♕ The Reign ~ [The Roleplay Thread] ♕
This is the roleplaying thread.
Please refer to the other thread if you want to join or need information.
[Malik Nerio | Merchant]
Malik beamed at the man across from him, his bright smile not quite matching the current scene taking place. The young merchant sat inside a dingy port tavern, the sign outside titling it The White Crab. While the front half of the tavern had square-planed windows filtering in light, Malik and another man shared a table in one of the dark corners. The overhead lanterns cast a dim amber-colored light over the two and their drinks that neither of them had touched so far.
The golden-haired merchant had just returned from a week-and-a-half long voyage earlier that morning. He and his crew had brought back a shipful of new goods, ready to be either distributed for immediate selling at the marketplace or placed in a warehouse nearby to the ocean for later. Malik's haul had mostly consisted of spices, herbs, and dried fruits and meat from an island several days away by ship. However, the journey had also allowed him to pick up more expensive items, including some jewelry, woven fabrics, and other rare items in styles not found on Astrin's continent. Those objects were more hushed than the food items, often ordered specifically by wealthy people, and sold for a hefty price.
So, what the man across from Malik had tried to steal... was of course one of the latter pricy pieces.
"Those were ordered specifically by the palace," Malik said, bringing attention to the topic, his smile not wavering. "So you trying to steal such a hard to find piece... is no good at all! If I don't show up with what they ordered, that's on me as the royal merchant. You don't matter to them, yet your actions greatly inconvenience me. It's quite ironic."
Malik finally picked up a glass filled with a pale ale. It was still quite early in the day, but the alcohol was of a weak variety. He sipped it, before placing it back down atop the wooden table, right next to a gleaming black and golden pistol. The weapon was still locked, but it's almost casual placement nearby to Malik's resting hands showcased a level of threat; that despite the almost cheery tone in Malik's voice, he meant business.
The other man didn't move to drink the ale Malik had ordered earlier. He visibly gulped, which was exactly the type of reaction Malik was fishing for. The dark-haired man, with an unshaven face, and older than Malik himself, was definitely unnerved.
"I'll admit," Malik continued when the other man didn't speak. "You're quite skilled at pickpocketing. But I think more high-scaled theft is a bit out of your current skill zone. I would have attempted it on a smaller merchant's ship before getting hired on with me. But I'll give you that, even if you lack brains, it was very brave of you to try to get away with a stunt like that on a royal merchant's ship." Malik's tone had almost switched to a sing-song tone, despite the serious subject matter.
"It won't happen again-" The other man began, finally speaking, trying to find a way out of his current predicament.
Malik placed a finger over his lips, silencing the other once more.
"You're right, it won't. Because you're fired. And if you don't want me to turn you into the royal guards for your deeds, you'll accept no payment at all for your work on the trip." Malik's smile was more subdued now, his red eyes gleaming darkly in the dim space, matching his shiny weapon. "And never let me see your face around my part of town ever again, or you'll wish you really were turned in."
"That's fine." The other man hurriedly agreed. "No problem there. You'll, n-eeever see me again. I'll, er, just-" The man hastily got up and ran to the back entrance of the tavern, busting through the door and running off down an alleyway of the port town.
Malik rolled his eyes, chugging down another few mouthfuls of ale from his glass now that the dark-haired man had left. Most of Malik's talk had been just that, talk. Well, mostly. He wasn't afraid to deal with the man, but the threat of being turned in or worse usually got people to high-tail out, and he didn't have to pay them if they tried stealing from him. He didn't really care what those individuals went on to do, as long as they didn't bother him and his job.
The merchant got up and stretched his arms up and behind his head briefly before digging his fingers through a pouch on his side, tossing a few coins on the table. He flipped his gun in a skilled circle around his finger, shoving it back into the holster on his other hip before departing from the establishment.
Malik would reconvene with his crew before making his way to the castle. He had a feeling something eventful was going to happen.
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[Demitri Lockehart | Librarian]
Demitri raised his hand, shifting a new lens into place on one side of his spectacles. His vision suddenly enhanced, bringing new details to light.
The man skillfully handled a small pair of pliers with one hand, and picked up another metal tool to keep his work steady and in place with the other. Demitri gently pulled up a length of string, tightening the pages between his tools together. Deep in concentration, the librarian bit the inside of his cheek, a habit he had exhibited since a child.
He finished with threading the last of the previous string, when suddenly a loud voice interrupted him and snapped him out from his concentration.
Demitri looked up, annoyed. Through his own lenses, he saw a girl with normal glasses staring eagerly at him from across his desk.
"Demitri!" She had called cheerfully. She continued to smile, either not noticing his reaction or choosing to ignore it.
Demitri pulled his spectacles off, letting them hang from a chain around his neck. He put his chin on his palm, his elbow resting against an elegant but worn-from-work desktop underneath.
"Shhh, don't talk so loud, Amelia." He chided the younger teen.
"No one else is here aside from you and me," She pouted, but Demitri's new assistant didn't stay down for long. She was probably the most cheery in the castle right now since many others still mourned the queen's recent passing.
"I'm the librarian, so I'm going to enforce it." Demitri sighed but dropped the subject. "What did you want to ask me? Are you still having trouble with labeling that one stack?"
"No, I'm just wondering if you're coming to the grand room later for the announcement from the court. So many people have been arriving, even though it's so early." Amelia said excitedly, making a motion as if she was about to sit on the desk, but a glare from Demitri managed to deter the behavior and she instead rocked back and forth on her feet in anticipation.
"Of course I am, especially with my position," Demitri answered casually, but he, too, was also curious about what exactly was going to be announced. He knew it was probably about what the kingdom was going to do going forward, but he didn't know how the court had decided to handle it. "But there's still plenty of work, so finish up with that stack if you want to go, too."
"Yeah, yeah," The glasses-wearing girl droned in response but ran off in her usual good manner. "I'll see you there!" She called back.
Demitri stifled a response to shush Amelia again, instead just shaking his head. He began to pick up where he left off with the book restoration, but his mind whirled with expectancy for the announcement.
Pearl sits quietly at the small desk in her room, drawing swirls on a spare piece of paper she had found with her quill. She sighs and looks up at Midnight, her raven and only friend, currently sitting on the end of her bed. "What's going to happen to us now, Midnight?" she asks quietly. He flies over and sits on her shoulder, croaking apologeticly. Pearl smiles slightly. "Don't blame youself for bringing us here. There's no way you could have known what would happen.." she says, stroking him gently. "We'll just have to follow orders and hope we don't get into any trouble." She gets up and puts the piece of paper and her quill back in her bag. "How about we go for a walk, take out minds off things?" she suggests. Midnight brightens up, then flies over to the window and gently pecks at the glass, motioning to the city outside the palace, then looks back at Pearl with a questioning look. She hesitates. "I'd rather we go out into the palace gardens.. less rumors around there.." she says slowly. Midnight nods and flies to her shoulder again as she picks up her bag. She smiles at him, then leaves the room and makes her way through the palace towards the gardens.
((Gonna introduce Arcana in the most dramatic way possible, haha))
A peaceful morning fog settled serenely over the quiet port-town, merchants and sailors gathered early, rigging their sails or pulling into port. Muddled chatter filled the air as people began to set about their ways.
Before the port city loomed the impressive figure of the castle, its thick walls shrouded by the wisps of fog, just beginning to burn away as the sun peeked through the horizon.
The serene nature of that morning in the town at the foot of the castle was disturbed by a muffled thumping like drums echoing down the mostly-vacant street.
Heads turned in curiosity as rusted window shutters flew open. People leaned out their windows, peering down across the misty streets as the thumping continued.
Two hulking figures burst through a fine mist, revealing the source of the thumping. It was not drums at all... but elephants. Draped in fine silks and adorned with numerous bells, they ambled down the street, two women in white feathered costumes perched upon their backs, a leg extended daintily in the air.
One of the elephants curled its trunk before releasing a bellowing trumpet that announced the menagerie to commence.
Joyous music filled the air as fiddlers, drummers, flutists, and the like followed out behind the elephants.
More and more individuals emerged from their homes, eyes sparkling with recognition as the parade passed them in the street.
The circus was in town.
