Vesuvius00

Prized Bride (A New Beginning)

Nadia Parnel

^{Bride of [UNKNOWN] [@] and Sister-Bride of [UNKNOWN] [@]
Interacting with: Kyrena @Legion02}

"It's okay. We'll get through this. You're not alone."

As Nadia struggled to breathe normally, and as the warmth began to spread over her body, she just barely heard a whisper from right next to her. She glanced to the side, peering through her loose golden locks at the girl and managing a small, thankful smile. She didn't dare to reply yet, but hopefully the other Gem would understand.

As the Prince and Sek Leon walked around the room, Nadia kept her eyes focused on the ground and the small area she could see just around her. She breathed a quiet sigh of relief as they didnt come near her, but flinched at the cries and screams she heard as those who were less fortunate recieved their "punishments". Only when it was all over did she dare to look up.

As she sat up, the glow around her died and she allowed her hands to fall to her lap as she noticed the fading light. Quickly, she glanced around to see if anyone had noticed, while she silently cursed herself in her mind for using her power out in the open like this. Oh Pyrus, what if I had lost control? I didn't even know I was doing that! No one seemed to be staring at her, at least, but she still glanced warily at each of the Drakken in the room as she carefully stood and held out a hand to help the Gem who'd spoken to her up off the ground.

"Thank you, by the way." She stated timidly once the other Gem was standing. "It's nice to know I'm not the only one terrified of, well, all of this. My name is Nadia.. I'm a daughter of Pyrus, but I think you may have noticed that already... She trailed off as she thought, And I hope you were the only one who did. She smiled as she continued, a small gesture that didn't quite match her saddened eyes. "What is your name?"

...
Eventually, Nadia would begin to follow the rest of the Gems as they were all herded away for the first "lesson". She would try to stay close to some of the nice Gems she'd meet so far, but every time a guard would glance her way or at any of them she would feel a sharp pang of fear. What if The next step for the Drakken was for the girls all to be isolated? Nadia didn't really have any friends before, but now she felt she needed a bond with someone like her, and if the Drakken noticed and tried to break those bonds, she felt that's all it would take for them to completely break her now.

During the Gods presentation, she repeated prayers to Pyrus and Vivari over and over in her head. The idol she carried felt like it was burning a hole in her pocket as the Draken all spoke about how Vivari was a Monster and how they believed Pyrus, Aurem, and Naia to all be her favored children only because they were "no better than her". Nadia would not believe any of it- the very thought was blasphemous.

As for the second presentation... It was terrifying and disgusting, and it took all of her willpower just to keep herself from running from the room screaming- which a few Gems actually did. She payed what attention she could, but there came a point where she was seriously debating suicide as an alternative to childbirth.

Come nightfall she was completely worn out from the constant fear of doing something wrong and earning herself one of those "punishments", and really truly wishing there were a way to just convince herself that this was all just a horrible, horrible nightmare. When they were all ushered back into the hall for dinner, she sat next to Kyrena, if the other Gem allowed it. There were foods from both Drakka and Gemmenia again, but she only took fruits and other things she knew were sweet-tasting. Perhaps she was being indulgent, but the familiar foods were comforting to her at the moment. She wasn't willing to give anything of her home up just yet.

---

Onyx Briyll

^{Bride of [UNKNOWN] [@] and Sister-Bride of [UNKNOWN] [@]
Interacting with: [NO ONE YET] [@]}

It appears she made the wrong choice. As she watched the girl with the lovely sash brutally stripped, and a very brave-seeming Gem smashed around a table and forced to bow "properly", Onyx slowly realized what was now expected of them. The Drakken wanted submissive little toys, girls who would cower in fear and let the brutes have their way with them. She also realized, as she was grabbed and the heels of her feet were burned, that the stories about the Drakken that she'd heard her whole life weren't true. They were much worse in person than in any story she had ever known.

She went through the presentations on tiptoe- quite literally. At one point she made the mistake of leaning against the wall to try and take some of her weight off her feet for a while, and the Drakkan came over again and burned the balls of her feet as well now. So, she put on a brave face and stood the rest of the time, fighting the urge to collapse to the floor with every step she took. As they were all led back to the dining hall, she was glad that the day was almost over.

Tears were silently falling down her cheeks as she stood near one of the tables. She couldn't bring herself to eat, not when she was in so much pain. It felt like her feet were still burning, the way burns do when you dont treat them right, and considering how she'd been standing and walking on them all day, she wouldn't have been surprised if she'd torn her skin and was bleeding on top of everything else. She instead read her book, or tried to at least. After a while though, she found herself stuck on one page, reading the same few sentences over and over.

