Anarion

Sunshards

When Yue almost instantly breaks the vision of glorious nobility she first showed, it makes Chen blush and fidget. Sure, she knew it was Yue just Yue, the simple village girl. In fact, she almost interrupted to say that's exactly who she'd been told to look for when Yue said she had the wrong person! But there was something about this young woman, so obviously empowered but at the same time so out of her depth that just felt so sincere, and that gave everything she was doing so much weight in the world of Princess politics.

So when she said she didn't mean to laugh at Chen, it made Chen's cheeks burn and her arms almost squirm of their own volition to gather her ruffles to herself self-consciously. But. But! But it was simultaneously the kindest thing anyone had ever said to her and the way that Yue really seemed to want to be nice to her made Chen feel like she was going to burst. She wanted to jump up and give Yue a big hug and she wanted to fidget and she wanted to pretend she was invisible, but that would be even more weird!

If not for the interruption, Chen would have enjoyed just staying here and reveling in her fluttering heart. She could have stammered and blushed and gathered her skirts awkwardly while Cyanis made a whole show of forcing her to finish her cleaning before they could go anywhere and she would have loved every second of it even though she would have blushed her way through the whole thing and kept on glancing back to see if Yue and Cyanis were looking at her.

But, as beautiful a vision as that was, it was not to be. Yue and Cyanis would have to settle for Chen's first blush and the moment when she cutely tried to gather her dress to herself as signs of what was in her mind. Because then there was a gentle song echoing through the air in a voice that Chen could tell was Rose's, so recently carrying her in her bundle form. Then the song stopped abruptly, held at the height of its crescendo and left to hang in unfinished silence that left Chen yearning. And then, then the darkness gathers and it's not just the setting sun. Had Rose encountered Yin first and been held up? Maybe that's why she wasn't quick on the chase after the sheep. Before Chen can think much further along that line, Cyanis is suddenly sheltering behind her and all in a flash Chen is reminded how much she's needed, for good or for ill. This was, after all her specialty.

She stands, smoothing out her dress and gathering her folded scarf, wrapping it around her neck in a double loop atop the dress, and as Yue makes her wish, Chen offers Cyanis soothing pats on the shoulders. A little smile comes to Chen's lips as she watches Yue handle her fox. Li wouldn't buckle so fast, but she knew when things were important too, and it would have been nice to have her leopard here to help keep watch.

When Yue is done, Chen offers her a solemn nod. "This is Yin's shard, isn't it? A technomancer earlier told me she was here. Is that where the wolf came from?" The way Chen says "Yin" with that tired little exhale and the look of resignation on her face speaks worlds about their interactions before. Chen hadn't been planning to say anything even though Yue had referenced Yin. After all, far be it from her to judge how a shard wielder chose to shape her world. But, now that she was going to have to deal directly, Yin was just so...much. She wasn't anywhere near the hardest Princess to work with, but she had her thing and she just had to go over the top every time before anyone else could get anything done.

Chen takes a deep breath and lets it out, then nods to herself again, as if making up her mind. She gives Cyanis a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder and looks at Yue with her dark eyes focused. "Alright. I promised you my protection and I meant it. I've got another new friend out here too who I think did the singing we just heard, so I want to stay here anyway, wish or no wish. We're just going to have to weave our way through Yin's night hunt until we can escape. It's easier than it sounds. Usually." Chen offers a wry little smile and draws her crystal sword for what's coming.

Dark Age (playtest): The Lands of Pendragon

Everyone

Chaos reigns

The ground betrays you. The dry, dusty soil cracks and great gouges lance through it. At the village, old, decrepit wood, already afflicted with dry rot and termites cannot hold itself together. Roofs without support cave on themselves in bursts of dust and thatch. The trees tremble. Horses scream and their hooves pound on dirt and stone above the thundering din.

At the Fox and Stag, the patrons scramble aside as one of the walls buckles outwards and the whole building lists dangerously. The proprietor shouts a curse and shakes her fist at the heavens in defiance.

Further back, a whole house gives way at once, its walls giving up the ghost in unison, and the dust is so great that it cannot be seen who may be crawling from the wreckage.

Along the road, the keep trembles and at the edge of one of its rounded towers a half moon of stone crenellations crumbles and falls with a low scraping rumble that echoes all the way back to your ears.

