melodiesoflife | Event || The Answer

Event || The Answer

Characters: All characters who signed-up for the event.
Where: South Continent of Balance (Imperial Territories)
When: April 20th to April 30th.
Summary: The Heroes of Light have lost consciousness and now find themselves in the middle of nowhere, without their Moogles and away from everything they know. They will have to get back home, but what awaits them on the path? For more information, please check the First OOC Post and Second OOC Post.
Warning: Bad things.

Group 01: Team Hijinks House
Group 02: Team Brigands
Group 03: Team Discovery Channel
Group 04: Sephiroth's (In)Sanity Squad
Group 05: Team (Bad) Shipping Advice
Group 06: Team Blue-Haired Lords on Fire
Group 07: Team Mom and Late Sleepers
Group 08: Nothing Bad Will Happen
Group 09: The Hellhounds
Group 10: Loftwings, A Working Title
Group 11: Team Oni
Group 12: Team F.N.T.I²
Group 13: Team Name-In-Progress
Group 14: Team The-Mods-Couldn’t-Brain-A-Name
Group 15: Seraphim Shenanigans

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Ramza gains no points, alas. ]

Beest silent! I shalt has't thy headeth for poisoning mine daughter with such heinous thoughts!

[ And then back to said daughter, or rather an impressive actress at the moment. ]

Mine lief issue, please cometh back. Thy marriage with Lord Jason wilt bringeth prosperity to our land and a bright future to our people! How can thee beest so selfish and disregard all but thy own interest?

[Ramza looks from the king to Rialynn, pale and vulnerable where she's sunken to the floor. She really is a high caliber actress, and the king as well. He can't really hope to match their intensity.]

Ummm... [This is much harder without Rialynn's guidance. He moves to her side and kneels beside her so he can offer her a hand up.]

What do we do now? [He whispers.]

Edited 2016-05-05 16:34 (UTC)

[Her breathing is quickened, and she can't seem to tear her eyes away from the visage of her own father.]

[Then Ramza is there, and his voice and presence combined manage to break the spell. She spares him a quick glance before looking back at the king, then at the interested audience. No, this is a play, she tells herself. Just a play. It's strange that her father's doppelganger is here, however. Does that mean her father was called as a Hero of Light in the past? And the situation is false too. It's Lord Jason, not Lord Jaxon. But the similarity is so strong, it can't just be a coincidence.]

[She looks at Ramza again, regaining more control of her senses, and grips his hand. As she rises, she leans in close and whispers.]

Be on your guard, Ramza.

[If she doesn't call him by his real name, he might not realize she's serious. Her fingers tighten, before she releases his hand and turns to face this new actor.]

The Lord and his mother would oppress our people, and turn sickles to swords. They do not want a kingdom of peace, they wish for foot soldiers to expand their reign. We would be nothing more than pawns, Father. Once they have our kingdom, what need will they have for us? For you.

[Lightly she touches Ramza's arm.]

Djidane knows this as well. That is why he has fought so hard to keep me from their grasp. He is a good man.

[ Disappointed father looks very disappointed. He does theatrical gesture displaying disappointment and anger. ]

Foolishness! How would this brigand knoweth anything? Doth thee not realize that gent is only after thee for what thee represent?

[ And then a look at Nanami. ]

If 't be true thee wilt not hark to reason, then I wilt bringeth thee back home there's few or none will entertain it the cost. General Beate! Taketh mine issue back without intention of the cost.

[Nanami is a bit uncertain.... is Rialynn really that good at acting? She's starting to feel a bit outclassed by this whole thing. At least Ramza looks as confused as she feels.]

Yes, Your Majesty.

[she gave a brief bow before turning towards Rialynn and Ramza, and drawing the prop sword.]

Now, how shall we do this? You may try to run, but you cannot escape your fate.

[Rialynn stamps a foot forward, raising her hand to clench it into a fist. Now that she's had a moment to recover from that shocking surprise, it doesn't take her long to get back into the swing of the play.]

I will choose my own fate, and it will not be a lifetime of misery wed to that wicked yet devastatingly handsome villain! I will save my people a different way!