---

Kendra Riu Bell

^{Bride of [UNKNOWN] [@] and Sister-Bride of [UNKNOWN] [@]
Interacting with: Adorabella @eclecticwitch and Sorrin @WeepingLiberty}

When Kendra heard the cries of her fellow Gems, she was pulled from her little moment of meditation. Her head snapped up as she opened her eyes just in time to see these monsters rip off a small girl's clothes. Kendra glared at the Drakkan as he left her with only a sash to cover herself, and then moved on to hurt all of the girls who'd been standing.

As soon as it was safe, Kendra stood and in one motion took off the horrible shirt she'd been given as she did so. She walked over to the one Gem who'd been stripped was now, noticing that the girl just had the sash tied around her waist as it normally would be worn. It looked like she was helping another Gem to walk- one of the ones who'd been burned. Before she even said anything, Kendra held out the garment to the smaller girl as an offering. "Please, take this. You'll freeze if you wear nothin' at all but that sash." she was going to continue, to tell the girl that she couldn't refuse, but before she could say anything more and before the other girl could even properly respond, a couple of the Drakken guards came over and took the shirt from her hands.

"Well now, it was a nice thought- but you'll be joining in her punishment for trying to help." Just as Kendra realized what he meant, the other one grabbed her and held her still so that they could rip the trousers off of her in the same manner they had the little Gem she'd just been trying to help, leaving her with nothing but the necklace of seashells that she never ever took off. She quickly began shivering in the dry, cold air that was so unlike that of her tropical home.

She glared at the two as they released her, and they only laughed as they walked away. She crossed her arms over herself, trying to hide what she could while also atempting to conserve warmth. "Well. That backfired." She half-smiled at the two Gems in front of her now, deciding to completely ignore the fact thay she was now completely nude as well. "Hi. I'm sorry, I really thought I'd be able to help... But, my name's Kendra. And you guys?"

...
Kendra was used to not wearing clothes all the time- it was actually a rather common thing for her people. But, that was only because the temperature never dipped below "comfortably cool night" on her little Island. Here, in the freezing cold of the mountains, she felt like she really was going to freeze to death. She couldn't focus at all through either presentation, and when dinner finally came, she was elated to be able to sit at the table closest to the hearth.

She tried as many of the hot foods as she could find, seeking warmth in any way she could. Some of the Gemmenian foods on the table were great for that- hearty soups and hot breads fresh from an oven (or so it seemed), but a couple of the Drakkan dishes peaked her curiosity as well. Her bravery wasn't quite yet spent for the day, so she opted to try one. She picked up a piece of what appeared to be a meatloaf, and took a big bite. Immediately after, she began gagging and coughing, spitting the spicy mush out as quickly as she could. She drank some water, but of course that didn't really help at all.

Summary

TL;DR:
Nadia: She thanks Kyrena for her kind words, and feels sympathy for the Gems who are hurt. During the Gods presentation she prays, and during the -other- presentation she was barely able to force herself to pay attention. She's sitting next to Kyrena at dinner, only eating sweeter foods for comfort.

Onyx: The heels of her feet are burned because she was standing, and later the rest of her feet are burned too because she leaned on a wall. She holds herself with dignity through the rest of the day. She can't bring herself to eat much at dinner due to pain from her burned feet, and instead reads to try and keep her mind off of it, but it's really not working. She hasn't turned the page in a while.

Kendra: She decides to share her clothing with Adorabella, and the rest of the day is pretty cold for her. At dinner she sits as close to the fire as possible and is trying some (apparently very spicy) Drakkan food.

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

E'nasha Williams ~ Twilight College

---

With the Cook's okay, E'nasha spent the rest of the day running around the College grounds, trying her hardest to catch the little ferret-like creature. No wonder the Cooks had been so frustrated- the thing was a sneaky little trickster! E'nasha had managed to get it umpteen times- or so she'd thought. Somehow, even when she'd been certain she had it trapped in a corner or under a vine, the little guy just wasn't there. Now, as the sun began to set and shadows fell over the grounds, she finally decided to give up for today. She knew it was around here somewhere, but no matter how hard she'd tried, she just couldn't figure out how the creature kept getting away. As she walked into the dining hall she found El'kan already waiting for her. They each grabbed a plate of food while E'nasha began to recount everything she'd just gone through to her friend.

"It was like it was teleporting or something! One second there, then gone in the next." She exclaimed between bites of food. El'kan just laughed.