Some of the knights scatter outwards from the keep entrance like ants from a crushed hill.

Pellinor, alone among the assembly, maintains full control of her mount. Her shout rings above the chaos. "Knights, to me!" and though their mounts are half mad and whinnying, a few obey her and form a powerful formation arrayed in a V behind two deep behind her. Taking the point, she begins a charge with her four knights towards Robena and Sandsfern.

Tristan

Battle is joined! Robena rides past you towards King Pellinor! Her horse, obviously trained to carry her even through this storm is unperturbed and its snout is steady and forwards. Behind her and to the side rides the lady Sandsfern on a white horse. Hers make no semblance of calm, but she rides astride the crazed beast with an expression on her face of utter bliss, as though nothing in all the world could offer her greater pleasure than this moment. She wears no helmet and her fiery hair blazes behind her as she hefts her own lance.

Pellinore's knights, for their part, are rapidly organizing. You see them form their V and begin their own charge. This is not good, a direct attack like this is liable to harm all involved. What do you do?

Robena

You are one with the thunder and lightning. In a world where all around you falls to ruin, your lance is steady, your armor strong, your horse sure. Your lady rides behind you, an emblem of fire streaming from her head and pure unabashed joy writ upon her face.

However, your foe is fell indeed. The world shattered around her and she stood strong, far stronger than the Azure Knight you faced before. Somehow, in rapid speed knights arrayed with her for the charge, though they quail as she does not. Her impatience even for gathering such a small group at this is thinly veiled. Once she turns her gaze to you, however, the sneer falls from her face and her gaze is the cold and sturdy stone heart that will yield to none.

King Pellinore

Enchanted: Pellinore denies the right of any being to harm her save the questing beast until such time as the magic around her fate is completed or disrupted. She can be unhorsed or thrown, but never injured. This applies only to her personally, she will not protect knights she leads.
Thundering Blows: Pellinore is incredibly powerful and her blows reel her opponents. She denies the right of anyone to spend more than 2 points in single combat against her.
Hidden: there is, as yet, one aspect of her nature that she previously denied Tristan's right to reveal, though it does not affect her immediate combat prowess.

Roll to Leap into Action and tell us of your charge!

Constance

For you, the portents are laid bare. The king is in pain of a great wound, or perhaps merely of the failings of age. He thrashes and so the lands thrashes. You could soothe it, soothe him if given the time, but that is not your place. Yours is to run as fast as your legs can carry you.

So you run. Though Cath Palug is a warm anchor in your arms, you run. Though you heart thunders in your chest and pounds out through your ears, you run. Though the earth splits and shakes, still you run.

It is not enough and fate is not kind to you this day. You stumble as you near the entrance to Southaven, the weariness in your arms too much, and Cath mews with pity. As you stumble and fail to slip into the town, the panicked riders from the keep not gathered to King Pellinore exit the gate and find you gathering yourself, your hair askew, your dress torn and dirty, your breathing heavy and fast.

In this moment, they see before them a prize and, safe outside the town walls, they encircle you. It is only a few knights, just five. And one of them at least looks exceptionally hesitant to be here and not riding into town. Nevertheless, they close and one of the knights, a dark-bearded man beneath his blue and gold tabard, reaches as to scoop you onto his horse. "My lady" he says in what you imagine to be feigned politeness. "It's not safe here, you'll have to come with us."

Through the town gate, you see knights charging. Some grand general, and the great bearskin that is your Robena, and behind that a blazing flame that must be your dragon as well.

What do you do?

Sunshards

Chen stands, spitting out water and looks in awe of the armored lady striding towards them with her wolf companion. The first thing it makes Chen think about is her friend Li, the little snow leopard who stays with Chen at home. She hadn't come on this trip because Chen had wanted to focus on her painting, but she imagined since she had been out all afternoon that Li had assumed she was entirely abandoned and when Chen got back, Li would wrap up her favorite princess in her long fluffy tail and demand treats and ear scritchies for a whole evening before she was mollified.