The theme music they played was unmistakable. Upbeat, mysterious, and an earworm that people would be humming for weeks after the circus departed. Rolling valleys and towering crescendos passed over the once-quiet town.
The Arcana had arrived.
A travelling circus which has gradually been progressing through the continent for the past two years. They appeared out of nowhere and quickly gained fame, performing at every major city in each faction- and dozens of minor towns. And now finally, for the first time this year, the Nox Arcanus Circus had reached the capital.
A woman in a dazzlingly red coat stepped out, trailing her finger around the wide brim of her hat. She flicked her cane through the air, extending it upwards with a dark grin.
The sound of hooves clomping in sync, falling on each beat of the music rattled over the landscape. A dozen or so white horses flooded the streets, their rider standing up on their back, some even upside down.
The parade emerged into a courtyard and the woman paused, slamming her cane down onto the ground.
Behind her, a flood of performers danced into the scene, some of them singers, as they added their voice to the mix.
Acrobats flanked either side of their ringleader, performing tricks.
A throng of people had begun to gather across the sides of the streets, cheering joyfully as the parade passed them.
Arcana beamed, flipping her cane around her shoulders as she extended her arms in a haughty gesture.
Her troop surrounded her, flipping and running in a tight circle as the elephants drew to a stop. The song that announced their presence becoming more chant-like.
Arcana stomped twice to the beat of the song, clapping once.
The rest of her troupe mimicked her and shortly thereafter, their ever-growing audience joined in the jig.
“Ladies and gentleman!” Arcana announced, her voice somehow powerful enough to cut through the stomping and clapping of the crowd (most people would not have noticed a figure perched up top a horse, her arm extended outwards and moving in slow snake-like movements)
“I am pleased to announce the annual arrival of The Arcana to our lovely capital.” Arcana addressed the crowd removing her top hat, the stomping and clapping of her troupe not once faltering. “THIS is the moment you've waited for. Leave behind all that is real and embark with me into a world the the impossible comes true, where you will witness the feats of power and mystery. The place where all lost things go... and your freedoms are found.” Reaching into her hat, she pulled out a comically large bokay of roses, with a grand sweeping gesture, she handed them to a young woman at the front of the crowd. She addressed her directly and flirtatiously, although her question was aimed at the entire crowd. “I trust I will see you all there?”
The audience cheered in response.
Arcana grinned at the young woman’s bashful expression as she accepted the roses. Arcana took a few steps back. “Well then. Who is ready to get a little sneak peek for tonight’s show?”
More cheering.
“That was pathetic. I couldn’t hear you above the music!” Arcana bellowed with a grin
Even louder cheering.
“Yes! The show must go on!” And with that statement, the elephants reared onto their hing legs. Phoenix, their fire-breather, blew an arching crest of fire into the air, causing the audience to ‘oooh’ in amazement.
During her speech, the horses had been moved to the back of the parade and Alpha had made his way towards the front.
A crack of the dark-haired boy’s whip cued the chorus of the song. As music exploded around them, a pair of chimaera’s burst forth from a ring of fire, giving a mighty roar.
Some of the audience gasped and shrunk back and the parade continued down the street. Acrobats, fire breathers, and beast tamers working together to handle the animals and performance in an organized but chaotic manner. Arcana stood at the forefront next to Alpha and one of chimaerad As they progressed deeper into the heart of the city, the acrobatics launched a winged little girl into the air. With her arms crossed over her chest, she spun in a tight circle before extending her wings. People gasped at the sight of this angelic creature as she flew above them, scattering red parchment pamphlets across the crowd detailing the dates, times and locations of all of their upcoming performances, each one hand scribed because they did not have a printing press yet. Paper rained like confetti from the sky
((The song they are playing is "the greatest show" and no one can change my mind. XDDD. Im kidding))
Denva had been up with the first crow of the palace rooster. She had on her typical browns and golds as she ran for the crowd in front of the newly arrived circus. This was her favorite time of year. She loved going to the Arcana with her family! She got there just in time to see them release the Chimera thanks to her wingless spotted griffin's speed. Hoseki reared back in surprise, startling some of the crowd until Denva managed to calm her down.
"Easy girl, they're just here to perform." She assured the griffin. Chimera were natural predators of the wingless griffin, so she could understand why her friend was nervous as she got off the griffin's back to watch the show. Thanks to the griffin, she managed to make her way to the front to get a better view, her gold cloak (which was made from a good cotton material that was good for the fickle weather of the capital), made her stand out among the other bright colors of the crowd. She was in awe of the magnificent Chimera. She swore one locked eyes with her as it jumped through the flaming hoop. She was glad that she got to town early today. Her mother had told her the circus was coming today - so she decided today would be a good day to stock up her jewelry supplies and purchase her ticket for the show tonight. She scooped up one of the red pamphlets as she ran to the spot where she knew they'd set up shop. She spotted Arcana right away and ran over to where the woman was, Hoseki on her heels.
"Excuse me, Miss Arcana?" She called, hoping to get the amazing woman's attention. She'd even made a good luck braclet that was inspired by the colors of the circus. Her brown braid flew out behind her as she ran to catch up with the circus. Worst case scenario, she could hop on Hoseki and catch them at the parade grounds. Hoseki cawed, no doubt catching the attention of the Chimera at least.
(@Wolf and Star: first interaction of the Rp! Denva is a total circus fangirl. She has to beg her parents to take her every year when they come to the Capital! BTW, for those who didn't see before, this is Hoseki, the Spotted Wingless Griffin: 
)
Field Sprinter egg (Valoris620)
Ivinna the Field Sprinter hatchling (Valoris620)
Ivinna the Field Sprinter (Valoris620)
Team Mystic Banner Nightfuryatom4
Aqua Rainbow The Thornridge(ladybrasa) 
Viper the Ikran/Forest banshee
Charizard Gif courtesy of Pyrelyth
Holly and Coral the holiday Seashocker (WingsofValor)
Dragon License (Nessie)
Moondancer the Night Fury (LinkWolf) 
Auruma the Razorwhip (Colress)
and Borealis the Light Fury (mesaprncss)
Siamese Night Fury (xxHallaxx)
Heru the Sky Valkerie (Scobidous)
Bruiser version 1 (Beareptilelover) 
Bruiser version 2 (Beareptilelover)
Asia the Velociraptor (Elsa II)
Aurora the Spike Roller (blackpanther0211)
Starchaser the Stingtailed Flamethrower (dragonlover0204)
Jin-hoh the Sand Wraith (Flaming Husky)
((Lol, yay! It will take some time for a slow-moving procession to get all the way through the capital and end up at the set-up. So I am gonna wait a bit for the others to post their replies and react/interact with the circus troupe before posting my response with Denva, if that is alright.))
(yeah, that's fine with me!)
As soon as Peal and Midnight step outside, they hear loud music coming from the city. "What's that?" she asks quietly, frowning. Midnight takes off and flies up to get a good view of the scene, then swoops down again to Peal, cawing excitedly. She frowns, confused. "What is it? What's going on?" Midnight circles her, then leads her towards the gate for her to get a look. Her eyes widen in recognition. "Is that a circus?" she asks, watching in wonder, a wisp of a memory stiring in her. "We went to a circus with Mom and Dad once, didn't we?" she whispers to Midnight, who caws softly in agreement. She sighs, then blinks, returning to the present. "I guess one look couldn't hurt.. if we avoid the crowd" she says quietly, then slips out into the city and walks towards the parade, Midnight once again on her shoulder and her bag kept closely at her side.
((Lol you're fine, Cham.
I made a reference to :DD))
Alpha made a corrective clicking noise, tapping the chimaera's nose in response to its peeling off after a wingless gryphon. It immediately refocused at his command, shaking off its mane.
"Stupid people bringing their pets," Alpha mumbled under his breath, his voice lost to the roar of the crowd.
Arcana whacked him upside the head with her cane. "Now, we mustn't refer to potential guests as such."
Alpha responded with a wolfish grin. "Yes, your majesty." He purred and raided his arms in the air, patting the haunches of the nearby chimaera. Upon his command, the creature sprung over its counterpart, trotting in circles near the crowd with a ferocious snarl.
Gasping the crowd shuffled back, clutching their chests before applauding voraciously.
Arcana spotted a large black bird perched upon the shoulders of a girl through the crowd. Making eye contact, she winked at her before moving on.
