[center][color=ff66bb][h2][i]Nadia Parnel[/i][/h2][sup]Bride of [color=000000][UNKNOWN] [@][/color] and Sister-Bride of [color=000000][UNKNOWN] [@][/color]
Interacting with: [color=000000][NO ONE YET] [@][/color][/sup][/color][/center]
Nadia was doing fairly well at convincing herself this was all a bad dream, until a hand on her shoulder snapped her out of the daze she'd tried so hard to put herself in. "You know, if you're trying to eat so much you get fat and unattractive, I think it's too late." The speaker was a taller girl with bright green eyes and a smile that seemed so knid it hurt to look at. She pulled out the chair next to Nadia and sat, watching her expectantly. Nadia swallowed the last bit of Sweet-roll she'd been working on, and put on a cautious, timid smile as she reached for another. 

[color=ff66bb]"It still could... that is, if we don't run out of rolls first."[/color] She spoke quietly, just looking at the roll in her hands now instead of eating it. The girl beamed at her as she too picked up a roll. 

"I doubt you will- you seem to be the only one here with a healthy appetite." She laughed quietly as she motioned around at the rest of the room, before shoving the roll in her mouth and mumbling something. "Well,'m sssrry, wa 'chonm?" Nadia just blinked at her in confusion until she repeated herself, this time without her mouth full of sweets. "Sorry, sorry. I asked your name."

[color=ff66bb]"I'm Nadia..."[/color] She was going to say more, but trailed off as she noticed the rest of the room falling silent. Two Drakken had entered, the one from the night before and a much larger one that was soon introduced as a Prince. She felt her appetite and any happiness leave her as they were all ordered to bow. She knew exactly why they were doing this and she hated it- the thought making her begin to feel sick. There was no pretending this wasn't going on. These two were going to force them all to acknowledge that they were the property of the Drakken now. [color=ff66bb][i]It's impossible to pretend it's all just a nightmare when the nightmare commands you to its will...[/i][/color]

Nadia stood with most of the room. She was just planning to bow, the way her father had taught her to if she ever met any nobility, but suddenly as she began to bow she felt like she couldn't breathe. She instead fell to her knees as her hands went up to her chest, covering her heart. The dizzying feeling only got worse as she tried to think about why it was happening. Shutting her eyes tight, she bowed her head as she struggled to breathe in, or at the least to not fall over. She curled in on herself, pressing her hands into her chest and her elbows into the stomach until she could force herself to breathe again, gasping quietly on the floor as tears began to form and fall from her closed eyes. 

As she began trying to calm herself down, her hands began to glow softly- A warmth emanating from her as the soft glow spread to the rest of her body, unknown to her. She kept her eyes closed as she knelt, praying to Pyrus and Vivari that she would be okay. 


[hr][center][color=808000][h2][i]Onyx Briyll[/i][/h2][sup]Bride of [color=000000][UNKNOWN] [@][/color] and Sister-Bride of [color=000000][UNKNOWN] [@][/color]
Interacting with: [color=000000][NO ONE YET] [@][/color][/sup][/color][/center]
Onyx managed to finish two chapters of her book before some girl (who had been sitting next to her quietly until now) suddenly decided to jab her elbow into Onyx's ribcage. Only when she looked up from her book to stare daggers at the girl did Onyx notice the two new Drakken in the room, standing nearby. Just as she noticed, the one she recognised as the Speech-giver from last night barked out an order for them to bow to the other one he was with. She glanced around as everyone around her stood, and then knelt or bowed or curtseyed to the two Drakken. She raised a brow at the girl who'd gotten her attention- but her unasked question would go unanswered as the other gem decided to try and kneel, curling into a ball on the floor. 

Immediately, Onyx's mind was in overdrive, considering her options. She could just remain sitting, open her book again and keep reading. What could they really do to her if she did? She was here only to become a toy for some pompous Drakkan ass in the near future. If they killed her, they'd have to go find another girl to take her place, to get back to the certain number of girls they had to have. Not to mention the fact that she considered death preferable to life as a captive pleasure slave. Then again, she did not want to die- a death wish was too much of a hassle to actually keep up. 

She could fall to her knees and tremble like so many of those around her, but that was not her way. Even to pretend that she feared or respected this man or his kingdom at all would waste too much of her energy- it wasn't worth the lie. No, she was going to make a show. She was untouchable as far as she cared, because if the Prince really wanted to kill her for what she was about to do, then she'd be free from the rest of this horror show. She couldn't be forced into the greedy arms of some brute unable to even spell his own name, and the empty place she'd leave behind would hurt this Prince's reputation because he wouldn't have as many Gems for his dogs as he'd promised. 

