mnkee

🦄 Soulless Regency - Merged With T.S.

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Thalken Talink

The bridges are burning, the heat's on my face
Making the past an unreachable place
I know, this is the point of no return

- "Point of No Return" by Starset

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Location: Russian Imperial Circus Tent City (Regent's Park) - Front Gate --> Main Tent
Skills: N/A

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A tension pervaded Thalken as he was willingly escorted by armed guards into what felt like the lion's den to him. He had never before felt so hyperaware of his surroundings. Never before had he felt so vulnerable as he did now. His characteristic levelheadedness was most certainly being greatly tested just then. His dark eyes, which had dimmed in their intensity as his anxiety came to the forefront, glanced about. He took in quick glimpses of those around him, the squadrons of guards with their weapons at the ready and the musicians that followed along whilst playing a tune that seemed like it was leading him to his imminent death. It was all so unnerving, a feeling of which Thalken was not much accustomed to.

His gaze faced forward again, his jaw clenching with the effort of keeping his wits about him. Every survival instinct in him told him to run for the hills, not that he would get far. He took in a steadying breath as the main tent loomed ahead almost ominously. What or who would lie inside for him? What did fate have in store for him this night? So many questions, but as of yet no answers. He quickly took in the change of surroundings caused by entering the main tent. Instinctively he tried to mentally map out the place, looking for vantage points--and escape routes.

Thalken's gaze, and subsequently his attention, suddenly snapped back over to The Great Bazhooli as the man's voice rang out strong and clear. When his presence was announced to the whole of the crowd, he almost shrank back within himself, almost. Instead of faltering, his whole body stiffened. Well, basically that was more or less his version of faltering. His hands clenched into fists at his sides. He didn't like everyone's attention being on him. No, he preferred to meld into the shadows where he would reamin unseen. Out of sight, out of mind, basically. With that in mind, it was almost a relief when the floor was given to another, a Master Zimmer.

🦄 The Paradoxical Emendation - Merged With T.S.

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Alexandra Andonova

Oops, I did it again...

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Location: Ville au Camp - Kitchen House
Skills: N/A

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The grin fell from Alexandra's lips at the thoroughly less amused demeanor of the former pig wonder James. You could say that she knew that look all too well. It was the look that often followed her opening her big mouth yet again. She never meant any offense by what she said. She just had a tendency to make light of whatever tricky situation that came her way. It was a coping mechanism really. But it seemed that some people just couldn't take sarcasm, especially her perhaps messed up brand of it. Oh well. She wasn't going to change who she was just to suit people better.

She let her hand fall back down to her side as her courteous gesture was blatantly ignored. She glanced over at Alicia as James chose to ignore her and speak with the other Paradox. She kept herself from rolling her eyes and instead looked back over at the spectacle that was the disappearing girl Faith. Her eyes widened slightly in wonder. Talk about a nifty power! If you were the type of person who preferred to keep to themselves, it would definitely be an appealing ability. Alexandra personally would find invisibility too lonesome, though it would be enjoyable upon occasion if just for sneaking up on people.

Alexandra glanced back over at James when he finally said something to her after their "awkward" silence. She arched a brows at his words. "You don't say?" she stated. It wasn't lost on her that he wanted to be rid of her. Fine then. Be that way, she thought to herself stubbornly. She lifted her chin slightly then spun on her heels and walked away in the direction of the invisible girl.

Darke Magyk - Concluded

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Location: Servants' Quarters --> The Crypt - The Palace

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Lyra blinked in surprise when she heard what sounded like Asha striking up a conversation with her. Her gaze came up slowly and a breath left her parted lips just before her eyes locked with Asha's. As the woman's words washed over her, the corners of her lips twitched and pulled up into a genuine smile. "Indeed, I am," she replied smoothly. The blush threatened to return though when Asha winked at her. However, apart from a slight rise of her brows and a light chuckle leaving her lips, she was otherwise able to keep her composure this time around. "Is it now?" she questioned lightheartedly, her smile turning into more of a smirk.