The procession marched through the city streets, bringing joyous music and spectacular menagerie as they traipsed down the central road.
A greater number of spectators emerged from their homes, calling the names of their favourite performers as the acrobats flipped down the cobbled streets.
Fire burst into the air spontaneously, arching into whimsical shapes and patterns overhead.
Once the chimaeras had been wrangled up and returned to the back of the parade, the horses weren't again allowed to the forefront. Cantering down the sides of the street as their riders fid flips and tricks up top their backs.
They had many singers and players within their troupe and they were often interchanged between songs to keep the music flowing ceaselessly without putting too much of a strain on their performers.
Occasionally, a few members of the main cast, Arcana included, would single out an audience member and present them with a rose or a trinket of some kind before returning to the procession.
The sound of wheels against gravel alerted Arcana of the lollipop lyra based on a portable square stage had been delivered to the front. Arcana dipped her head in acknowledgement to the crewmembers who pulled the device forward to keep it moving and stepped onto the small platform.
The apparatus was a metal hoop attached to a pole that spun anchored to the podium.
Arcana tossed her hat and cane to her troupe members who caught it.
Gripping the side of the lollipop lyra, Arcana extended her back leg and pivoted, rotating on the tip of her toes.
She gradually manipulated the gravity field directly around her, reducing her own weight as she bent her arms and jumped up.
The centrifugal force generated from the spinning motion of the lollipop lyra pushed her body outwards, causing her to gracefully orbit around the pole, her skirt flowing elegantly in the wind.
Tightening her core, Arcana pulled her legs up and inverted, hooking a knee over the hoop. She then let go, hanging by a single knee as she spun. She wrapped her free leg around the pole, arching her back in an impressive display of flexibility until her bottom foot grazed the top of her head.
As Arcana reduced the amount of space she took up, the pole began to spin faster, it spun faster and faster until she was all but a blur to the audience watching. Lifting up a hand to grab the base of the hoop, Arcana extended the leg that was wrapped so her foot pressed flat against the pole, She unhooked her top leg and kicked it out behind her in an upside-down aerial split.
Immediately the pole slowed as she caused drag, allowing the audience to 'Ooh' and 'aaah' at the pretty pose.
((Why are aerial moves so to describe? Lol, it is called the "Russian split" in circus lingo and it hurts a lot
))
Wrapping her legs around the pole, Arcana sat up. She pulled herself into the hoop, sitting down delicately with her hands braced against either side. With a charismatic grin, she waved at the folks gathering on the street, gawking at her performance.
The procession continued down the street, progressively nearing the castle with each fleeting moment. The skill, music, and stunts was a welcome distraction for the tragedy of the the Queen’s death.
As soon as she had heard news of it, Arcana backed up her circus and immediately moved it to the capital for a prolonged stay to “honour” the death of their marvellous Queen. It was rather sudden and those who were not apart of her inner circles had no idea why such an event called for this much urgency.
But that meant that the throne was currently vacant, and having eliminated all potential threats to the throne, Arcana was free to claim it. She ensured that she was the closet living heir, albeit in illegitimate one. She also THOUGHT she had taken care of any of potential heirs in the process.
She was sorely mistaken.
The entire journey across to the big top took a few hours. Animals, entertainers, and musicians were constantly rotated in and out, taking periodic breaks in the wheeled carriage that followed the parade. The main cast, however, had to be present the entire journey which was why most of them were supplied with mounts to converse their energy.
Occasionally, Arcana would make an announcement as they hit different parts of the city, similar to the one she had done at the beginning. Then she returned to her lollipop lyra in a theatrical fashion, spinning around the pole with a fluid grace.
Arcana had sent out a portion of her troupe to begin set up around the start of the procession. The rest of the animals, performers, and tech crew were sent there to begin.
They had gotten a favourable spot, in a field bordering the castle and a dense thicket of woodland. Most of the fairground had already been set up, the ring included. They were just now hoisting up the multi-colored roof oof the tent.
Circus performers thronged the area, practicing their crafts. Some balanced on balls stacked metres high, others tested out the rigging equipment with their trapeze and traps. Other still messed around with flexibility and acrobatics. Animal handlers were taking the creatures out for exercise, water, and grooming. Large enclosures were prepared for them in the back including hay bedding and an outdoor section that lead to a decently sized plot of woodland for them to roam.
As the procession came to a close, they filed out. Exhausted performers moving to rest up in their tents and musicians quickly following ensuite.
“Nice work, guys.” Arcana beamed as she congratulated her troupe. “Get some rest. You lot deserve it.”
She passed under the bigtop which had just finished being erected and took a peak inside to guage the progress.
Performers were already taking up the ring, practicing their acts for that night’s showing.
A young brunette girl was tediously balancing on a large metal ball, her arms swaying precariously to either side.
“Come on, Clarissa. You can do better than that!” Arcana cheered at her, the smile on her expression implying her light-hearted jab.
Clarissa yelped. “I know I can!”
“Atta’ girl.” Arcana tipped her head towards the girl before turning back.
Phoenix, Alpha, Angel, Sniper, Rhyme and Lullaby had all gathered before her, a sween of sweat glistening on their brow. Pheonix handed her back her hat and her cane which Arcana accepted. She fitted the hat back onto her head and pressed the cane into the ground, humming slightly
“Well.” Arcana smirked and folded her arms. “This is it, isn’t it?”
Sniper burst into a wolfish grin. “Your darn tootin’ it is!”
Arcana rolled her eyes playfully. “Don’t you lot have something better to be doing? Like practising. Or,” she stuck a finger at Sniper, “preparing the troupe some well-earned food.”
Sniper grinned. “Hm. ‘Aight.” He said and bounced off.
The rest of the maintroupe parted to attend their duties save for Alpha who regarded Arcana with a playful expression.
Arcana ignored him initially and moved to begin the hard work of organising everyone and inspecting the facility. “Alpha. Don’t you have your chimaeras to take care off? We don’t want a repeat of the Wispweaver incident.”
“Oh, come on. James and Earl are fine.” Alpha rolled his eyes, gathering the chained leashes in his hand.
Arcana scoffed. She had originally not heard Denva call her name, but she definitely heard the squawk.
Both James and Earl lunged forward, nearly ripping Alpha from his feet.
Arcana was quick to react. She whirled around, facing the chimaeras, her arms extended out on either side and screamed at them fiercely, her lips pulling back off her teeth in a display of aggressive.
The pair of chimaeras halted in place, a certain heaviness in their paws preventing them from advancing any further. Whining they bowed their heads in submission.
Arcana released her subtle magic hold on the creatures and they allowed Alpha to escort them back to their encoslures to rest and be retrained.
Turning around, Arcana moved to face the cause of this disturbance, noticing the exact same gryphon from earlier. Then, for the first time, she noticed its owner.
A teenaged girl adorned with a golden cloak, woven from fine materials that pointed to her royal bloodline. Arcana recognised her instantly as Denva Beaumont, a distant cousin to their passed queen. Arcana had made it her goal to identify every member of the royal family, both direct and extended. She had even considered Denva once as a potential target but decided that her relation did not pose much of a threat to her. Still, twice now this girl had disturbed their animals, and now she was arriving at their staff-only set up before it was even opening to the public.
A charismatic and relaxed smile spread across Arcana’s lips. It looked completely genuine as she delivered a flourishing bow. “My deepest apologies for that, my lady.” She cooeed and straightened herself out. She tilted her head as she appraised Denva for a moment, the friendly smile never one leaving her face. “Animals can be quite unpredictable at times, allow me to make it up to you.” She stuck a hand behind Denva’s ear, “magically” pulling out a golden daffodil and offering it to her. “A flower for the prettiest woman in all the land.” She cooed diplomatically, albeit a bit teasingly.
It was clear that Arcana was just having some fun and meant no real harm.
