#taledstarter

[rewritingtales]

location:   the   ball   at   king   stefan's,   in   the   gardens

gothel   was   too   busy   looking   at   the   flowers   and   staring   at   himself   in   the   reflect   of   the   window   that   he   didn't   notice   someone   else   was   there.   then   he   heard   the   footsteps.   “oh,   hello   darling.”   he   slowly   turned   on   his   heels,   feigned   smile   with   centuries   of   practice   spread   across   his   face.   “are   you   having   fun   or   are   you   ready   to   jump   into   a   portal   already?”   meanwhile   he   was   wondering   if   stefan   &   his   spouse   were   the   type   to   steal   flowers   from   others.

[onceuponers]

open to: anyone! location: a beach on the grounds of the tirulia royal palace @talednewsletter

Above all else, Ariel could be described as a free spirit. So uninhibited, so unafraid to live in the moment regardless of potential consequences...

Naturally, this meant Ariel loved to swim in the nude. And why wouldn't he? With such a gorgeous body, rippled with toned muscle and sun-kissed skin, catching Ariel in his natural environment would have been a sight for any lucky man to gaze upon him...

Such as the one Ariel just caught in the corner of his eye, watching. How long had this person been there?

"Oh, I am so sorry," Ariel chuckles, blushing through his effervescent facade. So carefree, in fact, that he nearly forgot all of him was on display for the other, leaving no ambiguity as to what laid beneath his clothes — or, sometimes, his fins.

Reaching for a towel that was not there, all he could do was cover his modesty with his hands. As free as he could be with his body, he didn't go out of his way to expose himself like this to a perfect stranger. What kind of prince would he have been in that case? Certainly not one his father would have been proud of it.

"I—" he begins, smiling sweetly. "I didn't know I was not alone. I would have brought my clothes down to the water if I did..."

[wulfdreaded]

location: the lush forest surrounding town/the castle

many  townsfolk  -  or  other  folk  would  surely  feel  grateful  for  the  invitation  to  rest  at  the  castle  during  festivities,  but  zeke  did  not.  their  beds  may  be  comfortable,  their  meat  may  taste  rich  &  savory,  but  the  walls  made  of  marble  &  stone  were  confining.  he'd  needed  out,  at  least  for  the  night.  with  the  sun  barely  setting,  zeke  was  just  exploring  the  nearby  forest  -  he  heard  the  stories,  so  to  claim  he  wasn't  curious  about  similarities  &  differences  to  his  own  forest  alike,  would  be  a  lie.  not  that  ezekiel  didn't  lie  sometimes.  he  did  whatever  he  wanted  to  ensure  his  own  success.  lie,  deceive,  take  what  it  was  he  desired. 

he  found  a  river  &  followed  it  for  a  little  while  before  flopping  down  on  top  of  a  rock  overseeing  the  little  clearing  nearby.  maybe  he  could  hunt  before  sleep.  that  would  surely  ease  his  nerves.  the little snack he came across not long ago, which was currently devoured, did only little to sate the beast inside. footsteps  pulled  his  eyes  from  the  clearing  though  &  back  towards  the  way  he'd  come.  "wouldn't  do  that  if  i  were  you."  came  his  voice  from  above,  low  &  raspy.  it  didn't  carry  far,  but  far  enough  to  reach  the  other,  no  less. 

[rewritale]

LOCATION: King Stefan's Palace MUSE: Kamran Jafar Barmaki STATUS: Open

After making his rounds, Sultan Kamran Jafar Barmaki was officially spent. The new portals connecting the realms are fascinating but they are also liability. Meaning he has more so-called allies and possible enemies to gauge and maintain diplomatic relations with. A real headache. Though King Stefan has been a gracious host and the palace is comfortable enough... but Kamran dearly misses his bedchamber and, well, his consort. He has dismissed his attendants and decided to find somewhere to relax. Perhaps explore. Learn the secrets of King Stefan while at it if he can...

Kamran adjusts his red tie (he has taken quite a liking to fashion from the other realm, less fabric wasted and could be more practical with pockets) and approaches another guest. "Excuse me, dear. Hope you're enjoying the party but may I ask... would you happen to know where the library is in the palace? Or perhaps a gallery of sort. I was hoping to take a peek at the collections of His Majesty."

[princetaled]

int. king stefan's banquet hall. night.  [ open for everyone. @talednewsletter ]

felinus couldn't believe they were gonna make him say it.           admit it with his whole chest, as he watches their little royals in their little royal dresses, prancing around the room like everything was all at peace and wonderful just because the portals have opened for them. as if just because of this, all the madness in all the realms are just gone. vanished and vanquished due to the power of unity and peace. as if that is all that it would take.

slumped on his seat, his chin propped up lazily by his hand, he finally let out a cat-like yawn before speaking to no one in particular.    "   i'm starting to really miss wonderland.   "    felinus says finally, dejectedly ... and dramatically, as he made a show of slumping himself over the table in boredom.