She glanced over at the other two, Prince Myrus and Emperor Taj, conversing in her small room. At seeing the solemn expression on the young prince's face, her smirk faltered and a look of sympathy replaced the sparkle that had been in her eyes. Her lips thinned. It suddenly felt wrong to be finding enjoyment elsewhere when Myrus was here and clearly suffering. Her gaze returned to Asha when the woman invited her to come along with them. She hesitated for a moment, glancing down at the book that she held in her arms. She still needed to take the book to Mavis on behalf of Myrus, and she also had Princess Valda to attend to. Nevertheless, it felt rude to reject the imposing woman's offer. Besides, she couldn't deny that she found the woman incredibly intriguing. Maybe it was time for her to do something for herself for once.

After a brief moment of deliberation, Lyra finally nodded her head in agreement. She gave Asha a small smile before turning to grab her satchel and following the group out. She locked up her room before rejoining them as they made their descent down to the lower levels of the Castle where the royal family crypt was secretly held. When it came time for Myrus to lead her across the barrier into the crypt, she looked up at him as he took her hand. She squeezed his hand comfortingly and gave him a reassuring smile in hopes of easing some of his nerves. Once they were all across, her gaze then took in the interior of the crypt.

She glanced back over at Myrus then over at the casket he pointed out as holding the dearly departed Queen Meliscente. She expected the air to be understandably solemn, but what she hadn't expected was to pick out an uncomfortable yet oddly familiar aura coming from the queen's casket. Lyra's pale brows furrowed as a memory resurfaced. She recalled feeling this same aura once when a stranger, who could only speak a very old dialect, came into town. She frowned slightly in confusion and looked over at Asha wondering if the woman with all her Magkyal abilities could feel the aura too.

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Location: Port Witch Coven House

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Malekith followed in behind Fleur and Nera up the stairs. The unfortunate debacle that had just occurred was already long since behind him, shrugged off as a mere nuisance easily squashed. His dark eyed gaze turned to Nera as she spoke up her thoughts. That's not to say that he truly cared what the witch had to say. Quite frankly, he couldn't care less, but nevertheless, he would keep up appearances. He admittedly found the fact that they were only just now coming up with preparations for the coronation irksome. Fleur's nonchalant idea of mostly just winging it was in strong contrast to his meticulous nature. With that in mind, it was to everyone's surprise that they could cooperate with one another, but perhaps that was a greater testament to his own charisma.

His gaze moved to Fleur when she interjected. He took the thoughts and ideas of both women into careful consideration as the gears in his head already began turning. An opinion on the subject was already forming when Nera broke his concentration by surprisingly turning to him for his consultation. When Fleur spoke in kind, the corner of his lips pulled up into a small smirk. It brought him an indiscernible amount of mundane pleasure for both of the women to turn to his expertise. "As far as getting in, they may indeed not have our descriptions on hand; however, we should exercise caution nonetheless. We must dress and play the part of ordinary members of society. There's no need for extravagance when subtlety is often the key to success," Malekith expressed, looking between both women, before specifically addressing one of Fleur's remarks. "Now, in regards to the numbers we bring, I wouldn't necessarily rule out bringing a decent sized group. If we break are numbers up into smaller groups, come in at different times, and then refrain from mingling with one another for too long, we could easily get away with it. In the end, it would enable us to have more eyes and ears in the room and to cover more ground."

He then turned to Nera. "You spent a fair amount of time in The Castle, so you surely know your way around the place. If the need to make a quick escape were to arise, we would need a quick way out other than through the main entrance. Surely, you have something in mind?"

🦄 Soulless Regency - Merged With T.S.

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Thalken Talink

You're the pulse in my veins. You're the war that I wage.
Can you change me? From the monster you made me?

- "Monster" by Starset

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Location: Gate to the Russian Imperial Circus Tent City (Regent's Park)
Skills: N/A

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Thalken stopped his pacing midstride when The Great Bazhooli's voice rang out loud and clear. He then stiffly and gloweringly pivoted on his heels to face the imposing man. His eyes narrowed, eyeing in particular the large knife in Vlad's hand, as the man continued on. His intense gaze suddenly snapped up to meet Vlad's upon hearing this new proposition of sorts. Perhaps he should have felt relieved, grateful even, that he would be granted an audience after all, considering his previous doubts; however, he was feeling anything but that. He was left with more questions than answers and was ultimately filled with more cynicism than idealism.