As the parade ends and the circus settles, Pearl heads back to the palace, sighing happily. "That really was amazing, huh Midnight? Even if we don't actually get to go to any shows, that was great fun" she says quietly, heading back inside and slowly making her way back to her room. Once there, she gets out her notebook, quill and ink and starts to draw, humming some of the circus music. Midnight flies to the window and caws to Pearl, then pecks lightly at the glass. "Oh, yeah, you can go for a fly. Just be careful and come back soon, ok?" Pearl smiles, opening the window for her friend. He pecks her hair afectionately, then flies off. Pearl heads back to the desk, leaving the window wide open for Midnight to return through. She continues to draw and hum quietly, her thoughts on the performance. After some time, her happy mood fades as her thoughts return to the queen's recent death. She sits back with a sad sigh, blinking as tears threaten to fall. 'Why am I getting so affected by this? I barely knew her..' she thinks sadly. '..Because she was kind, and because she cared for her kingdom and subjects' she answers her own question after a moment. She puts her chin in her hands. 'What's going to happen now? Not just to Midnight and I, but to the kingdom? I know she didn't have an heir..' Midnight returns and caws in greeting, interrupting her thoughts. She smiles a little and walks over to him. "Hi" she says, and he caws gently, noticing her change in mood. "It's ok, I was just thinking.. don't worry about it" she assures him, stroking the raven's soft black feathers.
Denva blushed, accepting the flower and the compliment from the ringmaster of the Arcana. She hadn't meant to disturb the animals. She forgot about that potential problem when she brought Hoseki along.
"I'm sorry, I forgot that bringing Hoseki along might disrupt some of the animals." Denva apologized, tucking the flower into her braid. Daffodils were one of her favorite flowers after all.
"I've been a fan of the circus ever since I was little. You guys always come to town around my birthday so my parents get tickets every year." She admitted, admiring the animals before remembering why else she was here before pulling out a spectacularly colored jeweled hat pin. She'd been inspired by circus colors and it could also be used for a hair pin if you didnt want to wear a hat. It was a beautiful phoneix that she'd asked her father to shape for her. She didn't want to risk ruining the details on the feathers but she used jewels like rubies, saphires and pearls to match the colors of the circus.
"I made this after your performance last year but I never got a chance to pass it on to you." The brunette girl explained, showing Arcana the design. She figured it was a good gift for a circus performer with the colors and the design. After all, like the phoenix, the circus returned every year.
(this is the pin Denva and her Dad made for Arcana: 
she shaped the jewels while he did the metals)
"I'm sorry, I forgot that bringing Hoseki along might disrupt some of the animals." Denva murmured apologetically, a faint blush dusting across her cheeks. “"I've been a fan of the circus ever since I was little. You guys always come to town around my birthday so my parents get tickets every year."
Arcana practically beamed at that. “Well. We humbly thank you for your continued support, little lady.” She cooed with another half-bow.
She did not notice the figures standing, observing them from the main road.
Tilting her head, Arcana observed as the girl withdrew a golden trinket from her pockets.
The metallic figurine depicted a golden phoenix, encrusted with a glittering array of gems and jewels such as rubies, sapphires, and pearls. “"I made this after your performance last year but I never got a chance to pass it on to you."
“Oh dear me.” Arcana breathed. This thing would definitely fetch a pretty price in the markets... but recognising a new potential benefactor, Arcana knew that she could not sell it just yet. Still, she did not make a move to take it, instead she placed a hand delicately over her heart. “Ah. Common folk like us are undeserving of your generosity, my lady. But I shall treasure it and wear it to the performance tonight, if you will allow me.” Arcana purred.
Alpha had shortly returned after putting away James and Earl.
Alpha grinned impishly at the sight of the pair conversing. “Lady Beaumont, correct?” The ashreaper beast master tilted his head. “Enchanté.” He rasped and picked up Denva’s hands, placing a gentlemanly kiss upon her knuckles in greeting.
“Honestly.” Arcana laughed, shaking her head. “Don’t mind him.”
Denva blushed, flattered that Arcana said she'd wear the pin tonight at the performacne. She was actually excited about that and couldn't wait to brag to her friends. She blushed even more when the second in command of the circus, Alpha, came over and actually kissed her hand.
"I'd be honored if you wore the pin tonight." She told Arcana, Hoseki sniffing Alpha curiously. The griffin tilted her head, sitting back on her haunches in a relaxed manner. If Hoseki was relaxed, she could relax. Her mother, Solaria Starstrider, was an Ashreaper who's family bred wingless spotted griffins like her mount. Her mother drilled into her that if you couldn't trust your griffin, you couldn't trust anyone. Her griffin was still a little tense because of the nearby Chimera, but she was completely relaxed around their human caretakers.
"That's Hoseki, my Spotted Wingless Griffin. She's a champion dressage performer. I've had her since I was 10 years old My mother's family are Ashreapers. They breed them for performances mainly. But they also breed a line for the royal guard." She told the two circus leaders, rubbing the griffin's beak before continuing.
"Even though they're natural predators of the Wingless Griffins, the Chimeras were always one of my favorite parts of the show. They're magnificent animals." She admitted, glad to have a chance to talk to the leaders of the Nox Arcana Circus.
"I'd be honored if you wore the pin tonight." Denva noted, her features once again flushing at the attention she was attracting.
With the girl's permission, Arcana took the pin, clipping it to her iconic feathered hat. The jewels sparkled, glimmering subtly with each jolt of her head from beneath the layers of plumage.
Denva gestured to the wingless gryphon, the creature that had caused them so much hassle. It appeared rather relaxed despite the immediate threat of predators. Chimeras were not the only apex predators kept at the carnival... one of them lurked on Arcana's arm.
""That's Hoseki, my Spotted Wingless Griffin. She's a champion dressage performer. I've had her since I was 10 years old My mother's family are Ashreapers. They breed them for performances mainly. But they also breed a line for the royal guard." Denva noted.
Arcana's eyes sparkled with feigned interest as she inclined her head, bringing her fingers up to her chin. "Hmm." She murmured, exchanging a knowing look with Alpha.
This was a rich girl from a rich family known for their expert craftsmanship of jewlery and other crystalline objects. It would help to play nice with her and gain some powerful allies. Not to mentain aid in Arcana's ambitions- or at the very least sponsor their circus.
"Due to our lovely Queen's untimely passing, we have arrived in the capital a bit earlier than normally scheduled to honour her majesty's memory with a show." Arcana mused as she tapped her chin once more before grinning down at Denva. "So, what do you say we make up for all of the times we missed celebrating your birthday with you? A little early birthday gift to thank you for your generosity. How would you like an exclusive sneak peak of tonight's show?"
Alpha's pondering expression turned into a beaming smile as he realised the angle Arcana was playing. "That sounds like a wonderful idea. How about we invite them folks rubbernecking over there as well." He gestured to the main stretch of road that passed the circus grounds.
His words directed Arcana's attention to a group of individuals standing by the roadside. The most noteably of which was a man of decent stature and crisp golden hair similiar to her own. He carried himself in an almost lackadaisical fashion, although Arcana guessed there was a bit more to it than that. If Alpha was suggesting this idea, Arcana knew that he had noticed something she had not, or that he knew the idenity of these strangers. Regardless of what it was, she deicded to trust his jugdement on it
"Well spotted, Alpha. I don't see why not." Arcana hummed and waved at the strangers, making a gesturing motion, inviting them to come over
Denva lit up when the Ringmaster herself invited her to view a sneak peak of the performance. She'd be among the first to see the performance! Even better, Hoseki would get to see it with her! She told her parents she might be gone most of the morning and was delighted with this chance.
"You mean it?!" She squeaked, delight lighting up her face and an almost bejeweled level sparkle in her eyes. Hoseki seemed just as excited as she was as the griffin cawed happily, preeinging her owner's hair a little to show her affection, just like a parrot would their human. She was practically dancing with the excited energy building inside her now.
[Malik Nerio | Merchant]
With the circus seemingly calming down in preparation for a grander show later, Malik's team had just been about to move on when the merchant noticed a movement out of the corner of his eye.
A man seemed to gesture at Malik and his group. A moment later, the circus-leader was waving in their direction as well, beckoning them over.
"It seems we've been invited," Malik noted in an amused tone.
"This seems rather odd," Marrin said suspiciously.
"They noticed us staring." Aaron huffed in indirect agreement to the Ashreaper, a somewhat rare occurrence. "We must look like gawkers."
"Let's go! It looks like fun." Mira intruded excitedly, Kai nodding enthusiastically.
"These types of places are infamous for thieves," Naia shook her head in disapproval.
