spoofer: (piano)
Xistentia: Mod ([personal profile] spoofer) wrote in [community profile] xistentia2017-12-02 02:57 pm

PRISON WORLD #2: Whoville

Characters: Ensemble cast, any/all characters of Xistentia!
Summary: With the help of D.E.S.T.I.N.Y, the Grinch crashes the Winter Wonderland Ball and steals Christmas! Along with quite a few refugees. Welcome to Whoville, your home for the holidays! Detailed plotting post is here, and latest announcement is here.
Date(s): 2 - 24 December
Warnings/Notes: None, please mark your subject headers with content.

WHOVILLE PRISON WORLD
The day the Grinch stole Xistentia

WINTER WONDERLAND BALL

Come one, come all, to the beautiful Winter Wonderland Ball! After the trials of war, F.A.T.E.S. has thrown a party to raise everyone's mood. The holidays are coming and it's time to celebrate!

There's snow outside, and the theme continues indoors. The gathering is non-denominational, with decorations combining several celebrations around the Multiverse, including Christmas, Hanukkah, and Diwali, and many others that you may not even recognise! If it's a winter festival on any world, it's represented here. Perhaps you can explain the significance of your own. Enjoy rice pudding, dradle games, henna tattoos, mistletoe, songs, storytelling, portraiture, and a variety of other traditions too, from cultures less familiar to contemporary Earth.

From a race of dwarves, there comes the lightbringing festival. Two partners, selected at random, get two torches they must carry outside and walk around the snowy building, keeping each other lit. Upon their return, they pass their torches onto a random person— or try again, if they failed. Those who succeed to bring the light back then write a wish on a tapestry hung in the center of the room. You'll notice a lot of people are wishing to return home and save their worlds.
Characters are welcome to RUN their OWN BOOTHS and make TRADITIONAL PERFORMANCES.

Then there's the food. You'll find winter specialties from every culture represented. There are turkeys, chocolate, matzah bread, truffles, mulled wine, sweet meat, even Brussels sprouts. Find a table and eat your fill; there's plenty to go around.
SECRET SANTA
The Ball is also refugees' opportunity to present their Secret Santa gifts! Leave your presents beneath the large Christmas tree in the middle of the room. There's a welcoming space there waiting for all your holiday cheer.

If you're participating, there'll also be a gift for you left here. Look out for your name! Maybe you'll finally find out who your Santa is, or perhaps they'll decide to remain anonymous. Have fun, kids! No one leaves without a present.
INVASION OF THE GRINCH

The end of the night approaches. It's been a lovely occasion, full of food, drink and merriment. And gifts, of course. There's so many gifts! It's almost time to take them home. Of course, then the ceiling crashes in. An enormous, rocket-powered sleigh spins into the room, scattering glass, decorations, and dining tables everywhere. Food and drink spatters onto clothes, there are screams and shouts, and the flash of something hairy and green.

Flashes of electric light scatter all around, and the next thing you know, you're being pulled into the air. You're weightless, you can't tell which way is up and which is down, and your eyes are blinded with light. Then you're gone.

Those left behind will witness the sleigh and most of the room's occupants vanish in the blink of an eye. When they have time to take stock, they'll see that every present is gone - and as a final insult, the giant Christmas tree tips over and crashes to the floor.

Not such a Merry Christmas after all. . .
EVENT - PRISON WORLD #2: WHOVILLE

Those who were taken will pass out, completely unconscious, mid-trip. When you come to, you'll be aware of the cold, and the wind, and the snow, and did we mention the cold? You're inside a literal snowflake. It's freezing here. But aside from that. . .
It's actually kind of festive. There are colorful houses, all decorated for the holidays. The people are usually a cheerful sort, though they're depressed right now. Once their initial shock at seeing you passes, it will be obvious the mood is low. They're the ones who will explain what happened.

The Grinch, a hairy, green monster who lives at the top of the mountain, has stolen all their presents, and stolen you as well. They explain that they are the Who, and that this is Whoville, their home. They'll direct you to the Whotel, an implausibly shaped and colourful building with plenty of rooms for you to stay.

