lostcarnival | ⇨ HEARTSTONE MANOR

Entry tags:

⇨ HEARTSTONE MANOR

Who: Everyone!
When: Day 170 - Day ???
Where: Heartstone Manor
What: The carnival arrives at the Heartstone Manor. Do your best to play along, and try not to get too far ahead of the schedule with threading if you can avoid it, in case something that would affect your character happens early on.
Warnings: Individually marked! Could be a lot of things.

BEAUTIES AND THE BEAST↴

When the carnival arrives at the Manor, everyone will be taken into the Throne Room to greet the Prince for the first time. He will be lounging on his throne, and will take a look at the guests that the Ringmaster has brought before eventually dismissing everyone so that he can talk to her alone. After that, they will be given a brief tour of the Manor by some of the servants, and then brought to their rooms to start picking out clothes for tomorrow. On the first night they will be permitted to wear regular clothes, but starting the next morning the dress code will be enforced.

There will be a number of servants helping guests with clothing, and making alterations to suit the non-humanoid features they may have. The tailors work with fabric by hand, but their stitching is impossibly quick and accurate, with changes being made to complex clothing at unbelievable speed. Some guests may note while working with them that one of the seamstresses has wooden mannequin-esque hands instead of human ones, and another has two sets of arms. The arms are one of the most obviously inhuman traits that they'll see while first touring the building.

Come the morning of Day 171, the daily routine will begin.

⇨ THE DAILY SCHEDULE ⇦

► FIVE MEALS A DAY: Between breakfast, lunch, tea, supper, and evening drinks, the meals you are required to attend are frequent and long. Each meal (except drinks and tea) will have multiple rounds, and use all of the fancy cutlery. It will be difficult to keep up for those that are untrained. The food will vary greatly, but will generally to be palatable to those that are into whatever kind of food it might be. Some of them are odd delicacies that are very much an acquired taste, however. People who cannot eat will be given a pass once the Ringmaster explains it, but will be looked down on for it.

► DAILY ACTIVITIES: There are scheduled activities for every morning and afternoon,
and everyone is required to attend. Descriptions of each activity are provided on the "Event Descriptions" tab of the spreadsheet linked up above. There is only one hour of free time scheduled per day, after supper, and beyond that the servants will almost constantly have you on the go. The Prince and Ringmaster will not be present for most of the activities, but they will be there for every meal. If you character refuses to follow the schedule or makes a huge mess out of proceedings, make sure to report it here.

► AFTER CURFEW: At 11PM, everyone is expected to return to their quarters and spend the rest of the night there. Wandering after curfew is unacceptable by the Prince's rules, and if you do it there will be the chance of discover. Based on your character's stealth abilities, there will be dice rolling to determine if they are discovered or not, and by whom. Make sure you report any after curfew activity to the mod post here. This can also take place as an investigation if they are actually looking for something instead of just farting around.

► ROOM AND BOARD: The servants will remain upbeat for most of the time the guests are here, unless something is done to provoke them. They will be present at every activity, and there will be a variety of different individuals. One frequently spotted character will be the butler, a man with dark hair and small, sharp horns. He seems to be the main organizer of things.

► ODDITIES: Even beyond the obvious, there is something off about the Manor. Doors, windows, and other household objects will sometimes move seemingly without cause, and other times there will be banging sounds in the walls, or mysterious voices heard at a distance. It feels like you're being haunted. If you have a moment to wander the corridors, then you'll sometimes see open doors abruptly slam shut the moment you lay eyes on them, and wall sconces turn off or on. It's weird, man.

► THE HUNT: The Hunt activity will have its own event post, and some sign ups for those that will participate meaningfully. There will be some dice rolling to determine who hunts the most impressive game, and rewards handed out accordingly. Before that post goes up, however, you can do some investigations for the start of the event, if your character is interested in looking into the specifics of the contest and overall context.

MAKE SURE THAT ALL DECORUM VIOLATIONS ARE REPORTED HERE.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's just an amazingly posh party as Strange walks over towards Tyki, giving the other man a small little nod of acknowledgement. While Strange has made no secret of the fact that he'll help out any people who are having trouble with regards to all of the fanciness and proper etiquette, it is a bit relaxing to sit with someone he knows he doesn't have to worry about.