"As if the ports aren't." Kai groaned. "And literally everywhere we go! Always!"
"Shush up, we shouldn't keep them waiting." Malik chided in good humor, his eyes glistening with interest at the circus. He smirked, leaned over to the young Tideseeker heir and whispering in his ear. Aaron listened, nodding in agreement, gathering a few selective bags from the horse, but leaving the others alone.
Aaron nodded to Naia, who tilted her head in turn, not having to listen in to understand. The two walking up the road towards the castle.
"I'm curious of these circus folk, and what they have up their sleeves and if they try anything." Malik mused to his remaining companions. "But I don't want too much liability on our hands here."
"Good call," Marrin said. She crossed her arms, but she had curiosity in her eyes about what may come. One reason Malik hadn't turned her off with the other two was that he knew she was more interested than them.
Malik smiled, the group and horse stepping off the road and into the grass, strolling over to the waiting circus members and their other guest.
"Hello, hello!" Malik called cheerily, waving his arm up high in a casual manner. "What a lovely setup you have here."
"You mean it?" The noble girl practically squealed.
It took all of Arcana’s self control to maintain her enthusiastic expression and not wince. Instead she provided a sly smile as she pressed her index finger to her lips. "That is one thing you should know about me. I never lie." She purred in a mischievous lilt.
As the girl flitted about in excitement, Arcana observed the other group's approach.
They were quite the suspicious lot. Especially with whatever they were carrying in their bags. She had to wonder why Alpha saw it fit to invite them over.
Arcana glanced at her second in command and immediately knew the answer just by gauging the expression on his face.
'Of course.' She mentally sighed in exasperation
Alpha had his head tilted to the side, a confident semi smirk graced his handsome features. Dull brown eyes peered out between a half-lidded gaze directed at a pale golden-eyed girl as she flounced towards them with the rest of the group, raven black locks of hair curling over her shoulders with each step.
Arcana resisted the urge to face palm. 'He thinks she is hot. That's why he invited them
Arcana glanced at the dark-haired ashreaper, giving him a masked but pointed stare.
Alpha shifted slightly, raising his hands above his head in a gesture of defeat. But that impish grin on his face suggested anything but resignation.
"Hello, hello!" The blonde haired figure from earlier called out in a friendly tone as he approached. "What a lovely setup you have here."
Arcana’s charismatic smile flawlessly returned to her face, as she delivered a humbling half-bow. It was not as deep as the one she had given Denva on the account of her royal heritage. "We are undeserving of such high praise."
Alpha seemed entirely absent from the conversation and immediately approached that ravenette, gently taking her hand before pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "Madam." He cooed in greeting with one of those signature wolfish smirks.
Arcana sighed, laughing at the same time. "Do excuse my beast tamer's... boorish behaviour." She crossed her arms
Alpha made a face.
Denva watched as Alpha interacted with the other woman and giggled. She couldn't help it. He reminded her of her Uncle, Philip, and the way he always flirted with every lady at every royal function he was invited to. She couldn't help but draw that comparions as she saw Hoseki roll her big round, intelligent eyes at the performer. She sidled a little closer to Arcana.
"Is Alpha always like this?" She asked quietly, wondering if this was how he normally was. She knew to be wary of thieves in places like this, but this was why she had Hoseki. The griffin was enough of a deterrent because of how protective she was of her human. That's why her family's wingless spotted griffins were so prized by their riders - or at least the ones that her Ashreaper cousins bred were.
((I feel bad so fyi that I'm still active but I think my chars just going to show up again when the annocement happens since I dont have any plan inbetween. But I dont mind the waiting at all! so take your time with the current event
v @Wolf bellow me, yup! I'm sure. It can be good to take it easy while waiting XD))
((That's fine, Cham. :D. You sure you are okay waiting?))
Arcana was acutely aware of the 16 year old jewel maker scooting closer to her. ""Is Alpha always like this?" She whispered, earning a small snort from Arcana.
"Pretty much." Arcana waved her hand daintily. "He is an attention hog."
((Sorry for the shortness)
(just FYI, Denva's 16, she's turning 17 with her birthday this year though! I'll reply officially later today)
((no problem if you're okay with it @cham!))
[Malik Nerio | Merchant]
The circus leader partially bowed at Malik's comment, responding with the humble worded, "We are undeserving of such high praise."
The ringleader's dark-haired male companion quickly walked over to Mira, placing a sly kiss on the top of her hand. Malik had noticed his eyes on her while they had approached.
"Madam." He smoothly smiled at the dark-haired woman after the action.
"Do excuse my beast tamer's... boorish behavior." The uniformed circus leader apologized with a laugh, earning a face from the man in question.
"On the contrary," Mira tittered happily, loving the attention from the attractive man. Malik couldn't help but smile at the display. While he saw the girl as more of a sister-figure, she was most definitely a rare beauty and often used it to her advantage.
"I'm Mira, and that's Malik, Kai, and Marrin." Mira said, gesturing to each in turn. "And what are all your names?" Mira asked with a bright smile, referring to all of the new faces in front of the crew, but her golden eyes stayed on the beast-tamer in front of her as she twirled a lock of hair around her finger. Marrin and Kai looked like they were trying not to roll their eyes.
"On the contrary." The dark-haired girl cooed, seemimgly basking in the attention she was receiving.
Alpha momentarily broke eyecontact as he released her hand to give Arcana a triumphant look.
The ringleader chuffed softly, placing her hands over her hips.
"I'm Mira, and that's Malik, Kai, and Marrin." The woman who introduced herself as Mira half-heartedly gestured to all of her party members. "And what are all your names?" It was clear the question was more directed at Alpha, as she batted her doeful eyes, pinching a lock of hair between her fingers.
"Alpha," he introduced himself by removing his hat and delievering a theatrical bow, "I am at your service, my Lady." He looked up at her flirtatiously, snapping his fingers as a rose "magically" materialised in his hand, he passed it to Mira. "If there is anything you need, anything at all, do not hestitate to ask."
Arcana once again found herself resisting her urge to roll her eyes, something she appeared to have in common with the two introduced as Marrin and Kai.
She was the one who taught him that trick, it was the same trick she had used on Denva. He could have at least pretended to be original! And it was one of the few slight of hand tricks Alpha knew well enough to perform flawlessly.
As if just realising her presence, Alpha waved at Arcana. "This is our ring master, her name is-"
"Arcana." Arcana interrupted cheerfully. "And we are honoured to make your acquaintances."
"Denva Beaumont, of the Beaumont family jewel mines." Denva greeted, glancing at Arcana with a giggle at Alpha's behavior.
"He reminds me of my Uncle Philip. He's a bit of a terrible flirt like Alpha." She quietly admitted to the ringleader, Hoseki rolling her bright, intelligent eyes and snorted at the man's behavior. The griffin was tempted to smack him upside the head with her tail the way she did with Philip when he got to be too much, but held her place beside her owner. Hoseki wouldn't do it unless she was told.
"If you want, I can have Hoseki get him to back off. She has her methods when it comes to men like him thanks to my Uncle." The Beaumont Ridgestrider offered, figuring she could at least help Arcana with that
[Malik Nerio | Merchant]
"Alpha. I am at your service, my Lady. " The man answered the question first. Bowing and performing a quick magic trick. In Alpha's hand was now a rose, which he handed to Mira.
"If there is anything you need, anything at all, do not hesitate to ask." He offered smoothly. Mira gasped softly, her eyes lighting up at the gesture. She held her hand out to take the flower gift.
"How courteous," Mira said, lifting the rose to her nose and covering the bottom of her face, but not hesitating to playfully wink over the top.
Alpha moved on to introducing his companion but was cut off before finishing.
"Arcana." Arcana simply said, her tone cheerful. "And we are honored to make your acquaintances."
"Denva Beaumont, of the Beaumont family jewel mines." The third person said, unrelated to the circus scene as Malik had figured. Denva began to converse with Arcana, seemingly about the wingless griffin at the former's side and Alpha's behavior.
"I wouldn't worry about it, at least with Mira." Malik cut in quietly. "She enjoys the attention, or otherwise she would make it equally obvious she does not." He ended in an amused tone.
Alpha chuckled at Mira's gesture gesture, a deep rumbling sound in his throat as he observed her.