[ At this point, this part of the play can continue without mod interventions. Just keep replying to this thread to keep the play going. ]

[Oh, that is nice! The Barkeep is pleasantly surprised at what an amazing actor Rialynn is. Of course, Nanami is great and Ramza...Ramza is doing his best, but the bard's quick retort seems to have come so naturally, it makes him jealous. He hopes that the princess and Djidane get together, because their love is too strong and too pure to be broken apart by politics.

Sure, it wouldn't make sense in real life, but this is just a story. It needs a happy ending.]

[Finally! Ramza draws his sword and steps forward to meet Nanami. Time for some fake dueling.]

I will not run. With my love's favor, I cannot fail. En guarde, General!

[He crosses his fake sword with Nanami's.]

[ The large man returned to the scene after the scene between Ramza, Ryalinn and Nanami had concluded. His gestures were as theatrical and overblown as before. ]

And at the same time Djidane fought for the freedom of his most beloved, the wise and good regent Cideo confronted the Evil Empress in an attempt to put an end to the very source of this madness. Armed with a weapon, he came to fight with words but was ready to do what was necessary to put an end to her tyranny.

[ And with that, he moved away from the scene-- That was the cue for Barkeep to finally come in. ]

[The Barkeep straightened his back, cracked his neck and stretched his arms. The backstage hands could not persuade him to drop some of his costume accessories, so there he arrives on the stage, red cape and all.

He rushes to the center and throws that cape around for dramatic effect, then puts his hands on his hips. Standing still, he turns his head from side to side as if surveying his beautiful lands.]

Behold! I cannot let the love between my niece and Djidane be destroyed! [He's attempting a refined accent, but his natural space western accent is too strong to be completely hidden.] With the knowledge in my mind and my sword by my side, I will not fail!

[He holds up a fist and strikes a pose.]

[From backstage, Rialynn watches Barkeep's performance with a delighted grin that crinkles at the corners of her eyes. She loves his enthusiasm, and finds it infectious. The audience must be loving this too, she thinks.]

[A part of her wants to find the man who played the role of her royal father, but it leaves her with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach at the very thought of talking with him face to face. He's not truly her father. If she apologized, he wouldn't understand why. It would just be awkward for the both of them.]

[Maybe it's cowardly, but she just isn't prepared for that kind of meeting yet. Later...perhaps when this war is over...she might take a chance and send a letter to her true father once she's able to return home.]

[Life is so much better now that he is off-stage. Ramza watches Barkeep act, and he seems good. The audience laughs at him, which is...good, right?]

[The stagehands tell him he should not remove his costume yet, so he is probably not in the clear yet. He watches the play from the side, laughing when the audience laughs and cheering when they cheer.]

[ The Evil Empress comes at the right side of the stage, though her back is turned to Barkeep. She wears clothing worthy of an empress, even if a close look would reveal it's actually cheap materials, but details. ]

Thee art as motley-minded as thy niece and that lady's fool of a nuthook.

[ She shook her head. Her voice might be somewhat familiar to Barkeep. ]

Thee would destroy all desire for peace, all for their hath lost love?

[It's not the material that counts, but how it looks. The Barkeep theatrically swivels his body to face the Evil Empress, only to see her back. Hah! This is the part where the villain gloats to the audience, while he heroically shakes his fist in the background!

Said fist-shaking is interrupted when the actress speaks, and his expression is one of concern and confusion. It doesn't clash too much with her insult, but his mind blanks out for a moment.

That can't be her, he tells himself, but that voice is one he could recognize anywhere. Was spending a year apart enough for him to start hearing things?

He shakes his head to rid himself of those uncertainties.] What good's peace that only comes from a marriage from two enemies? It's impossible! Why, I'd say this is all part of your plan to rule both kingdoms!

[Back into his role as Uncle Cideo, he points dramatically at her.]

Answer me this! Why do you think Princess Snow Black and your son would marry? Not for love, that's for sure!

[Rialynn stops being introspective, long enough to register the look on Barkeep's face. She moves closer to the curtain, her brow flickering. Is this someone he knows too? Hopefully not, but at the same time, there are an awful lot of coincidences piling up and making her uneasy. She reaches up to tug at the ends of her bandanna, but finds only hair.]