Strange himself has done lemon but no sugar or milk. Overall, the tea is a little bit bitter, but better bitter than sweet in Strange's mind.

"Would you mind if I sat with you, Mister Mykk?" he asks, out of politeness moreso than anything else...especially since Strange is already making his way to a second chair not too far from Tyki's.

Edited 2017-10-08 02:11 (UTC)

He nods back as is custom and he sets his spoon behind his cup after he finds it is mixed enough to his taste. He's barely put any sugar in it but enough to add a little more to it. Were his cousin here or Road no doubt all the sugar would be gone.

"Not at all, Mister Strange," he returns with the same politeness. He's excelled at everything thus far and he wasn't exactly sure why everyone was so nervous at all, "I'll assume you're having no trouble fitting in. It's been pleasant so far."

"It has, hasn't it?" Strange responds, as he sits down. Because when you get past the whole life or death, be on your best behavior or else, try not to offend the Prince whole can of worms, it's been nice. Playing croquet, listening to music, enjoying a nice meal, all things that Strange has found himself enjoying. It's been a wonderful change of pace compared to some of the other places they've traveled.

Of course, he'll catch a glimpse of the realm of darkness outside one of the windows or manage to make eye contact with someone right as they spill their tea and the feeling of enjoyment straight up vanishes. But it's nice while it lasts.

"I do wonder what our host has in store for us next."

"I may not know what has happened at other events such as this but I see no reason to worry as much as some people are. As long as everyone follows what they should be and looks to those like us who excel in this type of thing they should be fine," he says in a way that is totally complimenting the both of them with a clear lack of modesty.

He'll look into his cup as he takes a sip and then sets it aside to help himself to a finger sandwich, "As do I. Dancing would come later, I assume. It's always the highlight of a large gathering of people even if it feels more like a political matter."

"Give me enough wine and I'll have plenty of horror stories for what happened at other events!" Strange responds, with enough cheer that it seems fake. He does have plenty of horror stories, some of which he'd only want to talk about when properly soused. But now's not the time nor the place to talk about them,

At the mention of a dance though, Strange can't help but sigh. "I do wonder about a potential dance. I'm sure you've noticed, but the carnival is surprisingly lacking in adult women." There's Ash and Hinawa...and that's about it. Maybe Blue? Do aliens count as adult? How do gems age? "I suspect the Prince would extend an invitation to his subjects or those in neighboring realms but as it is, we've not enough people!"

Which is curious and interesting all at the same time. Would the servants join in? Would the dance just be so few of them? Would there even be a dance in the first place? There's so many questions and Strange is just bursting at the seams to find the answers.

"A shame I have that kind of thing stored elsewhere then. I'll simply have to remember to stop by your place one of these nights and bring a bottle or two." Not that Tyki can actually get drunk. His self healing will prevent that.

Oh, that brings up an interesting point. He hadn't thought of counting the differences of the carnival given he hasn't bothered to look into everyone. He had done more exploring the night before his actual contract than any night after that. It happens when you suddenly have time. "If you're right about the latter then it'll get a lot more crowded should we get to that point."

The more he talks to others the more curious he's becoming of the fae. He's taking a rather unhealthy interest. "Just how large is his influence, I wonder."

Strange believes that a bottle of wine a day is moderation. If either of the pair is going to get sloppy drunk, it'll be him. Likewise, he's been in the carnival longer than Tyki has and has a better sense of the carnival's members and the...limitations of some members.

At the question though, he can't help but shrug. "There's no way to find out unless we ask him or his servants. And if we do, I doubt any of them would answer. They seem to be remarkably tight lipped about certain matters."

Much to Strange's annoyance. His regular strategy for getting information is 'gossip', it's not working here in the slightest!

He has it with a light meal or when his family is present but he sticks to tea or a brisk coffee in the morning. It's nothing that really does anything for him anymore but he does enjoy the taste of wine. It's one of his many pleasures in life and as a Noah of Pleasure he enjoyed all of them.

"I've noticed," he remark with a lower tone when a servant passes by only to pipe up a little more afterwards, "It makes for a poor investigation. Everyone and everything is handled with a heavy weight of discretion."

He understands and it does annoy him. He's use to gossip, his usual good look and charm when it comes to the common folk. On the battle field it is physical and mental manipulation.