As for the Grinch, he'll make himself known soon enough. Your daemons are with you - keep an eye on the Network. The mountain he lives on will be, in a word, inaccessible. The Grinch's allies, D.E.S.T.I.N.Y. have protected it with an impenetrable forcefield. Also, they've nullified your powers. That's right, kids! Have you ever wanted to be baseline human? Because you are now.
LIFE IN WHOVILLE

But it's not all bad! The Who are friendly and welcoming, if still sad. At least, at first. But not to fear - not even the Grinch can keep a good Who down. As days pass, you'll begin to see a change in mood amongst your new friends.

They'll start preparing again. Cooking again, writing cards again. It's like they're preparing for the holiday all over again! Your daemon will suggest that you help them out a little. If the Grinch was determined to ruin the holidays, then let's not let him! There's cooking to be done, songs to be sung, windows and chimneys to be repaired, mistletoe to be rehung!

And if charitable works don't interest you, why not explore Whoville itself! The whole place is a snowy wonderland. There's a frozen lake to skate on, a cinema to attend - filled with holiday-themed movies, of course - and a concert hall that's lying empty. Perhaps you could fill it again. Get the Who back into the spirit of the season.

Meanwhile, the Grinch will be walking among you. He'll try to stay hidden, but some of you will find him. He's trolling and tricking, generally trying to disrupt your efforts to make Christmas happen again. But he'll see what you're doing, and see that both you and the Who are happy even without the presents he stole. Perhaps that small heart of his might just grow. Only a Who would know.
RETURN TO XISTENTIA

On December 24, Christmas Eve, the Grinch's heart finally grows large enough that he brings his sleigh down from the mountain, breaking through D.E.S.T.I.N.Y.'s forcefield. With his Christmas spirit restored, he'll return everyone's gifts and bring them back to Xistentia the same way they came!

As before, the trip aboard the Grinch's sleigh will temporarily knock your character out. When they awake, any nullified powers will be restored. They'll retain full memories of their time in Whoville and will return to Xistentia in time to celebrate the holidays with the rest of their friends.
Footnotes
  1. All kidnapped characters will have their powers nullified to baseline human level while in Whoville.
  2. Kidnapped characters will retain access to the Network and can contact characters left in Xistentia.
  3. All characters will return to Xistentia by 24 December - Christmas Eve.
  4. The plotting post for this event can be found here.
smileslie: (Default)

For Shane

[personal profile] smileslie 2017-12-03 02:03 am (UTC)(link)
[not even recognizing the name of the person she was giving a gift for, let alone if he was the sort who wore jewelry or bright colors, Mandy had decided to play it depressingly safe with a scarf. As odd she found the strange shop she'd bought it from, she appreciated the shopkeeper's tendency to put gold thread in everything, so that the scarf shimmered just a bit, especially along the tassels. If its recipient wasn't the flashy type, it would be fairly subtle. If he was, he'd find a way to make it sparkle. She'd kept the box plain black though, as much as her nature rankled at it]
Edited 2017-12-03 02:04 (UTC)
miss_brilliant: (yeah)

For Clary Fray

[personal profile] miss_brilliant 2017-12-03 02:11 am (UTC)(link)
[Amanda only dimly remembered Clary from the races back in Eudio, so it wasn't easy for her to think of anything to get the other woman. But she figured jewelery was a safe bet, and she'd surprised herself by realizing she could actually make something sort of unique that hadn't taken that much work.
She might have sworn a bit using the pliers to get the hooks in place, but luckily that had been the only thing she'd actually had to buy thanks to her own nature, and it hadn't been dificult to twist the cables into something she thought looked relatively appealing, leaving her with a necklace and pair of earrings that she placed in a small blue box with a scrawled 'Hope you like them! Happy holidays' stuck on top of the lid]
jungianthing: (jamaica)

for rosalina!