"Don't worry about it." The blonde introduced as Malik ((auto correct, why)) answered for Arcana. "She enjoys the attention, or otherwise she would make it equally obvious she does not."
"I was about to say the same thing." Arcana hummed in agreement, taking a moment to closely appraise the apparent leader of this group.
His hair was a few shades lighter than her own, but unlike Arcana’s cruelean gaze, his eyes were much darker. Startling hues of russet and crimson swirled together like a fine wine. She had to admit that he was rather attractive.
Before Arcana could speak up, Alpha seemed to take charge. He smirked as his gaze fell away from Mira. "We were inviting this fine young lass to a little preview of the show tonight for her birthday, " he gestured to Denva, "if you all would like to join us?" He turned to Mira, his tone dropping a few octaves. "I'll save my lady a front row seat, if she desires."
Denva giggled, rolling her eyes at Alpha's behavior. Even Hoseki had to paw her face in a very human face palm to show her own exasperation. She cawed, glancing hopefully at Denva, clearly wanting to set the man straight.
"Sorry girl, not this time." She told the Wingless Griffin, giving her friend a pat on the beak. She turned back to Arcana.
"I'm really looking forward to getting a sneak peak of your show." She admitted, glad that she got to meet her childhood hero. Arcana was only a few years older than she was and she ran the Nox Arcana Circus. She admired the woman for her determination and flare. She couldn't help wanting to be someone similar, someone who wouldn't care what the world thought about her and wanted to make people happy with her art. While Arcana did that with the thrills and chills of the circus, Denva wanted to do that with her jewelry
After Arcana uttered a brief agreement to Malik's words, Alpha interjected in reference to Denva.
"We were inviting this fine young lass to a little preview of the show tonight for her birthday if you all would like to join us?" But the beast tamer's voice dipped in volume towards Mira.
"I'll save my lady a front row seat, if she desires."
"Oooh! That sounds wonderful," Mira exclaimed, mouth agape for a moment. However, she looked over to Malik to judge his reaction to the invitation, considering their reason for coming to the castle.
"If you'll have us, then we'll gladly accept your invitation," Malik said, a toothy smile appearing. It was still rather early, and the merchant was curious about the type of show the circus folk would put on. He'd never been in town the last few years that the Arcana had gotten big on the continent, but had heard about the acclaimed circus enough for his interest to pique.
After drawing for a little bit longer, Pearl gets up, feeling restless. "Why don't we go wander around the palace? I'm sure we haven't seen everything, this place is huge!" she suggests to Midnight, who caws and flies to her shoulder. Pearl grins and picks up her small bag of belongings, not wanting to go anywhere without them. She then leaves her room and starts to wander the halls of the palace, admiring the decorations and pictures on the walls.
Denva giggled at Alpha, grinning at her new acquaintances. She couldn't help it. She glanced over at the other two people they were inviting to join them. She was eager to see the circus perform. Her parents would be either at the shop or in business meetings all day - which was the sad case of her father. She looked eagerly over at the Chimera, seeing one of them watching her. Though, she suspected it was more interested in Hoseki as a potential snack. Thankfully, they were trained creatures not to attack her mount. Hoseki's saddle clearly marked her as a tame riding beast after all.
Arcana smiled softly at Denva's comment, inclining her head in acknowledgement as she turned to guage the other party's response to Alpha's invitation.
Mira jaw dropped.""Oooh! That sounds wonderful," she exclaimed with a childish effervescence.
Her gaze directed towards Malik in a silent question who by now, Arcana knew for a fact was the leader of the group. "If you'll have us, then we'll gladly accept your invitation." He delievered his verdict rather diplomatically.
"Then it is decided." Arcana cooed, clasping her hands together.
She was going to have to give Alpha a lecture about inviting hot girls over without her permission. Regardless, Arcana wasn't about to back out of it and embarrass herself.
"Allow us to escort you to the big top. It may take a few moments for us to get set up. But my troupe could use the last-minute practise" She extended her arms, gesturing for them tto follow as she ambled towards the fully erected tent. "What you will see will only be a preview of tonight's show, so you will have to come back for the rest. And I have no doubt you will. What you will see here will take your breath away. We will be celebrating our late queen's life by honouring her death. Tonight, you shall be borne witness to such mysteries the like of which you cannot explain as we attempt to tackle the age-old question: "what happens when you die?". For one night only, the spirits of the dead shall be invited into the land of the living." She purred ominiously, a dark smirk creeping along her lips. "I do wonder... what will they have to say?"
Denva shivered with excitement. She wondered if the magic of necromancy was involved. Sometimes people who were mana manipulators would bring back deceased loved ones to say goodbye to their families. That was the only leagal way to do it - you had to have permission from the family of course and put them back to rest after. She wondered if any of the circus were mana users or illusionists. She was eager to find out as they approached the newly errected big top tent that covered the performance area.
Pearl decision to lead the room lead her once again to come face to face with Terri. What can you say? There're only so much a corridor could lead when Terri keep stomping through it. Now Terri is in no way fixated on Pearl. He already forgot what he was going to say to her when he saw her in the garden but that doesn't stop his rudeness to glare at her upon his passing and simply say "Ah. It's you" in the most judgemental tone possible. Terri doesn't particuraly care too much about a weird girl showing up at the castle with no memory and got taken in by the queen prior to her dead no no...but she's still a weird girl showing up at the castle with no memory and got taken by the queen just before her death so as as royal guard...of course he's going to be judgemental (plus she's clearly a commoner with big filthy raven)
Pearl shrinks back from the guard, blushing. "Y-yes" she stammers, not sure how to react. "I- I'll just, um, go and stay out of your way, Sir" she says quietly, quickly moving away. As soon as she's out of earshot, she glances back nervously, then sighs sadly. "Maybe we should just.. sneak out and leave. Noone wants us here, and I'd rather leave on my own terms than be thrown out" she says quietly to Midnight. The raven caws softly in a concerned, questioning tone. "I don't know where we'll go.. just.. away from people, I guess..." Pearl replies, slowly making her way towards the front door of the palace.
[Malik Nerio | Merchant]
Malik and his companions followed after Arcana towards a large tent. The crew listened to the ringleader's small speech. Kai's eyes lit up in excitement, mirroring Mira's. Marrin was a lot more toned down, leading the horse along after the full group, but she still looked rather curious.
Malik himself smirked after Arcana ended her last sentence on an ominous note. He knew that the majority of circus performances or magic shows were just skilled artisans using their talents to make people believe things are happening that weren't in actuality, but he did wonder if this circus group was more than just that.
"We shall anticipate it, then," Malik said as they neared the tent entrance.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
[Demitri Lockehart | Librarian]
Demitri had since left from the royal kitchens, a mug of steaming coffee in hand. He stepped down the corridor, towards the front entrance of the palace. He had been anticipating a walk outdoors after a whole morning of working in the library.
As Demitri closed in on the large wooden doors, he noticed a somewhat familiar figure, seeming to talk to a feathered animal on her shoulder. A raven, by the looks of it.
Demitri was about to pass the girl and the bird when he heard the end of what the girl had been saying to the raven.
"... leave on my own than be thrown out. I don't know where we'll go... just... away from people, I guess..." The young woman said softly.
Demitri looked once again towards the girl. He couldn't quite place where he would have seen her, with so many royal employees at the castle. However, she looked rather sad, with an expression that matched her previously muttered words.
"Pardon, miss," Demitri interjected, feeling it not right to flat out ignore her. "Are you feeling troubled?"
Pearl jumps at the voice and looks up at the speaker, blushing a little. "I- um.. I wouldn't want to bother you with it.." she answers quietly. Midnight nudges her cheek encouragingly and she sighs. She finds herself explaining her situation, the words pouring out. "I don't belong here. The only person who was kind to me was the queen, and now that she's dead, noone wants me to be here. I'm leaving the palace to try and find somewhere new.. somewhere I can belong" she says, then blushes hard as she realises that she'd spoken. She looks up nervously. "You- you won't tell anyone, will you? I- I don't know if I'd ever be able to leave if anyone else knew.."