Though he could not proclaim to be socially adept, he certainly wasn't ignorant. The stories were changing. First, it was said that he would get an audience with the Lady Crypt. Now, it was simply with a representative. And when the hell did the Grand Duchess have any part in this?! God dammit. In the end, Thalken felt that he couldn't fully trust a man who couldn't keep to his word. Ironic, I know. Nonetheless, what choice did he have? This was perhaps his last chance to make amends. It was the point of no return.

Thalken's muscles tensed up slightly when he was told to hand over all of his weapons. It wasn't surprisingly really, but nonetheless, it made his skin crawl and his hackles instinctively raise. His dark eyed gaze turned to look almost menacingly at the guard. His jaw clenched, and it seemingly took more effort than was realistically necessary to start removing his precious weapons. "Don't you dare lose my stuff, Bob," he growled as he started disarming himself. He removed his single shot pistol first and roughly shoved it into the guard's hands. He then removed his sheathed Dao from his belt and more reluctantly handed that over. He finally pushed back his overcoat slightly and bent down to remove the sheath containing his throwing knives that was attached to his left thigh. He then promptly straightened back up and shoved that into the guard's hands as well before turning back to Vladimir.

"Ready when you are," he exclaimed gruffly as he trained his features to something more neutral in an effort mask his growing anxiety.

🦄 The Paradoxical Emendation - Merged With T.S.

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Alexandra Andonova

I might be crazy, but at least I keep it interesting...

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Location: Ville au Camp - Kitchen House
Skills: N/A

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Alexandra doubled over, clutching her side as she laughed hysterically. Tears sprouted from her eyes as she basically laughed her lungs out at the absurdity of everything that had occurred in such a short timeframe. Just when she thought things couldn't get any crazier, the crazy started pouring down like rain in a hurricane. At this point, she was more than waist deep in the crazy. Pretty soon, she wouldn't be able to breathe at all. In other words, she was losing it. She straightened up, wiping the tears from her eyes as she tried to calm her uncontrollable laughter. Her ribs hurt from the amount of laughter that had shook her small frame.

"T-t-that v-vas great," she remarked in between giggles. She skipped out of the Kitchen House and over to James, who had since turned back into his man form. She stopped in front of him and looked down at him as a wide grin spread across her face. "That vas avesome. Do it again, pig man," she remarked enthusiastically. Despite her seeming eagerness to see round two of man turns pig, she offered him a hand up.

Faith's outcry distracted Alexandra for a moment. She glanced over at the other Paradox and ended up doing a double take. The woman--well, she wasn't entirely sure what was going on there. Faith's skin seemed to have turned clear and see through. Yet, it wasn't see through like everyone could see her insides. No, that would be plain disturbing. Instead, one could see straight through her to the scenery behind her. Alexandra's mouth fell agape, and her eyes widened. She then looked back over at James with an expression that said something along the lines of "what the hell just happened?"

🦄 Soulless Regency - Merged With T.S.

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Thalken Talink

I knock the ice from my bones
Try not to feel the cold

- "All the King's Horses" by Karmina

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Location: Gate to the Russian Imperial Circus Tent City (Regent's Park)
Skills: N/A

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Thalken sat there staring at the ground as The Great Bazhooli walked off. The fire that was dancing in his eyes began to dim with every passing moment, and a coldness seeped back into his veins. Every second felt like an eternity, that is if time was even ticking by at all. It felt like time had stopped altogether, leaving him alone, utterly alone. And to be left alone to his own brooding thoughts, well, it may just be his undoing. His eyes closed, and his face contorted as raw emotion bubbled up to the surface again and with it a sense of sheer desperation. He couldn't wait much longer, and he wasn't talking about waiting to speak with the Lady Crypt. He was talking about waiting to redeem himself. He felt like he was standing at the edge of an abyss, and he was terrified of falling in and being lost to the darkness forevermore.