now, don't get this twisted: parting with the tyrant that used to rule that realm was a decision he is not regretting. but where are the shuffling card guards, and the painted rose bushes, and frog servants with their stolen tarts? where is the whimsy in this god forsaken place?

for the sake of not making a tantrum and making decisions he will probably regret, he turns to the guest at his side instead, flashing them his cheshire grin.    "   do you wanna get me out of here, handsome?   "

[holeexplored]

open: whomstever. traveling companions (if it makes sense for them to be travelling together), acquaintances, friends, strangers, etc. plot: stannislaw is tinkering with his prosthetic for whatever reason. could be he's on a job and needs to be in tip top shape. could be the job is already done, and he's making repairs. could just be doing it to pass the time. etc. location: wherever secluded tbh, no set realm either so go crazy.

tinkering with his metal hand, stannislaw couldn't help but notice he had eyes on him for at least the past fifteen minutes. he knew he wasn't in any danger so he didn't have to react immediately and had continued his work. adjusting hinges and joints with a screwdriver and making a mental note of the materials he needed to acquire for next time he needed to do maintenance once he found the time. it was a simple task of teleporting to the right locations to retrieve or buy them when he needed, if it was available of course.

still, more than a quarter of an hour was rather long time to have been under constant observation, especially since stannis had sequestered himself away to someplace secluded in the first place — making him slightly uncomfortable. "if you're going to lurk and stare..." letting the shadow know they'd been caught gawping, and wasn't doing a very good job of staying hidden if that had been their intention. "you might as well offer a hand."

[frayedattheendings]

event starter || @talednewsletter location: stefan's palace

"You're getting a little too close there."

Mark huffed at the other man in front of him. He wasn't particularly in a sociable mood, but given that his brother had decided to present himself, Mark would have to join as well. Not that he had much choice in the first place. The tight coiling grasp of Grimhilde could already be felt in his thoughts alone. The huntsman would have to remain, lest there be punishment.

"Surely you could have offered a man some wine while you invade their privacy."

His features soften a little. He supposes it was the music or the warm atmosphere in the castle. If Mark was meant to be somewhere he didn't want to be, he might as well try to get a few free drinks out of it. It did help that the men here were nice to look at.

[beautyawoken]

location: the castle's great hall when: early evening of the first day of celebrations

dressed  in  finest  garments  -  appropriate  for  the  occasion,  of  course,  ari  was  roaming  the  great  hall  with  a  soft  melody  on  his  lips.  they  had  musicians  play,  so  his  own  voice  should  barely  make  a  difference,  but  it  was  something  that  calmed  him.  it  all  still  was  overwhelming;  he  went  from  living  in  the  forest  to  being  a  prince  to...  being  cursed  in  a  few  mere  days.  he  still  didn't  quite  know  just  how  long  it'd  been  since,  but  he  knew  he  was  lucky  to  be  awake.  he  appreciated  every  single  person  who  was  here  at  his  father's  castle  this  weekend  -  truly.  he  wasn't  the  most  skilled  conversationalist,  but  ari  was  eager  to  meet  people.  strangers.  for  the  longest  time,  he  couldn't.  that  would  change  now.  he  picked  someone  randomly  -  a  back  that  said  talk  to  me  &  placed  a  gentle  hand  on  their  shoulder,  "hey,  thank  you  so  much  for  coming.  how  are  you  liking  it  so  far?"  wide  smile,  gentle  &  sweet,  inviting...  he  hoped.

[thrcughthewccds]

where: stefan's palace | when: day time | whom: open to all

Titus wanders the halls of Stefan's palace, taking it all in. Sure, Naveen's family has a palace and it's beautiful and intimate. This though, this was Titus' entire town in one place. Easy to get lost in, somehow not very many empty spaces.

He's so caught up in his admiration that he walks right into a hard body.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," he says, turning to the unfortunate soul. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

[eclipsexmuses]

Location: King Stefan's Palace Time: Just before the celebration officially began Open to: Any member of @taledhq

Evan had arrived a few hours ago and the castle staff had already indicated which room he would be staying in during his stay for the festivities celebrating the union between the different kingdoms. After leaving the small bag in which he carried all his belongings on a small dresser, he went out to walk through the corridors. Before entering, he had already found the building to be a breathtaking sight, but the more he wandered, the more he became convinced that the place seemed bigger inside than outside, from galleries that seemed endless to walls that almost touched the sky. Then he arrived at a place with a large stained glass window, the light that passed through made the colors of his clothes even more colorful, he looked up and down, impressed by the work and trying to decipher if there was a story being told through the images. He looked to the side and saw another person, probably from another kingdom since the flutist wasn't recognizing him. “Hello” he said with a gentle grace, “Are you from this kingdom or another place? Are you from afar, like me, you see? Not the same place, but elsewhere, could it be?”

