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

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."

"Good, good." He's done with his sandwiches and scones for now. He eyes the sweets being passed around and while it isn't really his preference he takes something a little more simple. Skinn would absolutely die for these if he was still alive. Ah, now he misses his niece.

Thankfully Strange is here to pop his curiosity back into the playing field. "No, I don't believe you have. A gentleman's trade it is then. Go ahead."

Strange politely refuses most of the sweets. However, there is a simple shortbread cookie among the offerings so, not to seem rude, he takes one for himself.

"What, no guesses?" he teases. "I'm guessing yours, I thought you might wish to guess my reason."

Then again most of his family here would likely be a big disaster unless the Earl was here to reign them in or he himself kept tabs.

"Hmm, you've mentioned some things that give me some idea what you might have joined for." He had mentioned the word 'research' more than twice he's talked to him. Joker also filled him in on the word 'experiments'. "I could cheat and say it has something to do with magic but that would be the easy answer. I can't see you looking for that greater power but perhaps you are looking for something that you can't find yourself and she's helping you?" One wouldn't research and experiment if they weren't looking for something.

Edited 2017-10-18 23:44 (UTC)

"Of a sort," Strange explains, giving Tyki that much. It is a certain spell that Strange doesn't know himself—though the contract's a bit useless now that he's discovered that the spell he's searching for won't be any use to him at all. It's all thanks to secrets and misunderstandings that he made the contract in the first place.

"Care to guess what that something is?"

He mules it over a little more as he considers what Strange could be looking for. He was never quite sure what was going on in the man's head and the delicately eats his sweet and savors it at the same time. He was a man that liked to indulge.

"Is it a person? You do seem that type."

"It involves a person, but the request itself is not for a specific person." Which yes, this is just Strange specifying and being a little pedantic, but the point is to be pedantic! After all, this is a guessing game. Let's have Tyki guess as specifically as possible.

He's going to cheat and try to guess again. Do call him out on it if it is not allowed, "A way to find a person then?" He does want it to be a game. He doesn't want it to end so quickly yet his interest is peaked now.

Strange isn't the sort for setting rules to begin with. The way he sees it, they had a guideline for the guessing game about Tyki's secret. That guideline doesn't apply to this game of guessing Strange's secret. Besides, he doesn't want this to end so quickly either. This back and forth, this tete-a-tete with Tyki is more fun than expected.

"I'm afraid scrying was one of the first spells I've ever learned—and I've become quite adept at it as well!" So nope, not finding people. Strange isn't stopping Tyki from continuing to guess, though.

He wanted to give Strange time to investigate and think. He didn't want him to guess at random without any thought to it. It would spoil everything that way. He's cheerful as his mannerisms threaten to drop and he sets the rest of the sweet down onto the plate as he chews and raises a brow.

"Scrying? That sounds awfully like spying, Mister Strange. If not a person, then something. Is it a spell or information?" He remembers from a few minutes ago how well Strange seemed to know fae.

It is spying. However, Strange is keeping mum, giving Tyki an annoying little smile as their conversation continues.

"It is. Though whether it's spell or information, you'll still have to guess—though it could be both, I suppose!"

⇨ HEARTSTONE MANOR

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