"Well, it sounds like you had a fun day then. Although, that kinda reminds me," He paused to take a piece of bread and rip it apart before continuing, "How are you?"

"I'm fine, just a bit frustrated at all this. I think I'm gonna try again tomorrow, maybe." She sighed as El'kan continued, realizing what he'd actually meant by the question a bit too late.

"Yeah, it sounds like that little ferret had you on a wild goose chase, but-" She interrupted him. She didn't want to talk about Yarosmere at all right now. She'd been chasing the ferret to try and distract herself from the whole thing in the first place.

"I'm actually honestly surprised I didn't run into you during all that. What did you do after I left?"

"I just hung out in our room, remember?" El'kan seemed to get the hint as he continued. "I was actually studying for a little while too."

"Wha? You, study?" E'nasha smiled as she continued teasing him. "Careful, my bookworminess is spreading."

"Oh ha ha. I just figured I might have missed something important while we were gone- which, speaking of, I'm not gonna go on the next mission with you."

"Wait, Why not? We were always gonna go together- that was your idea in the first place!"

"Yeah but, I just..." He trailed off and the two of them sat in silence for a bit, while E'nasha waited for him to continue. "I need a break. I don't really want you to go either but,"

"You know I like the adventure of it all." She finished for him, looking down at her plate.

"Yeah, basically. You need to keep yourself busy, and I need to chill out for a bit."

He smiled at her and the two finished their meals in silence, heading back to their dorm room together afterwards. The rest of the night was pretty uneventful- mostly just trying not to freeze from the cold air that would sometimes fill the room every time they let Sir in or out the window. E'nasha knew her Raven friend would be fine outside, but she hated leaving him out there all night. So, every time he tapped on the glass she'd open the window for him.

Needless to say, she wasn't really sleeping at all tonight.

Prized Bride (A New Beginning)

Nadia Parnel

^{Bride of [UNKNOWN] [@] and Sister-Bride of [UNKNOWN] [@]
Interacting with: [NO ONE YET] [@]}

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.

"It still could... that is, if we don't run out of rolls first." 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."

"I'm Nadia..." 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. It's impossible to pretend it's all just a nightmare when the nightmare commands you to its will...

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.

---

Onyx Briyll

^{Bride of [UNKNOWN] [@] and Sister-Bride of [UNKNOWN] [@]
Interacting with: [NO ONE YET] [@]}

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. Vivari, my mother, please watch over us all.

Onyx stood and closed her book in one swift motion, the snap 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.

---

Kendra Riu Bell

^{Bride of [UNKNOWN] [@] and Sister-Bride of [UNKNOWN] [@]
Interacting with: [NO ONE JUST YET] [@]}

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, Why are we here? 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 this 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 should 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.

"A nameless Prince..." She muttered quietly to herself as she finally stood, finishing the thought in her mind, Is worth nothing but Sea-Salt. 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.

Summary

TL;DR:
Nadia: 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.

Onyx: 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.

Kendra: 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.

Prized Bride (A New Beginning)

Nadia Parnel

^{Bride of [UNKNOWN] [@] and Sister-Bride of [UNKNOWN] [@]
Interacting with: [NO ONE YET] [@]}

One second Nadia was with her father, and in the next there was chaos. People were rushing off the street, and soon a large hand grabbed her shoulder. As she turned to face the hand's owner, she realized that one of her fears had suddenly come true. It was a Drakkan warrior, here to take girls for the reaping. In his other hand he held the arm of a girl Nadia recognized as the librarian's daughter. He started pulling the both of them towards a carriage, where another Drakkan told them that they both had just an hour to pack a single small chest with whatever they deemed necessary to bring.

"B-but, wait I-"

“Shut up girlie.” The first Drakkan interrupted her, shaking her in his grip. “Now, where do you live?”

"About 20 minutes outside of town by horse.” Her father spoke up from behind Nadia, standing where she couldn't see him. "I am her father, and while I will not attempt to keep her from you, if you will allow it I will go and pack a few things for her and meet you back here before you leave. Please." As he finished speaking, it seemed as if the Drakkan was actually considering the proposal.

After a moment the Drakkan nodded, sneering as he replied. “Alright. But we are leaving in exactly an hour, whether you're back here or not.” The grip he had on her arm tightened at the last few words, and Nadia desperately tried to turn around and look at her father, tears already starting to form in the corners of her eyes.