The second thing is that her mouth drops open because holy shit this warrior is gorgeous. Chen, Princess of the Northern Wind spends most of her time living in Sourcefall. She has seen the morning dawn bounce across a million water droplets like shards of molten gold. She has seen the midday sun race in its chariot of galloping horses after a fleeing storm cloud that thought it could disperse before the sun could summon the rainbow. She has seen the last reds of the evening sun strike like an old-world laser and make the faces of people ruddy with warmth. Chen has painted these things. Not perfectly, but she has taken the time to make her own little mental snapshots of each of these moments in their turn. It would be fair to say that Chen is an expert on the beauty of light and water! But this! THIS! This warrior is gorgeous. The sun and the water combine on her armor in a color of flowing, wavy azure so perfect, it is as though the sky and the lake agreed to a marriage and this beauty was their wedding gift. Chen already has her first painting planned and the woman will need to pose for her at least thrice more for the series!

Only in distant third does Cyanis saying the name "Yue" penetrate Chen's dumbfounded brain, and when it does, it sets off a reaction of shocked delight that can only be met with a high squeel at first as she gathers up her short skirts, her extensive ruffles, and her mop and leaps forwards. Chen has just enough presence of mind to first give Cyanis a look of gratitude. "Oh, gosh, my gosh, you're really good at this wish thing! I hadn't even told you who I was looking for yet and you already granted my wish. Oh thank you, thank you, thank you Cyanis!" She gives the fox a quick little hug, leaning forward with just her upper body and keeping the mop gingerly away so as not to drip even a drop of water on her.

Then, she turns entirely to Yue (and her pet fluffer!) and goes down on one knee, her little skirt and her many ruffles pooling on the grass before her. She almost, almost calls her princess before she remembers what Qiu and said and how Cyanis had just spoken to her. Instead, she settles for the more ambiguous lady.

"Lady Yue, my name is Chen of the Northern Wind, Princess of Sourcefall and Ys, heir to twin sunshards, and...aspiring artist." There is a moment, just one moment for a little grin that suggests Chen is in fact a real person and not some strange maid princess beyond your ken. "And though I am currently indisposed granting a wish for this lovely fox who helped me find you, I am here to offer you my protection and safe passage to princess Qiu Tian, who is the source of the bounty upon you that you may...become a h-handmaiden in her training."

Though Chen delivers her greeting with a formal perfection that belies the silliness of her maid outfit and the mop held before her like a sword on offering (and the slight glint of the sheathed crystal sword upon her back) there is the slightest quaver in her voice as she reaches the end. She is not sure that she wants to take Yue to Qiu, and quite sure that she would take her anywhere if asked. Even though Qiu would be after her. And Yin, and Rose. And both her parents would yell at her for abrogating her duty and she quails before that. Even so, Yue, just Yue has struck Chen in this moment and she couldn't dream of abducting her against her will.

[Chen is declaring herself smitten, even their respective station is such that every major player in the world would try make sure they couldn't be together.]

Dark Age (playtest): The Lands of Pendragon

Tristan

The ground laps up the beer you offered. It is dry and cracked, the soil greedy, and the beer sinks into it seemingly leaving it no better than before. The air is still and a feeling of pressure makes your ears feel as though stuffed with cotton. Something ought to happen here. You've never done this kind of augury and received no result before!

As you stare intently at the ground where your beer soaked through, it seems almost as though it was dryer than a moment before. In fact, you're sure that the dusty cracks in the soil are widening. An owl hoots, once and flies into the air, and as you turn suddenly, you feel your balance thrown. You look back down at the earth that has betrayed you and have no doubt that the cracks are widening. The ground before you is splintering and beginning to shake. A deep rumble like thunder from below rises to the surface and the cracks race outwards as the world beneath your feet rolls.

You are caught in the midst of an earthquake, as is all of Southhaven and the lands around! People rush from their homes and from the keep at this most dire portent. And there, visible to all as she takes stock of the situation and scans the horizon for her prey, is King Pellinor and her knights on the road between keep village.

What do you do as the ground tries to throw you from its back?

Robena

"I am as full of life as ever, Robena" Sandsfern says, beaming with confidence and turning upon you a stern look that chides you for notholding yourself up straight as a knight ought to behave. "And twice as skilled as when you last saw me, you boor. Don't think that because you're still a mountain in a wresting match that it gives you a leg up on me."