[personal profile] jungianthing 2017-12-03 03:00 am (UTC)(link)
( this new synchr thing is a godsend for precisely this reason – after giving rosalina's a cursory glance, joker decides his best bet is to follow the musical route. he used to draw more as a kid, and grew out of it into his teens, but it's easy to get bitten up and invested in his little project. maybe he put too much effort into this gift for a complete stranger, but it's a little too late now to start rethinking effort.

under the tree for rosalina is a hand-painted ukulele - he wasn't sure what she played, and if she doesn't play one of these things then it can easily be hung up on her wall. it's unsigned, but the tag says, in carefully printed handwritten capitals: TO ROSALINA - HAPPY HOLIDAYS, FROM YOUR SECRET SANTA. )
Edited 2017-12-03 03:33 (UTC)
tangleofgarlands: (and I feel with you at ease)

For Ion

[personal profile] tangleofgarlands 2017-12-03 04:26 am (UTC)(link)
[Arthur has no idea who he's been matched with, which is a little anxiety-inducing--usually, he'd want to put thought into a gift and come up with something personal, something meaningful, and it feels almost cheap, in a way.

If he weren't so shy, he might go chat this Ion person up, but just the thought makes him want to hole himself up in his room for a week. And it's been hard enough to keep it together for Mandy, and at the masquerade...

All right, so something personally significant is out. The next best thing, he figures, is sweets, and Scottish shortbread is festive and only requires three ingredients, an oven and and a little creativity with a knife and fork.

The finished shortbread is transferred from the pan to a round biscuit tin, wrapped in forest green paper with a white ribbon tied around the middle, and tucked under the tree towards the front, where it won't be hidden by the larger packages.]
shadowblends: (❧ vigilant)

for haneul

[personal profile] shadowblends 2017-12-03 04:51 am (UTC)(link)
[Kurt has never met the person he's supposed to be giving the present to, but all he can do is hope that they like triple chocolate cookies and a warm cardigan. Again, since he hasn't got a clue about what size Haneul is, the sweater might be somewhat big. He doesn't see how that would be a problem, though, as he prefers things like this to be loose and comfortable.

Both gifts have been elegantly wrapped in some adorable paper with Haneul's name printed in neat letters at the top right corner and a shiny white bow on the opposite side.]
redarrowqueen: (15)

For Credence Barebone

[personal profile] redarrowqueen 2017-12-03 06:34 am (UTC)(link)
[Thea had only been released from medical the day before and between having not met the man and only having a small amount of info had a challenge on her hands. But after some digging she discovered he came from the 20s and had ideas: she found several simple yet nice black ties (safe given the chance of size goofs she figured) and with some help thanks to her healing wounds made a batch of sugar cookies colored with holiday sprinkles and added a bag of candy one of the shopkeepers mentioned was a favorite of the period. Simple yet fitting she hopes. The only clue on the note was the red pen she used to mirror her true self. "Merry Christmas! Secret Santa."]
rootaccess: (DIR:\TheOtherSide.exe)

For Dick Grayson

[personal profile] rootaccess 2017-12-03 01:17 pm (UTC)(link)
[ More than a little haphazardly wrapped in mix-matched wrapping paper is a box containing the following things:

1 (one) ugly Christmas sweater that reads: “Don’t be a dick, Santa is watching” (the 'Darlene Alderson thinks she's funny' gift.)
1 (one) bag of various flavored chocolate truffles (the 'playing it safe, who doesn't like chocolate?' gift.)
1 (one) miniature fishnet wearing leg lamp a la A Christmas Story. (the 'practical' gift -- it's a working lamp, after all.)
2 (two) passes to FSociety Theaters (passes covers tickets & concession... which might seem like the cop-out gift coming from the person running the place.)

Along with a hand-written note that says only:
Merry Christmas, you filthy animal.]
ptrprkr: (pic#11691077)

For Joker

[personal profile] ptrprkr 2017-12-03 02:42 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Peter tried his best to find a gift that would be suitable for someone that's a complete stranger to him. He already has enough trouble with gifts for the people that he knows, buying for someone he doesn't seems like an impossible feat. So, in a box clearly wrapped by a professional — or, someone who isn’t a teenager, at least. — are the following items:

1 (one) handmade leather-bound notebook and ink pen.
1 (one) small well-sealed container of various meats, cheeses, and breads -- still rather fresh as it was the last thing Peter added.
1 (one) small device of his own making that when connected to a daemon will allow the user to create different laser light shows to any music of their choosing. ]
estrayer: (b l u e)

