Welcome to Adventu, your final fantasy rp haven. adventu focuses on both canon and original characters from different worlds and timelines that have all been pulled to the world of zephon: a familiar final fantasy-styled land where all adventurers will fight, explore, and make new personal connections.
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year 5, quarter 3
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[attr="class","jroverlap"]Sorry! I'll freak out if I don't talk.
[attr="class","jrbody"]"It can't be! It's the Lady Tousson!"[break] "With the sword? No way." [break] "Look at her hair! It is our lady returning to us!" The peasant woman was weeping as she knelt in the dusty square. Her tears looked so real and heartfelt. "She's come to save us all." [break][break] Jessie, Lady Tousson, was feeling strong and powerful. She wore black half-plate armor that gleamed in the sun. Her helmet had fallen off, revealing a mass of yellow-blonde curls. She gripped a huge sword, a weapon that, if real, would have weighed more than she did. Thankfully, it was just a well made wooden prop coated in shimmering silver paint. [break][break] She tossed her blonde curls over her shoulder and squared off with the chain-clad invaders. Nearly a year ago they'd taken Tousson lands as their own. They were led by the ruthless General Haido. They'd slain Lord Tousson but Lady Genevieve Tousson had managed to escape the carnage! The audience thought they'd seen her death-but no! She had survived her time in the forest and been rescued by knights in service to the king! She'd trained hard and become the famed Black Knight who vowed to claim vengeance and retake the Tousson lands. [break][break] Jessie soaked in the excitement of the audience at her reveal. Gasps and cries if delight filled the air. She loved this! "General Haido!" She stepped confidently in front of her kneeling subjects. "These lands will never again belong to you!" Her knights fanned around her protectively. "Surrender and leave or I will cut you down!" [break][break] "You?!"The man, played by her best friend Julin, spat. "A woman? Can you even wield that sword?"[break][break] Jessie raised the greatsword high. "I am stronger than you can know. Now fight, you bastard!" The general raised his own blade and the two began a well-choreographed dance of blades. Fighting between their forces broke out around them too. The gathered audience cried out as the Lady knight fought the invading general to reclaim her lands. Jessie heard fear as Haido knocked her down with a clatter of armor. But she raised her sword with a feral growl and pushed him back.[break][break] "You killed my husband! You stole my lands! Now you will pay with your life!” And she cleaved the air with her sword, hitting the exact right spot on Haido’s armor. Fake blood blossomed and stained the dusty ground beneath them. Julin fell to one knee and clutched his “bleeding” chest. Jessie forced her voice to a low and dangerous register. “Go no, meet the God of Death. Tell him I sent you.” And with that, she knocked him down and appeared to smash her armored boot against his neck. [break][break] General Haido died. His forces threw down their weapons and fled or surrendered. Genevieve’s subjects knelt before her reverently. They sobbed and thanked her, kissing her black metal sabatons. Some rose and embraced her and asked for her protection against the invaders. They promised to serve her endlessly. [break][break] “I am Lord of these lands now!” she proclaimed. “I will protect them as well as any man would.” And the troupe disappeared from view in a cloud of lavender smoke. Putting on a play in the Torensten streets meant no curtains or traditional stage methods so they employed colored smoke to signal scene changes and the end of the play. Green meant a change in scene and lavender meant the end. The audience knew this. They erupted into applause and screams. [break][break] Jessie helped Julin up and gave him a quick ecstatic hug. “I think that was the best yet!” [break][break] “You were great!” Julin agreed with a slightly bloody grin. They moved away from the main square to the wagons that held their equipment and props. Julin disappeared inside one of the wagons but Jessie just tossed the sword in. She liked to mill and talk after plays, to see what the audience liked or didn’t like. She waited for the last of the smoke to clear. She was still in costume. The wig itched a bit, but she kept it on to keep her character recognizable. The armor chaffed a bit, but it made her feel powerful, like a real knight. She liked the feeling and didn’t even mind that it was uncomfortable. [break][break] “Genevieve Tousson is my daughter’s favorite character!” A simply dressed woman said as Jessie approached the crowd. “She wants to be a knight now. She says women can be just as strong!” Jessie grinned. “That’s great! And very true. Some of the best knights and fighters in the world are women.” [break][break] “Can I get your autograph?” The woman asked, holding out a thick piece of parchment. She seemed almost embarrassed to ask. “Of course,” Jessie said and took the offered paper. To my knight in training - Follow your dreams! <3 Gen Tousson The woman thanked her profusely and left. Jessie felt elated as she leaned against a short brick wall and watched the bustle of the square. As she stood there, Julin brought her a drink in a mug. It smelled strong, maybe whiskey. She thanked him and took a sip. It was slightly sweet-maybe fruity-as well as the familiar burn of liquor. It was great. Another addition to a great day.