Sandsfern seems determined to fill the silence that you've left for her with the anger and the ache that hangs so heavily over you. But, before you can launch into anything further, her head snaps to the side, and it seems that fate has mercifully spared you the need for inaction as a loud rumbling sound leads to an earthquake that shakes the rafters and causes a fine layer of built up dirt and dust to rain down on everyone inside. The inhabitants of the Fox and Stag rush doors, and when you and Sandsfern do likewise, you see there upon the road between town and keep King Pellinor and a handful of knights from her household, arrayed in fine steel with tabards depicting the King's azure cross upon a field of or.

Tristan stands in the fields at a little distance, obviously interrupted in his offering. Could this, too, be Uther's doing somehow? The Lady Sandsfern stands ready to support you should you ride forth and declare a challenge.

What will you do?

Constance
Merlin looks you in the eye set as you are and, for all his ageless wisdom, depth, and roguish mischief, he blinks first, and you see sorrow in those eyes. "You know her, the mistress of that fire-ruined keep that once you roamed in youth. Do not think this is the first I've seen of you or your family, Constance Nim, Daughter of the Bristol Avon. The dragon you seek is the lady of your knight Robena who you sent off with such haste. Sandsfern is no more human than I am, and wears the guise less well than I for her inexperience."

Merlin sighs and the way his face creases with worry, you'd think he'd just aged twenty years. Or two hundred. "She's hardly got any destiny. More of a curse, I've gathered, she traveled quite far away and I don't know all the details, but it's something demonic in nature. I doubt she's at all interested in stealing your sword or being slain by a heroic knight, nor do I think your oh so gallant knight is up to doing the slaying. Frankly, I'd be more impressed if you freed her and gained her aid in your quest than if you walked up to her with a sword and a request for a believable kidnapping only to get laughed out of whatever hole you find her in."

Merlin sighs again, this one in a sort of surrender, running a hand through his hair again and straightening up his hat back on his head and for a moment he looks again like a regular farmer just giving you directions. "Well, she's been see in the area at any rate, try Southaven and maybe from there..."

Merlin scowls and his eyes darken as he drops his farmer guise entirely to looks towards the horizon. Though he does not change his clothes or move his hat yet again, for a moment, you see him as he really is. Strong and old, at once gnarled as the great oak and ageless as the mountains. His face is dark and fae and his eyes are looking away, always looking away to times long past and times to come, to the storms always in the distance.

In the distance now, you hear a low rumbling, more vibration than sound, and the pebbles upon the ground near you shake and rattle like merry little dice. "Run to Southaven! Keep your friends alive, child, and stage your dragon trial if you think it wise. Take the cat with you, she might just keep you alive."

Sunshards

Chen first looks to herself. She has been stretched out, carried, and flung about and she's tense. With her bonds loosened by Cyanis, she stands, gathers her scarf into a nice fold that she places down next to her reverently, and does some stretches. She rubs her wrists, then her ankles, reaching all the way to her toes. She lets herself luxuriate for a moment in the feeling of loose muscles after tension, the warmth of the sun caressing her face, and the cool springy feeling of the grass beneath her feet.

She's ready to change of course, she made the deal, but Cyanis isn't moving. As Chen draws out her stretches and keeps expecting Cyanis to turn around, another blush slowly begins to creep up on her and overtakes her calm routine entirely. "W-well?!" she stammers, expecting Cyanis to get a hint that is a million miles above the innocent little fox's fluffy black and white head. When there is no response, she looks point blank at the fox and adds "a-aren't you going to turn around. S-so I can change?"

When Cyanis responds with a slight cock of her head and a confused "uh, why" Chen quite nearly explodes! "Because! B-because it's n-not. You s-shouldn't! You can't look while...I...er...um." Chen looks away, unable to meet those bright teal eyes as she imagines Cyanis looking at her while she changes. She's not a little kid, she doesn't need somebody to watch her while she's putting her fancy dress on in case she needs help! But she can't quite say it because the rapid beating of what is clearly her little rabbit heart is getting in the way of finishing her sentence and in her mind she's imagining Cyanis do a little more than just watching as she changes, and the thought of those fluffy tails curling around her leg as she's working on the dress is just...eeeep!