For Hunter

[personal profile] estrayer 2017-12-03 04:07 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Jace has never met this guy, but on discovering he looks exactly like Alec (weird) (very weird), he can't help but be influenced. There's a gift bag with Hunter's name on it under the tree, containing: ]

[ Enjoy! ]
Edited 2017-12-03 16:43 (UTC)
bratpack: (k i d)

For Mikaela

[personal profile] bratpack 2017-12-03 04:19 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Oh, great, this is the vampire who hadn't liked Wyatt. What do you get for someone who hadn't even wanted to know you?

He'll be a troll about it, that's what. Find tagged with Mika's name:
]
mordacita: (a c c e p t a n c e)

For Aymeric

[personal profile] mordacita 2017-12-03 04:31 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Rafa doesn't really know what to get for Aymeric. With some worry that these will seem generic, he wraps them very neatly in blue and gold Christmas paper, with Aymeric's name written in elaborate script. Aymeric will find: ]
anewhero: (Default)

For Peter Parker

[personal profile] anewhero 2017-12-03 05:46 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Marcus wasn't sure who the man he got on the card, and hoped the man apparently liked weapons. It was hard for the hybrid terminator to find a actual shop to make a real weapon but it seemed to be custom made. He wrapped it up in red with a red bow and nodded "A little surprise. ]

grimless: (pic#11433634)

For Vanyel

[personal profile] grimless 2017-12-03 08:46 pm (UTC)(link)
[haneul hasn't yet met this person, but they have a nice name. he wants to get them a present that's equally as nice. (sudden regret that he doesn't have time to learn how to knit, because who wouldn't want a handmade scarf of varying colors, since he probably wouldn't be able to decide on just one or two.) so he turns to the business directly instead, and this is what ends up wrapped and waiting under the tree:

1. a nice journal, with words of encouragement printed across the bottom of every other page.
2. hot cocoa mix in a jar, with layers of cocoa powder, chocolate chips, tiny marshmallows, and crushed peppermint (this, he did make himself.)
3. finally, a set of small wooden puzzles

and then he worries that it's either too much, or not enough, but he does add one last thing - a handwritten note that promises a handmade scarf next year. wait for it.]
hermajestyssword: (:))

For Shepard

[personal profile] hermajestyssword 2017-12-03 09:59 pm (UTC)(link)
[Ion didn't know the woman, outside of what he'd seen of her at the Halloween party. And the main thing he remembers is the snacks she kept pulling out of her... costume. So, he figured a basket of assorted snack foods (wrapped a tad clumsily, but he tried) would be fitting.

And since he was informed it's the done thing, aside from a tag bearing her name the only bit of writing is a note tucked between two bags that reads: 'Happy Holidays, from your Secret Santa,' in a a flowy, formal script.]
pleasant: (pic#11379385)

for marcus.

[personal profile] pleasant 2017-12-04 01:08 am (UTC)(link)
( in the bag with marcus' name, he will find,
- one (1) of those cat banks that steal your money.
- one (1) ugly christmas sweater.
- a very stylish pair of black gloves that seem fit for comfort and for fashion.
- and a 12 pack and xistentia brewed beer.
the card with the gift reads Happy Christmas, from your Secret Santa. :)
)
upside: (pic#11724077)

for tony.

[personal profile] upside 2017-12-04 01:24 am (UTC)(link)
( tony stark. it's pretty ironic that the guy she forced into doing this whole secret santa thing is also the guy she wound up getting. it's not a problem for her -- she's decently close to tony, knows a good amount about what he likes. this will be easy.