The girl was clearly avoiding Terri as she stuttered and tipped toe away at the speed of light. Terri considered following her but the decide it's too much of a bother for him to care so he leave her be and walk toward the opposite direction with an annoyed tongue click
for the most part, Arcana’s little splurge prompted excited reactions from her new "guests". Even Malik seemed intrigued by her exposition.
"We shall anticipate, then." He purred smoothly
Arcana stood by the tent entrance and turned to face them. "I do ask that you allow your mounts to be escorted into the boarding stables by Alpha. The sights and sounds that you will experience under the big top may frighten them, or their presence may distract out performing animals. Rest assure that their care will be in expert hands. Well, our stable boys do have a soft heart. They may receive some extra brushings and sugar bits." Arcana admitted with a light-hearted chuckle.
Alpha circled around Hoseki with a low whistle and a grin. "She is a beaut, that one." He remarked
"Of course, I understand." Denva replied, nodding to Hoseki who made a small whine of protest, curling around her rider protectively.
"Chill, girl, I'll be fine. It'll only be for during the show. You'll still be nearby if I get into trouble." She assured the griffin, earning an affectionate nip to her fingers. That made the girl laugh.
"Oh you big baby. Go on, maybe you can sweet talk some of the animal handlers not invovled with the show into giving you some roast chicken." Denva suggested, making the griffin perk up as she looked hopefully at Alpha as Denva slipped over to the side he was on.
"Pro tip: if you want a wingless griffin to cooperate, figure out their favorite treat. Hoseki loves glazed roasted chicken. It's like candy to her. Especially if you use maple syrup. But she'll also take plain or herb roasted too." She advised Alpha, shooting her Griffin a sidelong glance.
((sorry guys, had a lot suddenly come up. but hopefully I can be on more now.))
[Malik Nerio | Merchant]
Right before entering the entrance to the tent, Arcana paused.
"I do ask that you allow your mounts to be escorted into the boarding stables by Alpha." The woman said.
"The sights and sounds that you will experience under the big top may frighten them, or their presence may distract our performing animals. Rest assure that their care will be in expert hands. Well, our stable boys do have a soft heart. They may receive some extra brushings and sugar bits."
Alpha had already walked over to Denva's mount, and Marrin looked at Malik his an arched eyebrow. Malik held up two fingers in a sign that it was okay to hand the horse over; to trust his judgment.
"Understandable," Malik said, gesturing more obviously now for the red-head to hand their horse's reins over to the beast-tamer, which she complied with. The merchant had not anticipated staying with the circus for so long, but things were too interesting to back out of it now. And besides, he trusted Aaron's record-keeping skills.
[Demitri Lockehart | Librarian]
Demitri looked at the girl as she jumped slightly at his inquiry. Her face flushed slightly as she stammered. She seemed reluctant before her bird seemed to spurn her on to speak.
"I don't belong here. The only person who was kind to me was the queen, and now that she's dead, no one wants me to be here. I'm leaving the palace to try and find somewhere new... somewhere I can belong." The young woman said, her face flushing more after her explanation.
"You- you won't tell anyone, will you? I-I don't know if I'd ever be able to leave if anyone else knew." She finished.
Demitri considered the situation. Now that she had mentioned it, Demitri remembered that the queen had taken in a stranger, presumably from another kingdom, allowing her sanctum at the palace. But he hadn't actually seen the young woman until now. She seemed harmless, but the librarian knew some other castle employees had been suspicious of the girl, thinking perhaps she was a spy. While Demitri understood their thoughts, he also trusted the former queen's judgment. She was kind, but she wasn't stupid, so she must not have seen the girl as a threat.
"I see. You're in quite a predicament." Demitri rubbed his chin with his free hand. "As long as you aren't causing a disruption, I don't have any reason to tell anyone. However, many people don't know how things are going to be now that the queen has passed. I believe you should at least wait until after the announcement of the new leadership of Astrin. Perhaps you will get more answers there as to what you should do."
((Awe, that's fine))
Alpha listened to Denva's tip with a beaming smile. "Yes, I've handled Wingless Griffins. We had a mated pair with us in the past. Lucille and Lucy are retired now to a nice farm." He hummed in contemplation. "Although it does save me some time trying to figure out what her favourite treat is.
Alpha approached Hoeski and placed a gentle palm on her beak. "Why don't we get you some chicken then, huh, gir?"
Alpha smiled and accepted the reins of the horse as well then turned. "I will see you all later." He purred, mostly to Mira before strutting off with the animals in tow.
Clapping her hands together, Arcana beamed then gradually opened the tent flap. She spoked her head in. "Set up for act B-13!" She called to the cast within who were quick to clear the area and begin preperations.
Smirking, Arcana dramatically unfolded the tent flap to reveal the bigtop. "After you, my lady." She bowed courteously to Denva .
Denva giggled, grinning at Alpha as she followed Arcana into the big top. She heard Hoseki caw happily, the griffin following him without a fuss. They went past a couple Manticore, one of the beasts eyeing her in a way that seemed to be assessing her.
"Are your Manticore wild or are they domestic raised? Because I think that big one there is giving me the stink eye." Denva asked Arcana out of curiosity, pointing to the manticore in question. She knew some idiots tried to domesticate the winged creatures, but it was never a good idea to take them from the wild. It was always better to get them from a reputable breeder. Griffins were more easily domesticated when taken from the wild as babies.
Pearl nods slowly, seeing the sense in staying at least a little longer. "Ok, you're right. Thank you, Sir" she says, now a little happier and more relaxed.
[Malik Nerio | Merchant]
Mira giggled at Alpha's words of departure. The dark-haired girl had since placed the rose in her hair, perfectly in place despite the absence of a mirror.
Arana quickly took over once again, calling out to some members of her troop before offering first for Denva to enter. Malik regarded the two women. Denva had introduced herself as a Beaumont, a family known well even outside of the Ridgestrider territory. Arcana also appeared to be a Ridgestrider, if her profession indicated so, but Malik had a feeling she wasn't born into the faction.
As the group entered the tent, Denva questioned the manticores' backgrounds. Kai let slip a 'whoa' as they walked near, but despite the young lad's general excitable nature, he seemed to be exercising caution with the creatures.
Marrin wasn't of a beast-tamer family of Ashreapers, but she didn't seem quite as fazed by their presence, walking by with just a few glances at their impressive statures.
Mira appeared more intimidated, letting Marrin walk between her and the beasts while looking at them. Malik knew the navigator adored animals, but she had not had exposure to the likes of a manticore. Malik himself had never seen the species, though he had experienced many the weird creature in marketplaces.
[Demitri Lockehart | Librarian]
Demitri nodded at the girl's response. He wasn't sure if what he said was helpful to her particular situation, but it is what he would personally do before making a final decision. Many people in the kingdom's lives in some way depended on what the council would say.
"Demitri is fine." The librarian took a sip of coffee, regarding the guest. "I hope you don't mind, but may I ask your name?"
"I'm Pearl. And this is Midnight" she answers, motioning to the raven. "It's really nice to meet you, Demitri. You're the first person I've really talked to since getting here" she says with a smile.
Arcana hummed a mysterious tune as she escorted them into the tent.
One of their animal handlers leading two large manticore lumbered by, vacating the arena as Arcana entered.
This prompted some mixed, albeit wary reactions from her guests and a rather enthusiastic reaction from Denva.
"Are your Manticore wild or are they domestic raised? Because I think that big one there is giving me the stink eye."
"Hmm?" Arcana mused as she regarded the beasts. "Oh." A smirk played in her lips. Denva's careless attitude towards both her Chimeras and her Manticores proved that she placed way too much faith into their training. While it was true that all of Arcana’s animals were highly trained by elite professionals, they were still essentially wild animals. These creatures were not like dogs or horses who have been breed for millions of years to do human bidding. The only reason they did not attack was because all of the animals that worked for the circus were submissive in nature. Taming and training an alpha animal often proves to be fatal. Cubs are taken at a young age and the most submissive of the litter are sold for human use. The rest are usually let go or unfortunately, killed. Which is why Arcana never buys her animals off of breeders.