As time went by, him being here became less and less about offering his protection and more about seeking his redemption. It was clear that the Lady Crypt and the young Earl James did not need his protection. She did not need him at all. No, but he needed her. He hoped that she would be a vector for his redemption. If he couldn't gain the forgiveness of and prove his change of heart to the person who he felt his family had wronged the most, then there was no hope for him at all surely.

Yet as Thalken sat there, doubt began to creep into his mind. He began to doubt that he would even be given the chance to make things right with the Lady Crypt at all. The thought occurred to him just then that maybe they were playing him. The Great Bazhooli had said that Thalken would be given an audience with the Lady Crypt, but maybe that was just a lie. Maybe the man had something else up his sleeve for Thalken. It was befitting really. Thalken deserved whatever was coming to him. Nonetheless, he desperately wanted to speak with her.

Thalken finally lifted his head, and his dark eyes opened once more. He let out a small growl and jumped to his feet. He glanced sharply over at the guards. He wanted to march over there and demand entrance, but he instead opted with pacing back and forth. He would wear a path away in the grass with the way he was moving. All the while, tension reverberated off of him in palatable waves.

🦄 The Paradoxical Emendation - Merged With T.S.

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Alexandra Andonova

Mind over matter when you're mad as a hatter

- "Mad as a Hatter" by Larkin Poe

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Location: Ville au Camp - Kitchen House
Skills: N/A

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Alexandra let out a small groan from where she was sprawled out on the ground after her awkward near face plant. She then rolled over onto her side and pushed herself up into a sitting position. As she quickly got her wits about her after her tumble, her gaze went back to looking in the direction that the pig, wait, James ran off in. From where she sat adjacent the doorway, she could see the massive boar, that had once been James, streaking back and forth within her field of vision. Her eyes widened and a sound of astonishment left her lips. She relcuntantly pulled her gaze from the spectacle going on outside to look back over her shoulder at the similarly flabbergasted Bart and Sophia. "Vhat the hell is going on?" she questioned in exsaperation.

She glanced up at Sophia as the young Paradox then came over to help her up. She gladly took the woman's hand, mustering up a small appreciative smile despite her current state of shock. "Thank you," she murmured before looking back over at the doorway. Her brows furrowed for a moment before relaxing as a relization began to dawn on her. She turned back to Sophia. "Vait, you said something about your ability manifesting. Is this his ability then?" she inquired, gesturing in the direction of the squealing boar outside. A snort came unbidden from her at the notion. I mean what good was the ability to transform into a pig other than to scare the crap out of people?

A chuckle burst out of Alexandra's mouth at Sophia's suggestion of wrestling the man-pig down. A goofy grin then came to her features. "Ve can try," she chuckled. Her chuckles quickly turned into near rib crushing hysterical laughter. She didn't know how else to react to all the crazy stuff that had been happening. She felt like she had downright lost her mind at this point time.

Darke Magyk - Concluded

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Location: Servants' Quarters - The Palace

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Lyra felt a pang of empathy in her heart at seeing tears begin to well up in Myrus's violet eyes. She hadn't wanted to hurt him, yet nevertheless she spoke the truth knowing full well that sometimes it can be painful. In the end, she found that the truth had a way of hunting people down, so to her lying would only put off the inevitable pain to come. This case was no different, or was it? She felt the need to sugarcoat her words, which contrasted her normally bold tongue. That's the thing about being both bold and empathetic. You bite your tongue to protect others' feelings yet all the while feel like your destroying your own.

She unconsciously bit her lip as she looked up at Myrus. She felt that there was so much more that needed to be said. However, she feared that if she were to be too blunt that she would crush the young prince's spirit. Yet, another part of her wondered if not speaking up would do him more damage in the end. To say she felt conflicted was an understatement. She opened her mouth, willing herself to say something, anything, but her window of opportunity was cut short by a knock on the door.

