle with some curiosity and are currently in the living room.]

...You know, we're both royalty, right? Why did we end up in some cottage instead of a castle like this? I mean, it's not bad and I'd have no idea what I'd do with a whole castle, but you can't deny that this is pretty cool.

Edited (no they are not blowing up the castle--) 2021-04-26 02:32 (UTC)

[Rough is one way of putting it. Things haven't been this complicated between them since a few years ago, after Hamil... But it's that same level of awkwardness for her. She wants to forgive and forget but that's easier said than done. There's been some tension and some awkward stammering- one would try to talk at the same time as the other, both of them apologize, then they'd sit in silence waiting for the other to go first. Things like that. Every time she saw him she could hear what he said to her during that argument.

She wants to move past it, which is why she's even agreed to come with him to this party, otherwise she really had no interest in being here. It's because she doesn't like the awkwardness between them that she's trying. It hasn't been all bad, though. They're still friends. But she knows it's on her to try and bury her feelings about it, she doesn't like the way things are now...

And speaking of things she doesn't like, this dress is one of them. It hangs awfully low in the front, exposing her cleavage, the back is, well, completely not there, and she can barely move in it because it's so... wide. And puffy. Dresses aren't her thing, but they've become something she's had to begrudgingly deal with since her white princess dress happens to be on her sometimes without her consent. As well as the small, silver crown atop her head.

This castle is huge though, and nice, but it's a bit much. As they walk she'll be struggling to gather up the bottom of her dress so she can move a bit easier.]

Hmm. I don't know, I kinda like the cottage. It's cute and quaint, and kinda reminds me of Leronde. Besides, I can barely keep my room clean, think of what'd happen if we had a huge castle.

But that's what servants are for. That...

...

[Alvin pauses a moment as he looks around.]

Come to think of it, have you seen any since we got here?

Huh. Now that you mention it...

[They haven't seen any as they entered the castle, as they went down the halls, nor in the living room where they are now. Pretty lax security.]

You'd think with a party going on that servants would be running around the place. Or at least guarding these rooms.

[Suddenly panting could be heard behind them- sounds like a dog? And before either of them could turn around to confirm it, the "dog" is completely obscured beneath Leia's huge dress, and she suddenly finds herself, startled, pitching backwards-- hopefully Alvin's reflexes aren't too rusty.]

Yeah, I wonder where...

[Wait, is that a dog—!?!??!]

Whoa there!

[And he's reaching out to try and grab her before she suddenly falls over backwards??]

[She lets out a yelp, squeezing her eyes shut and waiting to hit the ground-- but she stops halfway, and seems to be floating.

Or so it seems, until she opens her eyes and sees Alvin leaning over her, and his arm wrapped around her bare back. She stiffens in his grasp immediately, and would like to free herself from it, but...

Whatever tripped her seems to be struggling amidst all the layers of fabric.]

I- I think there's something stuck in this stupid dress...

[......Great Spirits how much awkward hell are they being thrown into.

He's holding onto her which—yeah it's as if he's dipping her in some flashy dance move, but he's not going to mind it too much. It's not exactly the most comfortable position for him though since he had to stretch out from where he had been. And he has something in her dress.

The hell is this.]

Okay, I'm going to lift you up on three. One, two—!

[BETTER BE READY BECAUSE HE'S ABOUT TO DO SOME SERIOUS LIFTING.]

[EXCUSE YOU- HEAVY LIFTING?]

Oh, just lift! Jeez, you make it sound like I weigh a ton!

Look, this is not as easy as it normally would be because I'm already stretched out and your dress isn't exactly made of lightweight fabric!

[Not only the weight, but it's not exactly a slim evening dance dress that would make this kind of lift in his current position the easiest thing to do. So heave ho as he puts all his weight back and uses his arm strength to pick her up, pivoting on his heel a bit so it's more of a twirl before he sets her down.

[Yeah. This is how it's been between them for a bit. Things have been off balance and it pains her, really. Already she regrets agreeing to come here, but she nods, not protesting any more in an effort to avoid potentially upsetting him.

Within seconds she's lifted and gently placed onto her feet, but before she could mutter an apology, her gaze falls onto what was stuck beneath her dress... ]

Is... that a foot rest?

[He's not really that annoyed, just, you know. STRESSFUL SITUATION IN THE MOMENT BECAUSE SOMETHING IS UNDER HER DRESS??? Not the time!!! But he still has a protective arm around her waist because what foul dastardly thing would dare go under a young lady's...

...Dress?

He just kind of stares.]

...You sure you didn't somehow just step overandwhatTHEHELLdiditjustmove?!

[As he is speaking, the foot rest suddenly jumps towards them, making him jump a bit but still pushing Leia a little behind him because??? Furniture?? Aren't?? Supposed???? To move?!?!?!?

