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mundane_realms2020-10-11 08:37 am
dm_screen) wrote in mundane_realms2020-10-11 08:37 am
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Bardsong's First Test-Drive Meme!
How to Use:
It all began when you fell from the skies above, wreathed in flame. When you landed, you learned that you weren't alone: So many others, each from worlds entirely different from yours, have found themselves in his predicament, and know about as much as you do! The locals greet you with a cautious friendliness, welcoming you to the town of Concord. They tell you that the world was broken apart mysteriously not long ago, and are trying to devise ways to step far beyond the town borders to find where the rest of the globe went, get to the bottom of things.
But your arrival is nothing short of a blessing. Perhaps you, the Starfallen, are the answer to their prayers. They explain how live presently works in Concord, they give you that tour of their guilds, and even give you a place to stay at Concord Crossing, where you're randomly assigned roommates. You hope your roommates are amicable...
In the days following, after shaking off the shock of your current situation, you find yourself beginning to integrate into Concord life. But while you await word from the local researchers among the many guilds dotted through town, each looking for new members to bestow their teachings, you need to fill your pockets with precious, precious sol. You'd also heard that there was to be a celebration very soon, and everyone is invited. A little partying never hurt anyone, right? Besides, free food!
Now, where to begin...?
I. More Than This Provincial Life
Concord, the large city that it is, hosts many opportunities for work. Between the multiple quarters and their specialties, just about anyone can find a job. With the isolation from the rest of the world, employers eagerly welcome the Starfallen with part time or temporary work (Apparently, all full time positions are taken and employers conspicuously nudge people out the door if they spend too much time on the clock) to coincide with the life of an adventurer. For those who wish for something to do and a source of income outside of quests, there's always an honest day's wage to be made! With the exception of a few tasks the South Quarter may have to offer, but those aren't the kind of jobs spoken of too loudly.
I-A. Magicka Cleanup Detail
The Concord Magic Academy, between bright-eyed students trying their best and young nobles whose admission was paid in cash, sees quite a few accidents in its halls. Alchemy experiments, wayward fireballs, testing theories given by their Occultist friends, anything can come up and make a mess of a lab or a classroom. As such, the academy welcomes the brave and the patient to the field of custodial engineering, especially those with strong stomachs and combat experience. It wouldn't be the first time stains fight back or gravity ceased to be, so on top of keeping to their own personal hygiene standards, employees are expected to be thorough in their cleaning and expect the unexpected.
I-B. Amazing Paperboy Deliveries
The Concord Truthogram is dedicated to bringing the truth right to the doors of paying customers as soon as the next issue is ready. They're looking for delivery workers and runners equally dedicated to I bringing the truth to subscribers! Runners will need to deliver newspapers all across Concord before dawn breaks. Subscribers are all throughout the city, so runners are encouraged to find an optimal route and coordinate with their co-workers to bring the truth the world in a timely and orderly manner! This job favors the agile, as early Concord mornings are filled with people bustling through the streets and occasional hazards to trip up the distracted runner. Try not to make too many mistakes, as unsatisfied customers will unsubscribe and deny themselves the gift of the Concord Truthogram. Watch out for stray dogs and the occasional grim reaper.
II. O Valley Of Plenty, Whoa-oh-oh!
Working at a coffee shop or helping to organize a wizard's dusty study isn't for everyone, and the people of Concord understand. Every world runs on some currency, and here, it's known as the 'sol'. For those looking to do a 'dirtier' work, the citizenry helpfully direct the Starfallen to the Men-At-Arms Guild, your source of monster-busting work!
Lit by the glow of lanterns, the following work is looking for takers, posted on a large board outside the guild:
II-A. Rabites!
"We need someone to handle the Rabite problem! A couple that chooses not to be named found a pair and decided to raise them as pets, but they have since bred out of control into feral, very bitey colonies. They may look cute and cuddly, but you may need to bring a friend to be on the safe side."
Reward: 50 sol per pelt
II-B. Bumps in the Night!
"We need graveyard shift relief for the town guard posted along the outskirts of Concord. Lately, the guards have been reporting strange noises through the night, and have seen an influx of ghoul sightings coming down from the nearby hills. Take care care not to get bitten; it won't make you like them, but it will make you sluggish and leave you as easy prey."
Reward: 800 sol a night + 100 sol per head
III. Like One of Those Music Videos
While typically only those following the paths of their departed founders and enduring Masters of the Manor are granted entry to the Glistering Estate, the Guild of Steel and Lace nonetheless occasionally open the gates to outsiders. Oftentimes, this is simply to showcase a performance at the theatre, or to offer a chance for newcomers to join their ranks; today, however, is a special occasion: the anniversary of the Estate's groundbreaking. For the evening, the entire Estate grounds have been made available to the residents of Concord, and an exquisite buffet has been prepared for all who would raise a glass to their Founders. Many who come may be tempted by the lavish wealth on display, but aspiring thieves and troublemakers must be warned: Behind the gold and silk lies a house packed to the brim with the likes of veteran Paladins and entrapping illusionists.