Lyra looked past Myrus to see two strangers. She glanced back at Myrus, her green/blue eyes widening slightly, upon hearing that these were two foreign delegates standing in her doorway. She didn't need Myrus to tell her that they deserved a show of respect. She was already curtsying deeply and respectfully bowing her head when he motioned to her. When she finally rose, along with Myrus, her uplifted gaze took in both of the delegates before gravitating to Asha the Magykal. She found herself awestruck. The woman was positively radiating in the purple sheen of Magyk. It was a beautiful display, but all the while it was also a show of sheer power. Of all the wizards that traversed the Castle, nothing compared to it, to her.

A light rose tint came to her cheeks before she pulled her gaze away, feeling that it was rude of her to stare. She glanced back over at Myrus before looking down at the ground as the subject turned to more solemn topics.

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Location: Port Witch Coven House

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Malekith made to follow in behind Fleur, when the sound of the front door being thrown open caught his unenthusiastic attention. It was none other than the old man Sigmund once again intruding upon this private establishment. The man was certainly persistent, persistently annoying. To make matters worse, worse for himself, he had the gall to flaunt his arsenal of named bullets, one of which had the initials of his "dear" Witch Mother Fleur. Malekith tilted his head to the side before precisely training his expression to one of suppressed outrage. Despite what his demeanor would suggest, he was unmoved by Sigmund's death threats. Truth be told, if Fleur died today, he wouldn't bat an eye. After all, he didn't have any sentimental attachment to her, or to anyone for that matter. Nevertheless, she was his leader, and a good one at that, so he had to protect her. Technicalities.

He moved to step in front of her, as if to shield her from potential fire. Not that it would matter. A named bullet would defy all logic to hit its intended target, and no human shield could stop it. Nevertheless, the seemingly protective action in and of itself made it appear that he actually cared. Lies, all lies. Malekith's gaze narrowed on Sigmund, and he raised his hand, intending to use his Darke Magyk to "subdue" the old man. However, Nera quickly beat him to the punch. How rude. As Fleur went around him and approached Sig, Malekith kept his guard up in case the man tried anything stupid. As it turns out though, the only thing stupid was the look on Sigmund's face before he killed over from fright. Lame.

Malekith let his arm fall back down to his side and watched as Fleur cleaned up the mess. As she turned back to face him and Nera, his eyes looked her over, as if to check for wounds. It was a habit of his to act all concerned and whatnot. It was disgusting to him really. He nodded his head in response to Fleur and once again stepped aside to allow her to go up the stairs first.

🦄 Soulless Regency - Merged With T.S.

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Thalken Talink

Free to go back on my own
But is it still a home when you're all alone

- "All the King's Horses" by Karmina

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Location: Gate to the Russian Imperial Circus Tent City (Regent's Park)
Skills: N/A

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Thalken let out a small frustrated sigh as his eyes slowly opened again. He glanced upwards at The Great Bazhooli as the man began to speak once more. Perhaps in the moment he wasn't giving Vladimir his full attention, as his mind was still preoccupied by thoughts of home, or what he had once considered home. If he was honest with himself, he would have said that the Talink Manor had stopped being his home ages ago. His father Beowulf tainted anything he touched, and perhaps in some ways, the same could be said of Thalken. Here's to hoping that would change.

Anyways, Thalken's attention suddenly snapped back into reality at Vladimir's suggestion of sending a messenger to the Talink Manor. "NO!" he retorted sharply, his gaze snapping upwards. He grimaced soon after as he realized the tone of his voice came out harsher than he had intended. He took a deep. hopefully calming breath as he reined in the sudden surge of emotions that threatened to spill out in full. After taking a few moments to regain what little compsure he had to begin with, he finally attempted to speak again. "No," he stated, his voice sounding a bit gruff as he struggled to keep it level. "No, I want to speak to the Lady Crypt in person."

He bit his tongue from thereon, fearing any further attempts to speak would be unsuccessful. Yet, all the while a fire seemed to dance within his dark eyes. Whether an unkempt fire was better than the icy coldness he usually exuded was to be determined. He removed his gaze from The Great Bazhooli, ignoring the man's no doubt fake pleasantries. Thalken's pride was at stake here, and yet he couldn't seem to care any less in the moment. The truth was that he just wanted to get through the night before he became so broken that he was beyond repair.

Current Mood in One Gif

>TFW you get a post up, and you are already so excited for the next one