Finally, she decided she would stand after almost all the other girls in the room had made their show of either compliance or rebellion. [color=808000][i]Vivari, my mother, please watch over us all.[/i][/color]

Onyx stood and closed her book in one swift motion, the [i]snap[/i] of the pages shutting on each other much louder than she felt it should have been, the sound echoing slightly off the walls of the nearly dead-silent room. She clutched the book tightly to her chest, her right hand holding it directly over her heart while her left hung limp at her side while she curtseyed. She came back up from the gesture quickly, and then stood absolutely still as she glued her gaze of pure contempt to the man introduced as "prince". She was steady and unflinching, because she knew that if she died now for this, the Drakken would only be causing themselves more trouble, and she would have this small victory either way.

[hr][center][color=9999ff][h2][i]Kendra Riu Bell[/i][/h2][sup]Bride of [color=000000][UNKNOWN] [@][/color] and Sister-Bride of [color=000000][UNKNOWN] [@][/color]
Interacting with: [color=000000][NO ONE JUST YET] [@][/color][/sup][/color][/center]
Kendra spent the entire time at breakfast just watching and listening to everyone else in the room. Any of her fellow Gems that didn't seem so broken up about all this were busy helping others that were, it seemed. She had thought many times about approaching one and asking the many questions that were circling around in her mind, but each time she almost stood to do it, she found she didn't know how to phrase it without seeming like just another one of the broken, crying Gems that were being comforted. 

The question, [color=9999ff][i]Why are we here?[/i][/color] wouldn't work either, even though it was exactly what she wanted to know. It was too vague, and depending on how the other Gems perceived her, she could just be interpreted as another one of the many who were still too much in shock and disbelief of their situation to function properly. So, she decided to just sit silently and listen to the quiet conversations and murmurings of those Gems who were close by. She silently began to pray as time went on as well, thanking Naia and Vivari for her family as she began to realize just what she'd been sheltered from. These girls were so broken up now, because they'd lived in fear of this ever since they'd been old enough to understand.

The Island that Kendra was from became more and more of a paradise in her mind as she listened to some of the stories the Gems around her were whispering. Her parents had never told her the Drakken even existed, and none of her friends growing up knew either. They were allowed to be free, because they didn't have [i]this[/i] lingering in the back of their minds. They never would have found out, she thought, if the Drakken had only stayed to the mainland. 

This thought made her scowl as two Drakken entered the room, causing all the chatter to die out. The one who'd given the speech was here, and he'd brought a friend it seemed. She met the eyes of the large Drakkan, her expression unchanging as she sat there with her arms crossed. The two walked right past her on their way to the front of the room, and she decided she did not like this man, just as he was introduced. The Crown Prince of Drakka, no name given.  

Kendra hesitated after the order to bow was given, watching what the others did carefully before deciding for herself what to do. She had no reason not to bow- other than the fact that she didn't want to, and she did not understand why she [i]should[/i] either. She had no respect for this Drakkan- and no responsibility or debt to him either. Not to mention that, from what she'd seen of his people, and what bits of information she was able to glean from the other Gem's conversations that had been going on around her before he'd appeared, the Gems were obviously considered to be nothing in his eyes. They were less than prisoners, they were prizes to him and his people. 

[color=9999ff]"A nameless Prince..."[/color] She muttered quietly to herself as she finally stood, finishing the thought in her mind, [color=9999ff][i]Is worth nothing but Sea-Salt.[/i][/color] She then sat gracefully on the ground, crossing her legs the same as she would when sitting alone by the shore at home. Placing her hands in her lap, she carefully entwined her fingers and lowered her head as she closed her eyes. Outwardly she probably looked respectful, as if she were praying, but all that went through her mind was the memory of the sound of waves crashing on the sandy beaches of her home, as she tuned out everything else around her and decided to just take this opportunity to meditate, even if only for a minute. She figured, it would take someone who was very keen to actually realize that she was completely ignoring the Drakkan's order. 

[hider=Summary]
TL;DR:
[color=ff66bb] [b] Nadia: [/b] [/color] An NPC tries to lighten her mood, until the Drakken show up and she has to face reality. Anyone near her or watching would notice she's glowing slightly as she kneels- and she's crying a bit while having a little trouble breathing, but others are doing that too so.. just the glowy bit is of interest really.

[color=808000] [b] Onyx: [/b] [/color] She had to be poked by an NPC to even realize the speech-giver and "prince" had entered the banquet hall. Steady and calculating as ever, she imagines herself in a number of situations before simply curtseying with her book held tightly over her heart and a challenge in her eyes.

[color=9999ff] [b] Kendra: [/b] [/color] She listens in on some conversations and figures some things out on her own. When the Drakken order her to bow she decides to at least comply visually- but her "bow" is not a sign of respect at all. 
[/hider]