Strange nods, taking a sip of his tea at Tyki's words. Everything handled with discretion, not as many opportunities to talk with people...this place might be easier for them, but certain aspects still remain damn annoying.

"It really goes to show that while the Prince might have an idea of the culture in our worlds, he could have used a little more input on some of the details."

After all, it should be obvious to everyone just how lonely this manor is. One fae and a castle full of servants? No wonder the negotiations are going poorly, when was the last time the man actually talked to anyone?

He would love to take someone aside and have a private talk with them or even manipulate one of the female servants. It's the matter of being tied down to rules that doesn't allow him that luxury. One does not flirt with the female servants or any of them in general.

"They are all well behaved. Either they enjoy serving him or they have to without fail. All of them remarkable. Even the maids and servants at home are not this well mannered."

Which makes him wonder if they are being threatened, they know more than they let on or they are being controlled.

Though he doesn't realize it, Strange vocalizes what Tyki's thinking. Of course the servants are well-mannered. They work for someone who could murder them or turn them into an animal with a wave of his hand. Who wouldn't be well-behaved if they were in that case?

"I doubt the maids and servants in your England are working under a true fae. The sheer amount of power at the Prince's fingertips is enough to make anyone willingly listen. And if not willingly, the fae have other ways."

Strange can't hide the uncomfortable frown on his face, though he tries to do so by immediately taking a sip of tea after he finishes talking. It's obvious he's speaking from experience and whatever that experience is, he doesn't like it.

His Akuma at home worked in the same manner. They were given life by using someone else's soul after being tricked into giving it over. Yet a single word could end them and they obeyed without question.

He takes another sip of his tea. His maids and servants were Akuma. Not entirely behaved but mindless in nature when fully controlled. He raises a brow and his tone because overly curious, "How long has it been since you've felt safe around fae, Mister Strange? You speak as if you know."

It's a hard lesson Tyki still needs to learn. He was cheated by the Ringmaster and even if he tried to escape her carnival he doubted that he could.

"I do. I've had probably more experience with a wide variety of fae than anyone else at the carnival." It's not bragging, but said in a matter of fact tone. After all, having experience with faeries from his world certainly helps in that matter. Add in all the bad decisions with regards to fae that Strange has made during his tenure at the carnival...it's a bit of a list.

His right hand trembles slightly as he talks—a nervous tic that Strange recognizes and tries to hide, by keeping his hand in his lap, close to his body. His voice is level, but deathly serious.

"Something like mental manipulation is easy for them. If a faerie wanted, they could reach into your mind and twist your thoughts, making you think you'd want nothing in the world except to serve them. Likewise, they wouldn't think twice about trapping you in a curse and leaving you to die.

The fae can serve as allies. But do not forget that above everything else, they are mercurial, hard to understand, and certainly not human."

For all his words of warning, Strange isn't answering Tyki's first question. Because honestly? Even though Strange knows that it's unsafe, that it's dangerous to meddle with the fae, a part of him just wants to throw caution to the wind and do so anyway. How else will he learn what he needs to learn?

Edited 2017-10-12 16:29 (UTC)

"Again you seem to be the one with all the knowledge, Mister Strange." He admits he's a little curious about the fae with the way everyone talks about them. It's an unhealthy curiosity but a very valid one. Thankfully it is not a drive quite yet. Give him a day more and he'll make a bad decision or two.

If he can notice that tic he's going to given how observant he is. He reads body language. It's what makes him so effective at getting into someone's head.

Yet there is the words that makes him pause from his usual cheerful attitude. He actually has to force himself to smile and hide into his cup as Strange talks. The last thing he wants is to not be aware of himself. "I was told they weren't all bad. That they could be bad. I knew the moment I laid eyes on her that she was not human." Given the fact he could see a human soul clearly. "I'll keep your words in the back of my mind. So far you seem worth listening to."

"Thank you." A small little wry smile plays on Strange's face. Though he's not entirely sure whether having all the knowledge is an admirable thing or not. He's only worth listening to because he has experience. And he only has experience because he keeps getting into trouble, whether due to his own fault or those of factors beyond his control.

Ah well. At least he has knowledge which can hopefully help him out back home. Better that than nothing.