"If I'm not back by then, I'll just follow you all the way to Shadow Worth." The way he said it almost made her want to laugh- it was as if he were simply talking to a customer, with how calm his voice sounded. She heard him leave then, and didn't see him again before the hour was up. The two Drakken forced her and Onyx into the carriage to begin the days-long trip to the border, the Drakken not allowing her to wait even a minute longer for her father.

After the first few hours, and nothing but tears from Nadia, Onyx started reading one of her books out loud. The story alone was enough to distract Nadia from their circumstances, helping her to get through the trip. Whenever Onyx's voice started to give out, She asked Nadia if she would take over, and so they spent the next days taking turns reading the books out loud. Over the course of the trip the two managed to read two whole books, and Onyx was about half-way through a third when the carriage suddenly lurched to a stop.

The Drakken ordered them out of the carriage, and Nadia couldn't help the choked sound of sadness she made at the order as she climbed down to the cold stone ground of the mountain pass. Before she could start crying again, Onyx spoke to her one last time before one of the Drakken started dragging the Earth Gem away. "Don't worry. You'll be ok."

"Thank you." Nadia said softly, wiping her eyes. After a moment, she glanced at the other Drakkan still standing by her at the carriage, wondering why she wasn't being dragged around yet. Seeming to guess what she was thinking, he motioned down the path towards Gemmenia and muttered something about someone following them.

She started to hear the familiar sound of her father's horse’s hoofbeats at about the same time she turned around to see him riding up the pass, towards them. Within seconds he was there in front of her, holding her tightly in his arms. She couldn't speak, even though she tried, her voice was choked with tears. It took her a moment, but once she caught her breath, she suddenly couldn't think of anything to say. Her father was listing things he'd packed for her. A sewing kit, a few outfits, and a few “presents” in his own words. The Drakkan took the chest from her father and told them to hurry up. Nadia hugged him tightly as every word she'd never get to say to him again began pouring from her lips. "I love you, dad. So, so much. Tell mom that I love her too. And I'll miss you both. Dad, dad I-"

"Alright, that's enough." She was cut off by the Drakkan pulling the two gems apart, practically picking her up off the ground as she struggled, though she went limp after a moment, allowing herself to be carried into the fortress as her Father waved goodbye and then mounted his horse, watching her disappear into the shadows of Shadow Worth before leaving. “You know, you're lucky. That's almost never allowed to happen.” The Drakkan said as he put her back on her feet in front of a courtyard. “Now go join the others, girlie."

Nadia managed not to cry during the speech. That's about it though. As she was shoved into her cold room in the west wing of the worth, the tears began to flow once again. She barely remembers lighting a fire in the hearth in the corner before collapsing into the bed, a pile of shivering tears.

When she woke up, she felt numb- like her heart had decided to stop beating in the night but her mind hadn't followed suit. She changed into the grey pants and tunic that'd been given to her, and once she noticed she was cold she went to tend the slowly dying fire in the hearth. After a minute, she accidentally put her face in the flames- jumping back now she was fully awake and aware of her surroundings as she used her powers to put out the fire completely. She knelt by the hearth and put her face in her hands, sobbing loudly. She wasn't hurt, thankfully, but... "Oh, Pyrus! What is wrong with me?!"

After a minute, thundering fists began knocking on the doors to all the Gem's rooms, and Nadia had to compose herself quickly. She glanced at the chest her father had packed for her before leaving the room, and remembered at the last second her idol of her patron god. Pyrus' image, carved into a piece of volcanic rock small enough to fit in her pockets unnoticed. She pulled the trinket out of the pocket of the dress she'd been wearing the last few days, and put it carefully in the left-hand pocket of her pants before another series of knocks made her realize that it really was time to go, now.

She followed the Guard's directions to the banquet hall, where everyone was eating breakfast. Nadia's heart soared as she saw the Gemmenite dishes on the table. They didn't have to eat drakken food! She sat at an empty table and began piling a plate with fruits and sweet-rolls. She was going to enjoy this while she still could, because she knew there was no telling what lay in her future now.

---

Onyx Briyll

^{Bride of [UNKNOWN] [@] and Sister-Bride of [UNKNOWN] [@]
Interacting with: [NO ONE YET] [@]}

"...and with one final swing of our Hero’s sword the great beast fell. As it stole one last breath, it spoke a curse on the Hero’s soul, that for every beast they would slay from that point forward, the hero would lose something much dearer-" The sudden lurch of the carriage as it stopped caused Onyx to lose her place on the page. She'd been reading to those riding with her, another Gem named Nadia and two Drakken, to pass the time during the trip, and to help calm herself and her fellow Gem. "Oh, Are we here already?" She closed the book and smiled at everyone in the carriage. She wasn't sure how much the Drakken had liked the story, if at all, but judging by the looks on their faces they had actually been interested, at least.