III-A. Black Tie...?
Before one is permitted entry to the Estate proper, they must be willing to show a modicum of due deference and wear the proper attire. For an open-door event such as this, simple and tasteful formalwear will suffice; a collared dress shirt or modest blouse, at the very least. Fortunately for those who cannot afford- or, as is sometimes the case, simply forgot- such fineries, the Guild of Steel and Lace happily provides attire of the sort worn by their own members on the estate grounds, and their stocks accommodates all shapes and sizes. Unfortunately, their standard attire inevitably takes the form of service attire such as maid outfits and butler uniforms. They have even provided booths to change in private, so please, don't make a scene.
III-B. Upper, Upper Class High Society!
Once inside, the guests have freedom to enjoy the manor's full facilities; the Guild of Steel and Lace have spared no expense in setting up food options from their in-house chefs ranging from terrestrial crab legs and tropical fruits to... erm... unfamiliar flora or fauna that are unidentifiable, but thoroughly delicious. At least, to the locals who have already acquired the taste. Additionally, The theatre is hosting an ongoing series of performances from the Guild's bards, though they're not above letting the Starfallen have their turns at the microphone. Nonetheless, from ballroom to gardens to bathhouse, the entire estate is open to visitors, so why not have a look around...?
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And Corrin is who King Garon put in charge of the Hoshidan invasion. A foolish command to give; she lacks Xander's formidable experience, and she isn't half the tactician Leo is. Xander is Crown Prince, the heir to the throne, by all rights he should be the one leading the army...but Hoshido is where Corrin—no, Kamui—was born. It's where her birth family still resides. It's where her mother died defending her from a trap set by King Garon; a trap that used an unwitting Corrin as bait.
He put her in command because it hurts her, and because to refuse, or not give the absolute appearance of doing everything she can to win this war for her adopted father, will result in her death, and the deaths of everyone who follows her. Maybe even some of her siblings. Maybe all of them. And because this way her plan, her stupid, foolish plan, has a chance of working.
But there will be so much death before then. To give up means death, but to succeed means damnation. That's the person she really is, the person Schala, sweet, caring Schala doesn't know about yet. She'll have to though one day, Corrin knows, if they are indeed going to be friends. She owes the other woman that. What she's done, and what she will do. Of course Schala won't want anything to do with Corrin after that, how could she? Corrin knows in her heart of hearts what a monster she actually is.
But not yet. Corrin enjoys her company, she has already decided, and she would savour it, that smile and that laugh as long as she can.
All this passes by in a few brief moments as Corrin collects herself. "Uh, oh...yes, like a soldier." She admits. "I...it was my father's wish that I serve, so for now I will. But it's not, um, it's not...what I want to spend my entire life doing." She takes the bottle, uncorks it, and takes a drink.
Once she's had her fill, she puts the bottle down and grins; this time, her's is the bit that is slightly forced. She'd rather get away from this topic if she can. "You absolutely would not be." She chides gently, and the sentiment is true, even if her cheer isn't entirely. "I'm stronger than I look you know! And I happen to have it on good authority I give very good piggy-back rides, too." She nods assertively at this. "My little sister's standards are quite high in that department, I'll have you know." Then she laughs, more genuinely now. Thinking about Elise helps; thinking about all of them eases the pain. It was Corrin's love for her siblings, and theirs for her, that had kept her in Nohr after all. That's the one thing she has never gone back on; the one thing she doesn't think she's capable of going back on. She may be a monster, but there are people waiting for her who genuinely love her. And despite it all, that is a comforting thought.
Don't forget the fear, you coward. her mind hisses at her, through her best attempts to ignore it.
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Turning her head just slightly, she offered a small smile of her own, listening as she shared a tale of her younger sister. Ah, yes, having someone to hold onto like that, both literally and metaphorically... Schala could understand that well, too.
"Is that so?" her voice was soft, on the verge of a giggle herself upon hearing about the young girl's piggy-back standards. The way that Corrin seemed to light up talking about this member of her family warmed her heart.
"Will you tell me more about her? Your little sister, I mean."
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It's true that talking up her family, or at least her siblings, never fails to lift her spirits though, and her smile immediately brightens. "I'd be happy to, but you'd better be careful. I can talk about my family all day if you let me." She teases. "Her name's Elise, and she's just the sweetest ray of sunlight. I don't think I've ever met anyone else so overflowing with positivity as her." Coming from someone like Corrin, that may seem a touch unbelievable.