( it is not actually easy!!!! )

shepard is not great at wrapping presents, but she did manage to find a bag for all the items. inside, tony will find,
- a very fancy looking bottle of asari cologne.
- a bottle of serrice ice brandy.
- two whiskey glasses.
the corresponding note reads, 'Hey, Tony. You're really hard to shop for, did you know that? Anyway, looks like you've got the makings for an at least mediocre date. Give me a call if you're having trouble finishing the bottle. From what I hear, it's kind of delicacy.
Your lead singer, Jane.'
)
drehnifusbahi: (*total sincerity*)

For Wyatt

[personal profile] drehnifusbahi 2017-12-04 05:17 pm (UTC)(link)
[There are two neatly-wrapped (in snowflake-patterned wrapping paper) bundles tied together with ribbon and tagged with Wyatt's name. Inside the smaller one are a leather halter and lead, and the larger contains a neatly folded blanket. Taped to the top of the pile is a note in tidy handwriting that reads: Thought you could use these for your calf. I didn't know his exact measurements, so I did my best to make the halter adjustable. Happy Holidays!]
Edited 2017-12-04 17:23 (UTC)
luminator: (Default)

Crimson Freeman | OTA

[personal profile] luminator 2017-12-05 05:21 am (UTC)(link)

( Walking in a Winter Wonderland )



[ There is a lot about this world that is unsettling to Crimson. There's certainly a wide mix of universes and cultures that are represented and more than a few feel familiar that she's not all that prone to getting home sick -- more family sick. She's lucky to have her twin here, of course, but as she walks through the festival taking advantage of all sorts of treats and dressed in an outfit that's almost like a Christmas colored themed Kimono. Her hair is long braids down her back with two knots on the front sides of her head.

She's currently sipping some semblance of eggnog and wistfully remembering begging her parents to let her and Zane put brandy in their egg nog last Christmas.

Were they even alive? Well, being here is probably the best place to fight for that if everything they're being told is true.

You might find her there, looking forlorn or she might come up to and say hi. Crimson is always more than happy to make a new friend or deepen an acquaintance. ]


( Whoville )



[ Crimson hadn't been sure what to make of landing in Whoville originally. At least, Zane had been with her and they weren't separated again even if for a short time. But, the whole place was fantastical and despite not being sure that she really wanted to be there she couldn't help but be charmed by the Who and their buildings and the growing Christmas spirit as they stayed. Crimson was more than happy to join in with decorating and try her hand at cooking. If you see her cooking she's most likely failing and burning something and could probably use a hand.

If she's not helping the Who, she has made regular trips to the lake, enjoying skating either with others or alone. There was a peacefulness to it and her mind would wander over a thousand things. When she wants to get out of the cold, she heads to the cinema and settles in for the holiday films. She's more than willing to let people sit next to her, just as long as they don't talk too loud during the best parts! ]


( Wildcard )



[ Will match formats! I'm up for anything else you might want to throw at me as well! ]
Edited 2017-12-05 05:21 (UTC)
astralera: (sunset)

for Thea

[personal profile] astralera 2017-12-05 03:13 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Era didn't recognize the name of her assigned recipient (which came as a surprise to her), let alone know any of their preferences, so she went with the assumption that Thea was a woman and made a simple necklace that might be appreciated even if her assumption was wrong. ]
rootaccess: (DIR:\BrightFuture.exe)

Darlene Alderson | OTA

[personal profile] rootaccess 2017-12-05 10:30 pm (UTC)(link)
Merry Christmas, you filthy animal. ( WINTER WONDERLAND BALL )



[ Darlene remembers Christmas time in New York. Lights strung up everywhere, making the already blinding city even more of a shining beacon to passing planes. The rush of tourist coming to the big apple to visit family and friends, or to simply say that they were in the big city for some of the season. The throngs of shoppers that she had to fight through just to get >anywhere.

Needless to say, it wasn’t one of Darlene’s favorite times of the year.

But, partying has always been something that's relevant to her interests, even if it comes in the form of holiday-themed festivities — not to mention, she’s got a secret santa present to drop off, giving her all the more of a reason to attend the festive shindig.

Darlene spends most of the evening sticking close to the bar, sipping on various holiday-themed cocktails and indulging in the variety of foods that are laid out buffet-style for the party guests to enjoy. But as the night continues on, she ventures a little further from that spot; allowing herself to be henna tattooed by one of the various Xistentia residents, attempting to join in one of the many games that are being played (many of which have to be explained to her a few times before she catches on, thanks to her slightly sluggish, liquor hazed brain.), and possibly evening getting drunk enough to do a little Christmas carol karaoke.