Post by Garnet Til Alexandros XVII on Aug 11, 2020 13:55:05 GMT -6
Garnet was enraptured. Anybody who knew the young Queen knew that she had a great love of theatre, but the truth was that while, yes, Garnet loved plays, she was also something of a bookworm when it came to them. She had ready every popular play on Gaia, and even if a play was new, she would usually be able to read it before watching it. She liked to study it, get to know the words, read the past performances, learn about the playwrights, read critical analysis and reviews. It had been long, so long, since she had sat and watched a play with no idea as to how it would end, or where the story would go. She had forgotten the thrill of the unknown, the mystery, and she was along for every second of the ride. Of course, part of it was watching street theatre in a crowd was very different from watching it from a distance in your private box. Garnet had, even despite her experiences in the world, previously been an advocate for being seated quietly at the theatre. It allowed you to appreciate the craftsmanship of the stage, the work of the costume designers, and experience the show exactly as the director intended. But being lost in a crowd of emotional audience members, it was like every feeling was magnified around you. It was a thrilling experience, even if it was also a little alarming to the young queen...
When the identity of the Black Knight was revealed, she gasped. When she defeated General Haido, she cheered. And when she delivered her heartfelt speech about the death of her family, she wept. Garnet was there for every emotion felt, and after the play finished, she almost considered being lost in this new realm was worth it for such an experience.
Almost.
She wished she could have shared it with Zidane. She was sure he'd have criticised the fight choreography. She had heard that he and Blank had put on quite the show, all that time ago in Alexandria, but the truth had been she hadn't been watching back then. She had other things on her mind. Of course, she'd seen Zidane's performance on her 17th Birthday, but... well, she wasn't likely to forget that any time soon, was she?
Either way, she was thrilled, and this was usually when she'd ask Steiner or Beatrix to arrange a meeting so that she could congratulate the principle players. Of course, neither were here, and even if they were, 'Dagger' did not have the authority to arrange such a meeting. Fortunately, however, the players seemed to stick around. Some even approached them. Garnet watched, hesitating for a moment, but then realising that if others were doing it, she could too. She almost smiled to herself. For a moment, she felt like that naive little princess, freshly escaped from the castle, walking around Dali, trying to listen to conversations and see how the common people acted. She thought she had come so far from those days, but maybe, deep inside, she was still the same lost little girl. Again, she wished Zidane was there, but no, she was alone.
But that didn't mean she couldn't do this...
She approached the woman in the blonde wig, who had played Lady Tousson. Up close, you could see it was a wig of course, but during the magic of the play, it had been impossible to tell.
"Gree-" she began, before pausing. No, she wasn't a queen here. She was Dagger again. "I, uh, I mean, hello," she smiled. "I... just wanted to say... that performance was magnificent! I had never seen this work before, and thoroughly enjoyed it! I must read the text!" she declared, smiling brightly. "You made a wonderful Lady Tousson. It's a superb role, you must have had so much fun!" In truth, maybe Garnet was a little jealous. Not of the player, who had done such a good job, but of the fictional Lady Tousson herself. Because in the real world, when the noblewoman went on the run and needed to defy a villain, she didn't return a heroic swordswoman. And her losses became oh, so much worse, as the year went on. Garnet had never found the strength to wield a sword or fight physically. But she had found a different kind of strength; a strength in her friends, and she had supported them to the end. Garnet wondered if anybody would ever write a story like that... "I-I mean, I have some questions, about the plot, and I'd love to speak with you about the show!" She paused, realising she hadn't introduced herself. "My name... I mean, I'm Dagger," she introduced. And then, with her best attempt at a smile, she said a word that still seemed alien in her mouth. But Vivi would have said it. Zidane would say it. Eiko would say it. That word was, simply, "Hiya!"
[attr="class","jroverlap"]Sorry! I'll freak out if I don't talk.
[attr="class","jrbody"]The girl that approached Jessie next seemed a little shy and unsure of herself, but excited all the same. She was clearly someone who appreciated theater and the art of the show, Jessie could tell just by the eager gleam in her dark eyes. “I must read the text!” the girl proclaimed with a bright smile in the middle of her enthusiastic rambling. “Hey Julin!” Jessie called behind during a break in her words. “Bring a copy of the script!” She heard the sounds of her friend rummaging around in one of the wagons. [break][break] The girl finished introducing herself as Dagger and ended with a cute little hiya that sounded weirdly forced. Jessie beamed and winked. “Nice to meet you, Dagger! My real name is Jessie. I’m so glad you enjoyed the show, it’s definitely one of my favorite’s so far.” She leaned close to stage whisper, “I can’t actually sword fight like that. Or even lift a sword that huge. But it’s sure fun to pretend.” At that moment, Julin reappeared still partially covered in fake blood and pressed a twine-bound parchment script into her waiting hand. She thanked him with a jaunty wave of her drink. He waved at Dagger before slipping back away out of sight. Jessie watched him go and sipped her drink. “Ah, if only he didn’t already have a girlfriend,” she commented a little wistfully. “Take my word for it, when he’s not dressed up as an evil murderous general, he’s pretty nice on the eyes,” she said conspiratorially to Dagger. But alas, Julin was always talking about his beloved Katerine and how he was going to propose to her any day. [break][break] “Anyway! Here’s the script. There are some notes here and there and we change a few things as we go, but you’re welcome to look it over!” She passed over the parchment script. “Our troupe leader actually wrote this one, so it’s an original. Julin and I helped a bit with the dialogue especially. It’s only been performed a handful of times before in Torensten. So maybe you’re seeing history in the making! Perhaps it will become one of the next big things and be seen all around Zephon! You never know.” She hovered eagerly, hoping Dagger would flip through the script a bit and find something profound and interesting to talk about. Jessie was more used to people just gushing about how much they loved a play. It wasn't often she found someone actually interested in the craft itself!