"Bar none, she's the best at healing magic among all of us too. She likes to help people, likes everyone to get along. She's been reading a lot about how to make peace, too. I think if Elise ended up in the diplomatic corps she'd do a lot of good there." Corrin chuckles fondly. "But right now she's more or less the backbone of our medical squad. If it were me, I don't know if I could handle it, all that pain and suffering, but it doesn't seem to affect her one bit. I don't know how someone so young is so strong. I know I'm not." And yet Elise had been worried she was the one slowing the rest of them down. How could she not see that?
Corrin pulls her knees up, wrapping one arm around them, her eyes half-lidded. "Honestly? She's been kind of my rock. I've...the last few months have been kind of...all over the place for me, and my other siblings, well they had duties of their own to look after. But Elise stuck with me almost immediately, and she's really helped keep me grounded. I'm her big sister, but lately it seems like she's the one who's been looking after me. I'd expect her to gripe about that, but...she always makes time for me and never complains. She really does enjoy spending time with me when I feel down. Elise is my hero, no two ways about it. I don't think I'd have handled things nearly so well if she hadn't been with me from the start."
Corrin sighs, wistfully but also happily. She keenly feels her sister's absence but thinking about her is still comforting. Resting her head on her knees, she looks towards Schala. "Enough about me, though. What about you, Schala? You have any siblings? Anyone close? Tell me about them, I really wanna know."
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"You know—" Schala pulled away just a little, enough so that she could shift herself back into their huddle again, bumping Corrin's shoulder with her own in chiding. "I may have just met you, Corrin but— I get the impression that you're quite strong. I bet Elise would say the same thing, too." She glanced towards the other girl, a growing fondness in her eyes.
Here, in the new warmth she'd discovered in this world, Schala felt a crack in the well-crafted walls she kept her heart behind.
"I'm a big sister as well," there's just a bit of pride in her tone. "My brother and I... we've always been very close especially since—" our mother abandoned reason for madness? "our father passed away." A simple truth, with much more buried along with it. "But that was some time ago. He's ten now, and I keep thinking... someday soon I'll miss the days when wanted to follow me around everywhere."
She looked out into the wilds of sparking space, visibly brightened talking about him, too.
no subject
She's not sure she'll survive the successful completion of her plan to unmask the False King and end the war, but...her life to save Hoshido and Nohr? That seems a small price to pay.
"Really?" She perks up, her ears twitching in interest. "I'm glad we have that in common. What's his name?" But her smile fades a bit when Schala talks about her father's passing. After a moment, she reaches out and takes the other girl's hand in her own, giving it a small squeeze. It feels a bit warmer now. "I understand. My mother died not too long ago." Despite the trauma of it triggering her first transformation when it occurred, with everything that happened immediately afterward and her return to Nohr, it still hasn't completely hit her; that she met her real birth-mother only to lose her a short few days later. She hadn't even truly come to accept the truth about Queen Mikoto until she was dying in Corrin's arms. Grieving for her is a luxury she still can't afford, not when she knows she's being watched for any sign of perceived disloyalty. And her father's pet sorcerer Iago has many eyes. "I relied on my siblings to help get me through it too."
She nods along at Schala's concern, keeping the other woman's hand in hers for the time being. "Yeah, I know what you mean. It's already starting to happen with me and Elise. Hey, can I give you some unsolicited advice, one big sister to another?" She cocks her head. "When he starts getting older and having his own life and responsibilities, find one thing you both share, that you're both really passionate about, and see if you can make that your special thing. With me and Elise, it's music; I studied the piano, and she's the best violinist I know." The only violinist perhaps but Elise is legitimately skilled. "So now we play together, when we can. Put on little concerts, practice songs, improve together. That's our thing, and it helps keep us connected. My little brother Leo and I have our gardening; I keep my flowerbed next to his tomato patch. We spend time tending them together whenever we're free. My big sister Camilla is teaching me how to sew and embroider. And my elder brother Xander, well...we still keep up our practicing together even if my training has more or less concluded. That way, you'll always have something the two of you share, that's just yours. It'll help when he gets older. Trust me on that."
no subject
Her eyes almost close— until she felt the other girl's hand wrap warmly around her own, with a reassuring squeeze. Looking down at it, Schala's heart swam, but ached at the same time. Here was Corrin relating something so personal to her bare-bones truth of what she'd shared about Zeal. It felt... a bit wrong to omit so much, when the Nohrian was being so open. But— it was all she could bring herself to share, for now.
Instead, she kept her words focused somewhere she knew wouldn't be painful: "Janus," she offered, "his name is Janus. And I think that's very good advice." How well-rounded Corrins skills were, she thought, hearing all of that. And so many siblings! Quietly, she wondered, would she ever have the chance to hear Corrin play a song?
"I'll have to think of something we can share like that," you know— aside from living under the iron fist of an unfeeling shell of their former mother. "I'm afraid his only other friend these days is his cat," she joked, clearly happy to reminisce about such a scene.