(No promises that she’ll always be on key, though.) ]



.... What fresh hell is this? ( WELCOME TO WHOVILLE )



[ It’s no surprise that Darlene Alderson doesn’t fit in with the rest of the folks of Whoville. They seem to be a perpetually happy sort of people — even in their slightly downtrodden state with Christmas hanging in the balance, they still seem infectiously chipper — and Darlene is likely the furthest thing from that.

Especially considering she’s now up to her calves in snow (which were only covered by a thin pair of black tights), freezing with nothing more than an oversized sweatshirt belonging to her brother to combat the chilly air, and without the drink she’d only just gotten before a hairy green monster snatched her up. ]


You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.

[ Darlene kicks a pile of snow frustratedly before starting to venture further into the oddly shaped and overly decorated town, arms crossed over her chest as she rubs at her arms in an attempt to warm herself up. ]


You'll shoot your eye out, kid. ( BECOMING A WHO )



[ Darlene spends most of her time in Whoville at the small cinema, typically seated in the far back of the theater, complaining loudly about the movie selection and generally being a pain in her fellow moviegoer's asses.

When she’s not taking in cinematic masterpieces, however, she can be found wandering Whoville rather aimlessly. A bit boredly, even, the lack of most modern technology has her feeling out of place, disconnected in an age where she feels like she’s always plugged into something.

A cell phone, a laptop, a daemon. Now there’s nothing. An empty space. A something that’s missing. But, in a true Darlene fashion, she pushes it down and hides it under a resting bitch face, snarky and borderline rude commentary, and a brick wall of a somewhat abrasive personality. ]



( WILDCARD )



got something else up your sleeve? throw it my way, or give me a ping at [plurk.com profile] unnideul if you want to discuss something. will match styles, or provide starts.
jawsitivity: (Default)

For Kurt!

[personal profile] jawsitivity 2017-12-06 09:51 am (UTC)(link)
[ As luck would have it, Sidon had gotten someone he was acquainted with! He would have done his best to get a suitable gift for anyone he was assigned to but can't deny it's easier to have some kind of idea of what the boy might like. He was very particular about the color, but only because he wanted it to be in colors that they could match and wouldn't clash for either of them.

Eventually, he settled on a color scheme that seemed like it would get the job done. There's a hand-written note, too, for the little blue mutant that reads:
Hello Kurt! I hope you enjoy this gift, and your holidays! I'm looking forward to learning more dance moves from you! -Sidon ]
viewsource: (pic#10603170)

Elliot Alderson | OTA

[personal profile] viewsource 2017-12-06 05:55 pm (UTC)(link)

( Skulking in a Winter Wonderland )



[ One would think that Christmas would be the time that Elliot might actually wear something other than all back but he's there in full black with his hoodie pulled over his head. His hands are buried deep in his pockets as he walks among the festivities. He stops for drinks now and then but otherwise he's not particularly getting involved and while he's not the proverbial scrooge he also clearly isn't in the Christmas spirit. Once again, Darlene had pushed him into going with the help of his daemon being insistent. The two of them had worn him down.

Now that he was there, of course, Darlene was drunk and off doing Darlene things (stealing, fucking? who knows which, he doesn't keep track).

Feel free to come up to him and attempt to chat. He's skittish and probably looks suspicious but he's mostly harmless. ]


( Whoville )



[ Charity is not Elliot's thing an the Who are far too uncomfortably friendly and constantly nice. They made him uneasy and so he spent as much time as he could away from them despite the fact it would probably be warmer not to walk around outdoors for long hours.

He most often spends time at the movie theater. He doesn't know how many times he's seen A Christmas Story, which he is convinced is the worst Christmas movie of all time by the third round of it. There's not particularly any good Christmas movies but he supposed that there's no point in complaining about it.

So, if you wonder into the theater you'll find Elliot in the back row in a corner. His knees pulled up to his chest or alternatively stretched out over the back of the seat in front of him.