[kingdomruined]

location: king stefan's castle gardens open to: all tbh (come meet my brooding bear)

heavy  feet  had  carried  the  prince  of  a  fallen  kingdom  to  the  portals  able  to  transport  each  &  every  person  to  a  different  world,  one  that  ...was  so  different  from  their  own  he  didn't  dare  thinking  about  the  consequences.  he  didn't  find  himself  invited  -  though  his  sins,  according  to  the  law  were  forgiven,  too.  villains  were  meant  to  find  their  way  back  home,  but  crinan...  could  not.  ever.  home  as  he  knew  it  was  no  more  &  whatever  he  did,  his  conscience  would  never  be  cleared,  because  there  was  nobody  to  do  it  with.

but  curiosity  &  the  need  for  a  chance  had  driven  him  to  take  on  this  journey,  attend  festivities  when  he  ...really  didn't  feel  like  celebrating  &  let  him  here,  to  the  gardens  of  a  palace  that  the  one  he  knew  could  never  keep  up  with.  maybe  he  could  find  peace  away  from  home.  there  had  simply  been  too  many  people  inside,  being  happy,  dancing  &  celebrating.  the  sight  made  him  sick  to  his  stomach.  it  churned  &  his  chest  ached,  so  he'd  found  himself  a  bench  to  rest  on,  even  if  just  shortly.  eyes  closed  &  hands  folded  in  his  lap,  he  assumed  he'd  look  almost  normal  to  a  stranger's  eyes.

the  long  scar  across  his  eyes  almost  hidden,  the  scars  littering  his  entire  body  ..  gone,  the  burn  marks  invisible,  but  it  wasn't  the  truth.  but  while  he  laid  down,  he  could  pretend,  right?  truth  be  told,  with  the  people  mingling  downstairs  &  having  fun  as  they  did,  he  didn't  expect  company,  which  made  a  voice  right  by  him  all  the  more  surprising.  eyes  fluttered  open  &  he  slowly  sat  up,

"hello."

[taledhq]

tag dump

[onceuponers]

open to: anyone! premise: maxime is making his grand re-introduction at stefan's gala and he wouldn't mind finding someone to take advantage of @talednewsletter

Maxime never really cared for parties. Too many people. Couldn't hear yourself think. And worst of all, parties held at his manor meant he was the one expected to do all the work. Just a ghastly endeavor for no really benefit.

But this one was different.

King Stefan —speaking of entities Maxime had no love for— decided it would be a lovely time to hold a gala for his dear, beloved son. He didn't even know the man that well, but if he were anything like the royalty Maxime existed with, then he disliked him, too.

The actually interesting part? This party would, essentially, be the first major event since the introduction of the portals connecting their realm to others. And you know what that meant? Plenty of new fish in the sea for Maxime to, well, fish.

But that's not all. This would also be Maxime's official 'coming out' party following his transition. No longer forced to live his life as a woman after making some shady deals in an outside realm, people from not just his own realm, but several others, would meet the real Maxime Tremaine for the first time. Lots was riding on his performance tonight.

Maxime strolled into the palace with ease, looking every bit the dapper, handsome older gentleman he now was. But he couldn't seem eager. He needed party-goers to come to him. Show their interest. So he waited... perhaps a bit longer than he would have liked... until finally, he saw someone approach him. He wondered if they recognized him from before, or if they were completely oblivious. Time would soon tell.

"Good evening," he says curtly, not turning to face them as he observed the party from the sidelines. "If there's ever been an event to prove that wealth doesn't equate to taste, it's this one... good to know that royalty is gauche in any realm they may pollute, I suppose. I hope we can agree on that."

[princetaled]

ext. outside stefan's palace. night.

"   shh!   "    kit says, putting a finger over their lips to quiet them,           as he listened for footsteps at the walkway just above. looking back at them, he mouthed the words   '  i'm sorry  '   and   '  don't worry  '   for them to at least know this situation was not something bad. he just can't risk being caught now.

since the day he arrived in this realm, he had always tried to find a way to escape his entourage. for the most part, he has been successful: managing to explore the catacombs, and the west side of the lush woods-- where the beautiful flowers were   ( and they were really beautiful )   before they found him ... and announced better surveillance on him.

now, he wishes to continue his adventure of the forest to the east. they said it was where the fairies came to rest, and where the sleeping prince once spent his childhood in secrecy. he hungered for that now, and nothing will stop him.

when he finally heard their footsteps descend back to the palace, he was finally able to release the breath he's been holding. then he laughed.    "   i truly am sorry. but they've been following me the entire day. i just needed to escape.    "    he explains, before he turns to leave ... well, that is before he looks at them again still with that endearingly boyish smile.    "    ... you can come with me, if you want? it'll be an adventure.   "

[thrcughthewccds]

where: the road to stefan's palace | when: day time | whom: open to all

Rory walks along the path, humming some random tune he doesn't know where he got from.

There are many reasons he shouldn't be on this path: he doesn't have an official invitation, he doesn't have anything appropriate to wear, this isn't technically his kingdom, he hasn't done anything of note to warrant him attending, his grandfather needs him back at the farm, the full moon is only a few days away.

He fingers the hem of his cloak, and all of those reasons melt away. His reason for going surpasses them all.

He continues on the path and then freezes when he hears a branch snap. He can tell with his hearing that it's close.

He turns around, pulling his hood down to see better.

"Who’s there?" he calls out.