[ week one: overflow ]

[murderhost]

MINGLE LOG

The way you arrive might vary from person to person. Perhaps, you wake up on the beach, with your pet cat licking your face. Or you wake up tucked away in your bed, an item of yours nearby and a card on the bedside table reading your name and Welcome to the manor!

Either way, you end up in a modern mansion on a empty, lonely beach, with no explanation of why you're there or what's going on. In the driveway, there is a car with keys in the ignition but, unfortunately, no gas in the tank. In the living room, there is a touch screen television featuring a variety of profiles featuring you and the many other lost souls trapped in this mansion alongside with you.

There is also a camera crew. A camera crew? Really? But following the characters along are blank faced mannequins in a variety of colors, dressed in all black, operating cameras to film them. If you try and talk to the crew, they say nothing (as they have no mouth or eyes or... anything) and just continue to film them. Trying to touch them results in the mannequin falling over and going immobile, only to be replaced by a new one that appears from... somewhere? Weird.

The kitchen is fully stocked. There are spare clothes in the closets. There's even a few video game systems with games in the living room as well. There are books to read in the library. There's writing and drawing materials in the office. There's things to do. Just... why? To what end? What's going on here?

For those intrepid folks who decide to walk as far as they can away from the manor and the beach will find themselves blinking at one point and suddenly being back in the front yard of the manor. Huh. Strange.

Answers don't seem to be coming anytime soon. You might as well just... settle in?

—

PROPERTY DAMAGE | PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS

♥

Comments

[noirges]

[ does a complete 180

but looks over his shoulder to glance back at her playfully ]

Then if you think you were to take a lover one day, what would you want them to be like?

[yesterbloom]

[ there's a pause of surprise. she didn't think he would turn around like that.

....

almost too softly: ]

.... I wouldn't. [ before she adds more brightly, confidently: ] I'm aiming to be a knight.

[noirges]

[ oh!

he turns back already, eyes bright ]

Really? Amazing! Have you been training?

[yesterbloom]

[ okay she likes this more. she turns to face him fully. ]

I have. I need to build up my stamina, but I'm confident in my swordsmanship.

[noirges]

Oh?

[ he looks around, humming thoughtfully ]

If I could fashion training swords out of something, shall we practice together? I wouldn't want to get out of shape either!

[yesterbloom]

[ it takes a second before she nods. ]

... okay. If you can manage it, I'll spar with you.

[noirges]

[ already thinking about it... ]

I saw some rakes in the gardening shed... If I can fashion the handles and whittle them down, that could work in the interim? Maybe when the snow clears, we can try.

How long have you been training? Have you always wanted to be a knight?

[yesterbloom]

You're handy, aren't you? Skilled with your hands in many ways.

[ cleaning.... whittling... swords... what next?

his next question makes her freeze a little. ]

I'm self-trained, so it's... both shorter and longer than you'd expect. [ she offers a small smile. ] Knighthood is a new aspiration. Until a little while ago, I was comfortable being with my family and going with whatever happened next.

[noirges]

[ preens a little! ]

You're looking at the owner of Courrune, a handyman guild! There's not much I can't pick up after trying a bit, I think.

[ so he understands being self-taught! he nods along... ]

And then something inspired you to take up the sword in defense of others...? That's admirable. I was part of the people's militia back home... so I can try to show you some techniques my teacher taught me, if you'd like.

I was even smaller than you are when I picked up swordplay, so I think they might help?

[yesterbloom]

A guild... how commendable.

[ this rose-tinted view.... she isn't going to say he's wrong because he isn't, not really. ]

I'm a cadet at a military academy now, but I'd like to see how you move with a sword. I think it tells you a lot about a person.

[ she gives him a short bow after a moment. ]

I'll look forward to whatever you teach me.

[noirges]

[ a little laugh ]

Thanks. [ but he will mirror her bow, both polite and delighted ] I want to see you succeed!

Sometimes the knights I know back home can be a little... much. [ rude. terrible to women. ] So I hope that you shine the brightest out of them all.

[yesterbloom]

Horrible? Too self-entitled? [ she knows many such types.

she laughs a little and then waves a hand. ]

I don't want to shine that bright. Just enough but not too much.

[noirges]

Eheh...

[ a sheepish little laugh... he cannot bring himself to agree but clearly she chose the right words, as far as he's concerned ]

But how come you don't want to best them all...?

[ not too much? ]

[yesterbloom]

I scored well on the last ranking exam, and the commander assigned me to be his squire.... Some of them weren't too happy about it. I don't have a good reputation, and I don't care that I don't, but after that, they said some things....

[ she doesn't care that much about rumors when it's just about her, but when they start dragging others into it, she doesn't like it. ]

[noirges]

[ oh..... yves frowns at that, but he supposes he shouldn't be surprised. are knights really the same everywhere? how frustrating. ]

... I'm still sorry, Mademoiselle. People should think more about bettering themselves than badgering those who apply themselves and work hard.

[yesterbloom]

They should. I don't have any power to do anything about them, but that's why I want to excel, but I don't want to stand out.

[ she isn't going to smother her talent, but she doesn't need the people who are kind to her to be dragged down. ]