"And you're right. The fae can cover all sorts of personalities. But at least from what I've seen, we're lucky that we made our contract with the Ringmaster." At least she only kidnaps people for a brief period of time and lets everyone retain their free will—and man, Strange is just realizing how low his standards have slipped if that's the case.

He's an enabler and he will talk and compliment. He's genuinely flattering Strange because he is a steady stream of information. Stories told a lot of information yet he wasn't getting much out of it at the moment. He's more concerned with his own issues and he'll have a lot of conflicting thoughts later on.

"Yes, after your informative announcement more people opened up to my questioning about that place. The Ringmaster seems considerably tame or perhaps she learned to compromise for a better result for herself. I do not know enough to say anything. All I know is she is not human and despite tricking me into a contract she has not treated me ill."

Tricking him into a contract? Now that's interesting. Tyki struck Strange as the sort of person who would take advantage of things and seek out a contract himself. To get himself tricked into signing a contract...perhaps the man wasn't as proactive as Strange thought? Or perhaps this was a situation involving an honest mistake.

"I didn't know you were tricked into signing," he admits, with a frown. "Let me guess: one of those blasted carnival games?"

Don't mind Strange as he just keeps being nosy.

When one is who Tyki is there is not a lot he wants other than everything he can already get. Despite the confusion at home and the rough way everything was going it was what made it fun. To get help would make it too easy and he would be bored.

"I try not to publicly announce it." He grins, the first show of outburst emotion he shouldn't the entire time here, "No. I saw through all of that. You'll never guess Mister Strange."

Because he's going to carry that strip poker game to his grave. He wasn't trying to get any tail at all. That's a lie.

"Is that an invitation to guess or a warning that I should leave well enough alone?"

Because Strange is just smiling a nosy, shithead smile. If Tyki wants him to guess, he is one hundred percent going to guess as to what happened. However, he's not cruel. If the situation is personal or embarrassing, then Strange doesn't mind backing off. He just needs to know which route to choose in order to swing this conversation.

"If you manage to guess what it is before I think you are no longer making methodical guesses I will provide you with much more than a desk, Mister Strange."

He doesn't answer his question because he wants it to be both answers. If strange actually figures it out he'll be more impressed with the man that he could be before. Just look at that wide grin as he casually takes a sip of his tea. "Take it or leave it as either."

Strange isn't one to turn down a challenge. So, smirking still, he looks over Tyki. He was tricked into signing and it wasn't one of the carnival games. He doesn't want to publicly announce it, so more likely than not, it was embarrassing. So what's an embarrassing thing that can happen at the carnival that doesn't involve carnival games.

Damn. This is harder than it seemed.

"Perhaps...you tore the seat of your trousers on a bent nail on the ferris wheel, and the Ringmaster let you have a new pair in exchange for service."

It's a terrible guess. But Strange is shrugging slightly in a 'hell if I know' sort of manner and it's a damn good place to start.

Strange is too much of a prude to even consider the reason why Tyki got contracted. He'd have to settle his mind into Tyki's way of thinking to figure it out. He sets his spoon down where it is suppose to be on the saucer and raises a brow at Strange.

"I wore a coat with a large set of tails. That wouldn't have been easily seen had I torn anything."

He can tell he's reaching and he'll laugh softly, "A decent first try."

"It was a good guess," Strange simply responds, shrugging a little. And it's something that he knows he isn't going to be able to figure out without getting to know Tyki better or asking around to see what other carnival members think. He's perfectly fine landing squarely on 'good guess' for the moment.

He takes another sip of his tea before continuing. "I think I'll wait a while before attempting another guess. After all, if I'm to find this out, I won't guess blindly."

"Oh, I'll give you that, my friend." It's soft laughter that resides within him still until he calms himself down so there aren't sudden outbursts tossed about the room. He definitely doesn't want to draw attention for the wrong reasons.

"That's fine. Just because you can't guess now doesn't mean it won't be fun later watching you trying to figure it out. I'll limit you to one guess per a day just to make the game more interesting."

"An agreeable arrangement to me!" After all, that gave him plenty of time to mull things over and decide precisely what he was going to guess about Tyki next. Besides, Tyki was right: this did make the game interesting.

"I do wonder, though. Have I told you yet about the reason I joined the carnival? It's purposeful, so it might not be as fun for you to guess, but we might as well keep the playing field equal."

tea time!

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