Chen cuts through this entire train of thought by flinging her arms out in a last strong stretch, straightening her shoulders, and before anyone can stop her, least of all her own brain, she pulls her silks off, strides up to the dress in nothing but her underwear and throws it over her head! She only slightly struggles with getting the neck on that way, and pulls it over, starting to smooth and place some of the ruffles in the front. That is when she notices that there are some fastenings along the back for a tighter fit beneath all the ruffles and, with the absolute and utmost mortification, utters in a tiny voice: "Um, C-Cyanis, c-could you help me finish putting this on?"

Dark Age (playtest): The Lands of Pendragon

Robena and Tristan

The lady Sandsfern keeps a comforting, warm hand on Robena's shoulder. The heat of her, the life, the strength can be felt even through your armor and your padded jacket, and it brings back memories of travel with her on the road. Of times when you would get in far over your head and the Lady Sandsfern would delight as few could in the impossibility of it all and the freedom to simply act. What has it been like since you've lost that connection?

Though her touch is for Robena, her gaze is, for the moment on Tristan, and it is measured and thoughtful. The look in her eyes is worldly, a woman who has seen the skills of knights and knows few enough with a steady hand and a quick enough eye to make the throw that Tristan just made so smoothly. You can see her eyes flash and her brows furrow as she updates her calculus as to how much the man in front of her fears death in combat.

Her look passes in an instant, and she offers you a fanged smile, Tristan. "Very well, I've known many a religious knight all across the world. I do not think my dear Robena is in such a rush that you cannot have a moment for ritual and contemplation while she and I catch up on old times."

Constance

"Damn fool. You'd offer yourself to a dragon hoping to be saved? What then, when no knight comes save to meet their end in fire while the people starve?" Merlin scowls and his hair flaps loosely as he sets his feet to start into a rant. "What then if the dragon takes the sword and hides it? Or merely kills you and secrets away to their lair? Even if you assume a knight comes to save you, what if they can't draw the blade, will you waste your grandmother's magic on such a soul?" He's speeding up, gesturing widely with his arms while ignoring Cath pressing at his leg. "And what, do you expect me to tell all the world of your contest while you're imprisoned, hmm? And what if Uther or his knights are your savior? He's mad, but that doesn't mean he's not destined! Or what if the dragon turns out to wield the sword, have you thought of that?! And all that's assuming you can even find a dragon. Why the only one I know..."

Merlin stops suddenly, giving you a coy look that makes you wonder whether he isn't playing you directly into this decision from the start. But he says nothing more and waits for you to persuade him. It seems he does know a dragon. What will you do to win his support?

Sunshards

"Mmmph!" Chen says once, confirming to Cyanis that there are plenty of other princesses in the area and making her only contribution to the negotiations. She was listening of course, Cyanis was underselling her and could obviously tell that the two thieves were nervous and ready to buckle under pressure. Shrewd. But the grass was also comfy, and so was her scarf and it was easy to just lie back to the sound of those two excitedly wagging black and white tails and imagine them brushing over her face and maybe daintily over the back of her neck with the lightest little touch, oh wouldn't that just feel amazing?

She is brought back to a more pressing reality quite literally with Cyanis using her as a foot rest and she lets out an indigant eep that is instantly cut short by the brightest blush suffusing her whole body, which has also gone stiff. How did she know?! She had only done that one time with princess Ishan when she'd first been out training and had stumbled upon Ishan's pirate fleet. Why Ishan had a maid costume in her ship they had never discussed, but both of them had considered it a fair deal to have Chen clean out Ishan's entire personal cabin dressed in it in exchange for secrecy about the location and existence of the fleet!

Okay, well, there was also that one other time when she had briefly captured Ishan herself a year later just before Qiu's big move and Chen still had the maid costume and it just seemed like a nice thing to do for her captive to make her comfortable, plus Chen's room in Ysel had been so dusty since she didn't visit that often. But it had only been two times!

Well, unless you counted the time that Chen had disguised herself as a (quickly captured) handmaiden to infiltrate Yin's kingdom for information before escaping, but that one hardly counted because maid costumes were not see through and they had to have a little apron to really count, thank you very much. And anyway, that was only three times, so how could Cyanis have possibly known about this?!