And now it's definitely doing some kind of weird...wiggling dance.]

That's it, this place is cursed, we're leaving!

Wait! [grabs onto his arm.] I think it wants something.

[Yes, it occurs to her that it's a piece of furniture. But, seriously, she's seen water trolls, actual trolls, Alvin commanding a legion of frogs, and Julius turning inanimate objects into other things, so what if a piece of furniture is moving?

Okay, it's still weird. But is it any weirder than the time water tentacles wrecked their kitchen?

Maybe a little.

Anyway... it finishes doing its little wiggle dance, jumping up and down, panting, and then it barks.

... Wait. What?]

Um... d-did it just bark?

[He is still skeptical about all this. What if it's someone who was cursed and is trying to warn them?? Look at that wiggle dance! But then again, they are in a fellow Aspect's house and unless this guy is some creeper—which he hasn't heard or seen anything to suggest it—then everything should be fine... Unless someone else did this??

Before his imagine goes too wild, he hears it bark and. ... ...Not sure if that's helpful or not.]

Uh... I think so?

[Well. Cursed or not, at least it's not hostile? Slowly he removes his arm around Leia and takes a step forward.]

Uuuuuh. Sit, boy?

Edited 2021-04-26 20:01 (UTC)

[The foot rest sits, panting, and looking expectedly at Alvin for praise. Well, as best as it can look at him... without having eyes...

Foot rest or not, it's acting like a dog so naturally Leia is a little taken by it.]

Aww, it's actually kinda cute! Go ahead, Alvin. Give it a pat on the head! Tell him he's a good boy.

[It sounds sweet when she says it, but it's also like she's sort of threatening him to praise the poor thing.]

[...Yeah he can't tell if that's supposed to be threatening or not—

But...as weird as this is, Alvin also can't help but somehow find this foodrest oddly...adorable? It reminds him of one of those really shaggy dogs.

Still weird, though.]

At least we can tell where its head is.

[That it matters on an animal since people pet their butts all the time—but still he'll reach out and...slowly pat its head while giving it some praise.]

That's a good...boy? Or is it a girl?

[The opposite end of the foot rest shakes, like where it's tail would be, and then it partially sits up to try and lick? Sniff? Alvin's hand.]

Look, you've made a new friend!

[But, yeah, still weird. Why is this foot rest acting like a dog... or is it the other way around? Is it a dog that's turned into a foot rest?]

Hmm... I wonder if that's what happened to the servants?

That they all turned into furniture?

[...

..............................]

Right, so I'm never sitting down in a chair.

[He then glances at her.]

Don't suppose you've come across any stories about something like this, have you?

[That's... probably a good idea.]

Well, a lot of these fairy tales deal with curses and stuff, and I read there was some curse surrounding the Beast, but I didn't get too far into it. Though it would explain the lack of staff we've seen.

[Then her imagination runs... a little wild, as she recalls bits of other stories.]

What if it's one of those curses where you're transformed if you stay past a certain time? Like maybe he threw this party because he secretly intends to furnish the entire castle with his guests!

If this were the actual Beast I'd consider, but this guy is one of us, remember?

...Unless he really is some kind of psycho, but I don't think so many of the others would show up if that were the case.

Haha, don't worry, Jean's a good guy. But some Essences do have a habit of sorta... taking over the people they are attached to. Like in Kazuma's case.

[But while that IS possible, she doesn't actually suspect that's what is happening here.]

Ahhh. Right. Kazuma.

[Don't think he forgot, however he's just giving her only the smallest of looks before mulling it over a bit.]

Still, doesn't really seem to fit. If he needed more guests, why not invite all the locals as well? Would get more mileage with more people.

...Unless these are already locals and instead of purposefully trying to curse people it's just a side effect from the Essence!

[Wow they're really going all over the place with this, huh.]

[And she's going to ignore his mentioning of Kazuma, because she still hasn't quite forgiven him, or forgotten, what he said to her. And she's just... trying her best to do both of those things. Eventually.

So without missing a beat, she actually considers what Alvin says. Maybe they should start questioning more furniture?]

You might be right...

Should we try to set the furniture free?

How would we even do that? If they're cursed, wouldn't they be bound to the castle? And if not, would they be able to survive out there? This is pretty deep in the woods, and I remember hearing a few wolves around...

But if they leave the castle they might change back to their human forms, so they won't be completely helpless. And you've got an entire frog army at your disposal, you could ask them for help.

[What frogs could do against wolves, well, who knows. But they somehow managed to help them take care of a tentacle water monster in their house, so, clearly, there's more to frogs than she initially thought.]

I think if it was that easy they would have left by now...

[He says this, but.

Not gonna lie, a part of him wants to know what would happen.]

[ closed to leia ]

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