Almost always he's smoking -- which is probably against the rules but who's going to stop him? ]


( Closed to Darlene )



[ This is definitely a psychotic break. That was the Grinch, a huge hairy Scrooge McDuck monster. They'd watched the grinch cartoon countless times when they were younger but he can't imagine why he'd be hallucinating that of all things -- even if it's Christmastime. His heart is racing as he starts to search out Darlene. It wasn't just him that was starting to panic -- which is confusing him even further. ]

Darlene?!

[ Then it happens, the weightlessness, the cold growing and then nothing.

When Elliot wakes up again, he's still cold and his head is aching. He rubs his forehead and looks around. What the fuck? ]


Darlene? [ He tries again. ]

( Wildcard )



[ Will match formats! I'm up for anything else you might want to throw at me as well! ]
bloodychangeling: (eyes closed)

October Daye | OTA

[personal profile] bloodychangeling 2017-12-06 10:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Winter Wonderland

["What changed?"

"I fell in love."


Those words. Those damn words. Toby wants to just remember Tybalt yelling at her to 'fight first, argue later', but those words won't stop rattling around in her skull. Not when she can still taste pennyroyal and musk in her mouth. Why, why did he have to be such a damn cat and spring that on her at the worst damn time.

He'd been right though--that was the really crappy thing. They were never going to have a good time. No, she was never going to have a good time. And this was proof of it. A man had waited years for her, watched her love and lose someone else, and almost the moment he'd decided he'd had enough she fell through the fucking world.

Which was why Toby--who didn't like parties under the best circumstances--is pressed as close to the wall as can be, just watching everything. Taking in the smells of the people around her trying to catalogue them even though most of them are unrecognizable even to that strange part of her brain that knows the names of flowers she's never seen. She's wearing her human disguise out of habit, but she hasn't even bothered to change out of her dirty clothes. She's trying to tell herself that because this isn't court, she doesn't need to put in the effort since no one's going to sneer. But mostly it's because that would have mean taking off her jacket and letting go of the old traces of Tybalt's magic in the leather, warmer and softer than the sharp tang in her mouth, and Maeve's bones, how had she not seen it before.

She hadn't wanted to, that was how. Like how she didn't want to listen to the thing that was like a rosegoblin and April and also nothing faerie had ever known.]


"You should eat!" [the thing that looks like a cat had relations with a rosebush chirps from the perch on her shoulder.] "At least a cookie!"

"You sound like May," [she snarls. And that sends another wave of pain through her as she thought of the girl who had chosen to wear her face to usher her to death only to become her sister.

She let outs a shuddering breath, shoving off the wall.]
"Fine. But if I get poisoned again, I'm blaming you."

[Which is how there comes to be a tired looking woman in a leather jacket and dirty jeans elbowing through the groups of people to the food]


Whoville
[The first thing Toby does when she comes to is swear.]

"Maeve's tits!" [She breathes, shoving herself up--and regretting it, as she got her palms wet and cold. Sure, she'd been on the Shadow Roads not that long ago, and they were so cold they burned. But that didn't last, and the Shadow Roads at least had the fucking decency to be dry, when she wasn't bleeding.

The second thing she does as she stands is reach up, huffing when she feels the point of her ear sticking out from beneath her hair. Right. Illusions broken. Not surprising, especially if she's been out more than a couple hours.]


"Sing a song of sixpence, a pocketfull of rye. Four and twenty blackbirds, baked in a pie," [she singsongs under her breath, sounding nearly bored as she willed her human disguise to weave itself in the air and settle over her face.

But there's no burst of cut grass and copper in the air, and when Toby lifts her hand her ear is still pointed.

She swallows, shaking her head. She'ss just tired, that's it. Of course.]
"When the pie was opened, the birds began to sing. Wasn't that a dainty dish, to set before a king!" [she says, with a bit more force, willing the magic to listen to her and bend to the shape she wanted, letting herself be angry to make it strong.

Still nothing.]


"Root and branch and oak and fucking ash!" [She growls, tearing a hand through her hair, hardly realizing that for all that she's trying to mask herself her anger--which usually helped--is just going to draw attention to even faster.]


Wildcard
[want a grumpy changeling somewhere else? Hit me up at [plurk.com profile] keenquing]
Edited 2017-12-06 22:53 (UTC)

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