One of them sighed and opened the door, both guards getting out of the carriage before the second one spoke. “Alright. Out, both of you. Don't forget your things.” Onyx nodded and put her book back into the small chest she'd been allowed to bring. The chest held five other books, a handful of seeds for a special kind of plant, and a small stone carved into an image of Vivari herself, hidden under a dress that used to belong to Onyx's mother. Onyx got out of the carriage after Nadia, smiling at her as she did- one final reminder to the timid Fire Gem to stay calm. "Don't worry. You'll be ok." She didn't like the fact that she couldn't prove the words true, but, from what she'd gotten to know about the small girl during their time together so far, something in her made her think that she would, in fact, be fine.

As the two girls were led to a rather large courtyard, Onyx fond herself wishing she could be so confident about her own chances for survival. The apparent leader of the Worth's Drakken gave a speech, and then suddenly they were all being shuffled off to bed for the night. Onyx Didn't cry, like many of the girls there, but she had furrowed her brows in worry. As she lay down for the night, her mind was racing with vivid imaginings of just what was in store for them now.

In the morning, she woke up shivering. The Worth was high in the mountains of the spine, and so it was ridiculously cold, even compared to the winters of her hometown. She dressed quickly, only deciding to put on the ugly Grey tunic and loose-fitting trousers that the drakken had left in her room for her because it was warmer, and cleaner, than the dress she'd been wearing on the trip. Just before leaving the room she'd been assigned, she took another one of her books from her chest, figuring that she could read as she waited for whatever "lesson" was in store for them all today. She walked into the room the guards motioned her to, and as soon as she was there, she sat at a table and started reading.

None of the foods on the table interested her but, every few pages or so, she forced herself to pick up a small fruit or roll and eat, because she knew she'd likely starve if she didn't force herself to eat something now. Of course the guards weren't going to just let that stand, and a couple of them walked over to her. After a well placed glare and a few big words they didn't quite understand, neither of the Drakken guards who had tried to take the book from her bothered her again, and she noticed a few other guards laughing at how she sent them off. She wasn’t meek, just soft spoken, and she wasn't about to give up anything left she had of who she is.

---

Kendra Riu Bell

^{Bride of [UNKNOWN] [@] and Sister-Bride of [UNKNOWN] [@]
Interacting with: [NO ONE YET] [@]}

Kendra was already in the Banquet hall before most of the other Gems. It felt like she hadn't slept at all, so she just rushed to the Banquet hall as soon as she was let out of her room, hoping that some food might fix the problem. She was eating a little bit of everything, because she didn't really recognize any of the foods on the table. She was an odd one, apparently, because everyone else seemed to know what was going on and she- well, she simply had no clue. She'd never heard of the Drakken race before a little while ago when their reapers came to her small, Island village, and dragged her away to this cold mountain keep.

She watched the other Gems as they all entered the room, unconsciously categorizing them all in her mind. That one's been crying, that one just needs a hug... She should probably just eat something, and the one reading a book should too... She couldn't understand why they were all so devastated- certainly, they'd all been taken from their homes and that was bad, and Kendra did miss her family and her village, but it really seemed like all these girls thought they were suddenly charged with a death sentence. Perhaps, when someone came in who wasn't a total mess, Kendra could reach out and ask for some explanations. She herself wasn't scared- she just had no idea what there was to be afraid of yet.

Summary

TL;DR:
Nadia: Shared a carriage with Onyx on the way to the Worth, and was allowed one last goodbye with her Father once they arrived there. In the morning she nearly burns herself, yelling loud enough for anyone in a room right next to her's to probably hear her anguish, and then she goes to breakfast to try and drown her worries with sweet-rolls.

Onyx: Rode to Shadow Worth in a carriage with Nadia, and has some optimism for the shy Fire Gem, but not for herself. In the morning, she sits at a table and reads, barely eating.

Kendra: Didn't sleep, at all, and is now just waiting for everyone to be awake enough to talk to and ask questions because she has no idea what is even going on anymore.

Prized Bride (A New Beginning)

>Me: *obsessively refreshing page between classes*
>Me:


Jk, I'm refreshing the page during classes too.

Desired Star [C]

Bump

Desired Star [A]

Bump

Prized Bride (A New Beginning)

After The Fall Of Camelot; The Broken Citadel

we could skip him... Panther could post and we just continue with who we have until new people show up?

Prized Bride (A New Beginning)