"Most of our performance animals are rescues from other circuses." Arcana explained. "Confiscated from bad situations or poor living quality. Unfortunately most circuses are not as conscientious about the welfare of their animals as we are. So, most of our animals come to us at a low cost already fully trained. Training manticores is a taxing and lengthy ordeal and purchasing them fully trained by professionals costs more than a pretty penny. Often we will take rescues as babies and train them ourselves to sell at top price when we are at the markets. Most of our funding comes from retraining and selling our animals. Those two manticores you just saw, Kitty and Purry, will be sold in town in a few days to reputable buyers as we will not sell to anyone who maintains a record of abuse or mistreatment. And before you ask, no I did not name them. Alpha did." Arcana halted in hertracks, gesturing to some seating for her guests to take.
Denva nodded, in awe of the animals as she watched the Chimera. She took her seat in the sands with the others. She made mental note to ask her parents if they could buy one of the Manticore. They were incredible creatures. And it was amazing that Arcana took in rescues the way she did. Hoseki wasn't a rescue, but a lot of the animals her family owned were. For example, her Uncle Barton's mount, a gorgeous snowy owl type Winged griffin named Yuki, was a rescue from abuse and was the sweetest thing. She made a mental note to mention that to Arcana after the show. She'd given the two Manticore space to get past, they were still predators after all. Although...with Hoseki to worry about, Denva wasn't sure that buying a Chimera was a good idea since they would probably go after her. She was excited to see Furry and Purry in action. She also made a note to suggest new names for them to their owners if she ended up knowing who they were. Actually, her cousin Althea was in the market for a Chimera pair to A) serve as rather intimidating companions, and B) pull her flying carriage. She was visiting from the mountains so she'd mention that the two were in the market.
[Malik Nerio | Merchant]
"My, I'm glad to hear that," The blonde chuckled upon Arcana explaining the nature of the manticores and where they would be heading.
Malik's crew filed into the stands after Denva, with the hasty Kai in the lead and Malik entering last, nearest to the end of the seating row. Mira seemed a lot more at ease now, seemingly having forgotten about the manticores and their threatening presence with them out of sight. Her eyes seemed to shimmer as she gazed around the tent in awe.
Malik also turned to move his dark eyes around the tent, taking in the details of the setup. It was impressive how quickly the circus had set up shop on the lawn.
[Demitri Lockehart | Librarian]
"Ah," Demitri nodded, although a bit surprised by the girl's confession. The reasoning may be because of Pearl's mysterious appearance that others stayed away, possibly more so ever since the queen's unexpected passing.
"Well, you're always welcome in the library," Demitri offered. "I'm often busy myself, but it is a pleasant ambiance. My assistant and other castle employees are often around there, as well. And you can bring Midnight there, as long as he doesn't make a mess." Demitri added, upon eyeing the raven. The bird looked intelligent, but the man wasn't sure of its training just by looking at it.
By the time everyone had settled in and Arcana had finished explaining the origins behind their animals, her crew had almost entirely finished setting up for the. Mostly it required a single metal table in the middle of the arena, flanked by large satin curtains to add to the mystery and allure. A single flickering candelabra was placed in the middle, rusted and worn by time.
Seeing that the set up had been completed, Arcana smirked and took a few steps back into the ring. "And now we invite you to relax, kick back and-" her crew tugged on the rigging, covering the ports that opened the tent to the sky and blocking all light from entering the area, essentially plunging the tent into a shadowed darkness as Arcsna seemingly disappeared, "enjoy the show." Her voice echoed from somewhere off to the left.
Denva was giddy with excitement by the time the tent went dark to start the preview. She always got excited with the circus. And she actually got to meet the performers! Oh, Althea was going to be jealous! Her cousin's family was going to join them for the circus. She would have to remember to mention to them that two of the Manticore, Kitty and Purry, were for sale for retirement. They'd be perfect for what Althea was looking for since she wanted to make an impression. She was always such a show off in Denva's opinion though. She was eager to see the act the performers were going to perform for them
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[Malik Nerio | Merchant]
Malik strolled leisurely towards a storehouse along the docks, humming a tune to himself happily. He noticed around five familiar figures unloading crates from a nearby boat. The side of the ship sported an elegant script making out two words: The Mirage.
The sky was a clear blue, with some white puffy clouds slowly drifting high overhead. Suddenly a shadow momentarily covered over Malik's figure, gone as quickly as it appeared. A dark feathered bird landed on the outstretched arm of a beautifully tanned woman. Naia grinned at her eagle, speaking to it in another language. Malik only could make out a few words, as he wasn't fluent in the translator's language of origin.
"Malik!" A sharp voice snapped, catching Malik's attention. A girl with flame-colored hair glared at him over the top of a huge box. The girl was surprisingly small for how much weight she was lifting, but Malik had grown used to Marrin's strength. After all, it was a huge reason she was initially hired on with him, although she had stayed around of her own will (and of course, the promise of money) after many voyages together.
"Stop gawking and come help!" Marrin followed these words with a string of curses, putting some foul-mouthed Tideseeker sailors to shame despite her background of coming from the western forests. But Malik didn't react with any more than a smile to her words, by far used to them in the rough oceanside town.
"How's it going?" Malik asked, walking over to help a younger boy drag another large crate off the plank and across the dock to storage.
"Great!" The boy said eagerly, despite his visible sweating. Kai was almost always enthusiastic, even when he was working hard.
"This would be going a lot quicker if you hadn't have run off," A cool voice noted. A pale-haired older teen walked up, a pen and notebook in hand. Despite Aaron's official position as a cartographer, he doubled as the one who took note of all Malik's goods; the numbers, the location, how much they were sold for, and more. The Tideseeker was almost a perfectionist about every detail, so he was the most qualified for the position.
"I was doing business," Malik commented back, after reappearing with Kai out of the storehouse, brushing his hands off.
"I'm not really sure why you hired him on," A beautiful girl stated, sitting atop a ledge near the water. "He kinda looked sketchy to me from the beginning."
"True," Malik considered. "But so were most of you lot. If I hadn't of given you a chance, who knows where you'd be now."
"I guess you're right," Mira hummed, swinging her legs.
"Looks like that's all of it," Naia said in a slightly accented voice, walking over with crossed arms and showcasing a variety of golden bracelets that gleamed in the bright sunlight.
Malik laughed at his crew's squabbling, as they locked up the building and moved the plank back aboard the docked ship. Kai had gone off to fetch a horse, to help carry a number of goods to the palace, the group trailing after.
As the group later approached the center of the city, Malik cocked his head, hearing the unmistakable sound of loud music and cheering. It was starting to fade as the castle came into sight, but they could make out colored tents, people in costume, and many animals set up in a long stretch nearby to the palace.
"A circus!" Mira squealed, upon getting closer. Marrin frowned, having been walking right next to the girl when she made the loud outburst.
"Hmm, quite odd timing." Naia noted, in reference to the queen's still recent passing.
"Let's get a look on the way by to the castle," Malik suggested with a grin, with loud-voiced agreement from at least two of his companions. The other three followed along less eagerly, but some still with varying levels of interest.
Walking along the main road, the group managed to get a fairly decent view of the proceeding arrangement, watching from a distance as a young man led two huge chimeras by, and a girl with a griffin conversed with what appeared to be a circus ring-leader.
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[Demitri Lockehart | Librarian]
Demitri pulled his spectacles off once more, folding in the temples. He glanced at a nearby time piece, judging the time. There was still much time left before the announcement, but he decided it was late enough for a break; he'd been working since the early morning. Amelia had already gone off on her own break.
Pushing back from his chair, Demitri tidied up for a few moments, putting potentially dangerous tools or fragile bits of the book he had been working on away.
He turned off the nearby gas lamp before padding through the large library, the scent of old books and wooden interior calming him. The shelves on the library's walls started from the ground, and in some places, almost didn't stop until the ceiling.
Smaller shelves lined the ground between walls, while ladders that could be moved along the walls rested in place, ready to be used to reach a higher collection of books. Narrow stairs also lead to higher platform levels, with delicately carved railings providing both a good view of the entire large room while also providing a quiet and private place to read.
The polished hardwood floors under his feet were generations old. In front of certain shelves were faint, worn areas, but most of the flooring was in pristine condition despite its age.
Demitri sighed contently, before exiting the library, closing the large wooden door behind him once he had stepped in the busier main hallway of the palace. He decided to drop by the kitchen to get some coffee, and perhaps take a short stroll before he would head to the grand room.