[For a moment she panics, her hands flying up to her head to feel for the missing strip of silk, until she remembers that she tied it to Ramza's arm. She shoots him a quick glance to verify it's still there. And it is. Whew...!]

[Barkeep's acting has picked up speed again, and she allows a little smile. His enthusiasm for the role is infectious, and she finds she does enjoy watching him. Go get 'em, boss.]

[ The Evil Empress shook her head and chuckled, a low and lifeless laugh. If anything, the actress seemed to be pretty good at what she was doing. Then she turned to look at barkeep-- On top of sounding familiar she might look familiar as well. ]

For the future and glory of our land. Their happiness wilt groweth from the valorous those gents doth for the world.

[ And with that said, she brandished her scepter at him. ]

If 't be true thee intend to cease me and to prevent their union, then thee shalt beest mine enemy.

[That confident look is gone. That's Harriet's face. His first instinct is to compliment her on her newfound acting skills and he does blurt out a word.]

You-

[But he bites his lip in time, replacing his outburst with silence. It's been a year since he last saw Harriet, but she looks the same as ever. Her usual kind expression is replaced by a cold one, like the moments when the two of them get into arguments. Like when she's upset at him.

That scepter pointed at him is the tipping point. He swiftly swings his arm outward to cut her speech off.]

We ain't gonna beat each other up over this!

[He's disappointed in her. They never use violence against each other, not even in the worst of fights! Mordecai and Harriet are the model of the married couple that talk their problems out![

Thirty years I has't hath worked to see this world unified under mine rule... And thee, thee would see these thirty years of worketh destroyed.

[ She shook her head. ]

But with thee gone and thy niece wed, no one wilt standeth in the way of prosperity any more! En garde!

[ And with these, she brandished her scepter once more and cast a spell on him- A very powerful and deadly Blizzaga... If it hadn't been fake theater magic. As it is, besides looking impressive the spell she cast on him had no effect at all. ]

[Ramza bites back a gasp from his vantage point backstage. Wow, a fight, with impressive faux-spells. He cannot wait for Barkeep to strike back. He has never actually seen his roommate fight. He wonders if he will use his sword, or go for magic. So exciting.]

[Oh heck no, he's not going to fight his wife, doppelganger or not. More than anything, Mordecai is upset that her visage has shown up now of all times, when he misses her dearly, and act the villain. He does his best attempt at a dodge roll, which resembles an old man getting on his stomach and rolling to the side, then getting up again.

His sword remains sheathed, but he lost the wooden crown in the process of his dramatic evasion of the fake spell.]

Put that away, we're gonna talk this out like adults! Killin' you here and now ain't gonna fix the political issue!

[He's trying so hard not to break character, but it's difficult. It's especially obvious as he's completely dropped the regal accent and slipped back to his natural one.]

I might ponder listening to thy pleas--

[ A dramatic pause. ]

If 't be true thee relinquish thy regency to me. Thy kingdom, armies and people-- Thee shalt surrender those folk to mine. For this price, I might forgive thy transgression.

[ That might be too much to pay for discussing, but she's an evil empress after all. ]

What? No!

[He throws his arms up in the air.]

You're askin' me to give up my home and the freedom of my people! And for what? Conquerin' more kingdoms? Not on my watch!

[He reaches for the hilt of his prop sword, but pauses. Would he be able to stab - albeit without causing injury - his own wife? He couldn't give up his own principles.]

What's the point of all this? You'd force your own son into marriage for more power? If you're searchin' for somethin', you're doin' it all wrong.

[The more the conversation continues, the more invested Rialynn becomes. It makes it easier to dismiss her earlier worries, and now she's starting to feel kind of foolish for having them in the first place. Barkeep is good, and she likes that his character is trying so hard to find a place of peace and negotiation. He's an excellent improviser!]

[She shoots a glance at Ramza and smiles, then looks back toward the stage so she can watch her boss continue to shine.]

[The stage hand told him to stay quiet backstage, but Ramza is getting a little worried. If Barkeep won't fight and the Evil Empress won't compromise, what's gonna happen to the play? He turns to Rialynn and whispers to her.]

Is this alright? What if neither of them bend? The play cannot go on forever. [Ramza really does not want to go back out on stage, but he also does not wish to leave Barkeep with no hope of rescue, theatrically speaking.]

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