Chen squirmed uncomfortably and her blush did not go away as she looked at Cyanis. She was tied and gagged, she could just moan and protest but she'd never been very good at lying that way. Her talent for deceit was in the exasperated groan and the "get off my back" eye roll that made all activities equally suspicious and unsuspicious at the same time. But directly lying when confronted, that was hard and Chen had a million tells for her discomfort. So, presently, she gives Cyanis just the smallest nod amidst her blush that yes that sounds fair and then immediately looks away and tries to pretend that if she can't see that beautiful little fox, she must not exist at all!

Sunshards

[Reputation: 3+4+2=9. Cyanis has heard that Chen is particularly gifted with the sword, plus one more from the MC side.]

Chen smiles at the pretty fox resting her head at an impossible angle in the car's window. It's a real smile at first, a little giggle when Cyanis shakes her bound hand and plays with her scarf, but it leaves her eyes when the fox asks if she's the "megaprincess" and instead there's a tiredness to her view. For a moment, she doesn't answer. She considers lying, telling Cyanis that she's not the real Chen and she led on the thieves. But she's still got the real Chen's sword under her bindings and it would only take a call to her parents to prove she was real, it would just be twice as embarrassing, and not in the good way.

When the fox starts to look a little uncomfortable, Chen breaks her silence. "Yes, I'm the real Chen. Princess of the Northern Wind. The future leader of the soon to be reunited Hot and Cold Alliances, twin shard heiress, master swordswoman, and..." here she brightens despite herself "aspiring painter." Chen is really liking including that as part of her intro now and it shows in her focus, attention, and attitude. That smile becomes a grin that she can't entirely hide.

Her attention renewed, Chen looks Cyanis through the car window. Actually looks at her. She's cute! Those teal eyes so eager, happily shouting "I'm new!" and that white hair turning to black, that looked really good. Chen blushed and squirmed trying to straighten herself up in the car. She was suddenly conscious of her own state still wearing the thin silks that Qiu had made for her, Rose's scarf binding hiding only enough to show off the skin and translucent silks.

"They didn't capture me" she says, more defensive than originally intended. And was that a pout? Surely not, Princesses never pout! "I got captured by a powerful ancient huntress who is definitely following this car and is probably setting up a sneaky ambush at this very moment just as soon as she finishes herding an entire flock of sheep! She was trying to help all the travelers in the road and these two, who have promised me that they are honorable gentlemen who had nothing to do with the wandering sheep, jumped on the opportunity to steal me away since I was already bound by this old-world seal." Chen helpfully wiggles her ankles to demonstrate Rose's very high-quality binding work.

Before Cyanis can do more than nod thoughtfully, Chen continues quickly, a thought suddenly occurring to her and making her eyes light up mischievously. "Oh, and I guess they did see your flyers because they said right away that they were going to trade me to a fox, so they already knew about you. And this really must be my lucky day because an up and coming fox is just who I need to see too! You see, I'm really, reaaaally hoping to find someone before any of the other Princesses in the area pull it off and maaaaybe you could help? Cyanis Two-Tails, right? Maybe you could grant a Princess's simple little wish?"

Dark Age (playtest): The Lands of Pendragon

Tristan and Robena

"Merlin?!" The Lady Sandsfern's scoff is quick and incredulous. Whatever her loss to Robena, it has not seemed to dim her energy nor the lustre of that fiery hair, and you'd swear there is steam coming off her as she breathes disdain. "You'd give that two-bit charlatan the time of day? Please. Even if he could make a true soothsaying as opposed to sending the woman haring off for his own reasons on a flimsy excuse, how would you know whether his prediction wasn't precisely meant to lead them to combat this day?"

She turns and puts a reaffirming hand on Robena's shoulder. "Sir Robena called to drive Uther's retainers from the land and you say to her 'here's a party of them in front of your nose. Like as not cursed. Ah, but they were kind to me today, so not them, never mind, why did I even mention them?' Is that the truth of it or are you just showing your cowardice, boy?" Sandsfern's eyes burn with passion and her voice cares not one whit who overhears you. Perhaps she invites the confrontation with her challenge.

How do you both respond?

Constance

"A dragon?!" Merlin's eyes go wide and he coughs, once, twice before recovering himself. "Dragons got us into this mess and you want to find another one? Sea and stars woman, are you entirely cracked?" The black and white fur rises on Cath Palug's back and she hisses in your defense, and indeed you have not been spoken to with such disrespect in years. Not since you were a small child found by your family by a shattered pot of honey with a sticky hand. But then, perhaps that's the point and Merlin seeks to throw you from your course with his outburst. Does the wiley old seer know more than he's letting on? Perhaps you ought to press him. Or at least call him on his disrespect. Cath Palug seems liable to back your next move if it comes to it.

Sunshards

Chen claps with pleasure at the story! Or, she would, but she's still got her wrists bound. It's just, there's a moment while she's learning all about local Buddha adoption customs and the gods who live in them where she kind of forgets all that and her eyes are sparkling and her arms flex and pull at the bonds and she realizes she can't move and twists her whole body instead and finally settles for a very very faint sound from tapping the edges of her fingers against each other that's sort of like clapping.

Chen's voice pitches up a little as she's talking through the story for herself. "Oh, that's so sweet! I really like how people get to choose what's best for them each year! I hope that most people are realistic about it, oh do you get any training for how to pick your Buddha so you don't get stuck in over your head? Oh gosh, maybe I could visit for New Years sometime, oh I'd love to make a painting of everyone combing through the beach picking out their Buddhas for the year!"

Chen lets silence settle into the car for a few heartbeats, her eyes looking upwards at the velvet ceiling of the fancy car, or at nothing at all while the scene plays out in her head. Elkibrant and Vogodoris are too polite to interrupt a Princess engaged in that sort of fantasy. It's how you can tell that they're gentleman thieves and not rude interrupting thieves with no respect for anyone else's heart. Which is a lucky thing for them because rude thieves wouldn't get any business from Princesses, whereas they're making a great sales pitch right now.

Presently, Chen focuses her eyes back on them, looking first at Vogodoris, then at Elkibrant, who seems to be the more talkative by quite a bit. "Well, fair's fair," she says, her face still turned up in a slight smile. "Truth be told, your kidnapping was a blessing because I was terrified of being picked up by Princess Kikil, and the technomancer said that she had called her." Chen's whole body does a little shudder when she said terrified and she looks pointedly at both of the thieves. "Kikil's really scary, she has all that old-world knowledge and the big mask with the spike designs at the bottom, and I was worried that she'd make a whole thing out of it and I don't know what to expect from her, which is kind of the scariest thing of all! Compared to that, I'm really not that worried about Yin. She's really loud and has her whole shiny knights and monsters thing, but if she picked me up she'd listen to what I had to say after she'd had her fun and I wouldn't really mind owing her a favor. I mean, she'd ask for a lot, but she's all about showy shining knights and I could do her thing no problem, I'm actually one of the best swordswomen in all the nine kingdoms." There's a little swelling with pride when Chen says that, her scarf even stretches a bit, but she says it in tone that's calm and measured, the confidence of someone who worked really hard and feels proud of that work, not the bravado of someone trying to show off.

"As for who I'd like to be kidnapped by. Qiu, maybe, but we have a prior arrangement, so you probably shouldn't try to negotiate that one with the foxes. Also she's supposed to be my arch-nemesis." Chen sticks out her tongue briefly, again looking at both of them to get across what she think of that. "Maybe Jezara. I've hung out with her a little, but she's never kidnapped me and I'd really like to pet her and have her nuzzle me, which maybe could happen in the right kidnapping, you know?" Chen blushes, but a deal's a deal. Also, this part is way easier than the part she's been putting off and it's much more fun to think about Jezara in fluffy kitty form rubbing up against her than anything else here.

Eventually, she gives a little sigh and settles into her seat, now talking without looking directly at either of her two kidnappers. "Also, you probably know already that Hestia and Ysel are my Moms. So, you can ransom me to them and get a good deal to avoid giving any of the other kingdoms a leg up on us. I'm sure the fox you're taking me to will already know that, and I'd really rather you didn't, but we made a deal and you told a great story, so it wouldn't be fair if I set you up to undersell me. I'm worth a lot if you start playing off the kingdoms against each other." Chen lets out a deep breath that turns into a long sigh and if she were looking at the two thieves, they might see her roll her eyes at the thought of it all.

Another few beats of silence hang over them for a minute, much less joyous than the first before Chen gathers herself and breaks it. "So, who's the fox around here anyway? I didn't know there was one."