Post by Garnet Til Alexandros XVII on Aug 13, 2020 12:58:05 GMT -6
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Garnet smiled a little at Jessie's friendly response. She was sweet and modest, at least, if her comments about swordfighting were anything to go by. Garnet couldn't disagree, she definitely couldn't lift a sword that large either, and despite travelling all that time with Steiner, she still had no idea how to wield one. "It was very impressive regardless; an actor does not need to possess the skills themselves, only convince the audience that they do, and you certainly convinced me," she smiled, hoping what she said was taken as a positive review. "Besides, I do not think I could even lift the fake sword, let alone a real one, so you still did rather well," she added with a teasing smile. It was probably true. Being a queen wasn't exactly the type of role in which you built muscle, especially not when you depended on your white magic if you ever had to be in a combat situation.
"Thank you so much," she said to the man as he departed. Unfortunately, her comment about the man confused Garnet. She was never the best at picking up in innuendos, and she wasn't entirely sure what 'nice on the eyes' meant. She ran the sentence through her head a few times, as she often did when she heard a colloquialism she didn't understand. "Nice... on the eyes? Oh! You mean he's pleasant to look at!" Garnet exclaimed as she understood, before realising she had said that a little too loudly and he may have heard. "Oh, uh, sorry, I mean... I understand," she said a little quieter. Presumably Jessie liked this man. Garnet wished that she could offer some advice, but she had only ever been in one relationship in her life, and she still wasn't really sure how that had happened. Oh, she was so happy that it had, but if she had to retrace her steps, give advice to her younger self? She wouldn't know where to start.
"Thank you," Garnet said with a polite bow as she took the script. "Really? It was not written by one of the great playwrights? I would never have guessed!" she remarked in surprise. "Lady Tousson is a wonderful character, although..." Garnet hesitated. She didn't like to criticise, but she was thinking aloud. "I do wonder about her friends. I... Where I come from, there was... a story... about a young... noblewoman... She was a princess... and she too had to flee her home, because she suspected a great evil. But... being a princess, and naive to the world, she was not able to fight back alone. Instead, it was with the strength of her friends that she... that they... triumphed. Sadly, I do not think it true that a woman raised as Lady Tousson could become so formidable alone..." she observed. "But perhaps that is why the play is so popular; it is pleasant to dream, is it not?" she suggested with a smile. It was a nice thought. Imagining that she had left home, learned to use a sword, saved her mother and defeated Kuja single-handed.
No. In truth, she wouldn't like that. She could dream, but that wasn't her. She didn't like to fight, and if she had to, she would rather do so stood by her friends. No matter how strong a person was, they were much stronger together. She always believed that. "What do you think? Perhaps Lady Tousson should not return from the forest alone? I would say it is the friends she made, the knights she met in the forest, that her real strength, not her swordplay. General Haido stands alone, and that is why he shall always lose," just as Kuja did...
[attr="class","jroverlap"]Sorry! I'll freak out if I don't talk.
[attr="class","jrbody"]Dagger was very kind. She was quite appreciative of Jessie’s swordplay skills, despite the admission that there was no way she could truly wield a sword like that. “Thanks! I enjoyed learning the swordplay choreography. I don’t know how it would translate in real life, of course. But it made me feel like I was a real warrior or something.” She shrugged with a half-grin, feeling a slight warmth creeping up her cheeks. Was it embarrassing to wish to be a little more like Genevieve Tousson? Jessie knew her way around a pistol and she thought she might know a bit more about guns and explosives, if ever presented with the opportunity. But that type of combat didn’t make her feel nearly as physically powerful as the sword did. [break][break] The girl seemed a little confused about Jessie’s comment about Julin. She seemed to be over analyzing the simple statement, as if she didn’t understand. She tried to smother a giggle behind her hand at her obvious confusion. Dagger exclaimed excitedly when she finally understood. Apparently nice on the eyes wasn’t as commonly understood as Jessie had assumed. She didn’t seem to know what else to say. Jessie shrugged good-naturedly and took another sip of her drink “Hey, it’s fine. He’s a great friend anyway. And I’m super happy for him and Katerine. I’m not actually a bitter, jealous woman, promise!” [break][break] Jessie fidgeted a little as Dagger took the script and began to speak her mind. Oh, Jessie knew she liked the girl! She had real thoughts on the merit of the play itself, on improvements to the story and themes! This was the type of conversation she yearned for. Dagger mused about Lady Tousson’s friends and their importance to the story. She connected it to some story she knew, about a princess learning to be strong. “Yeah. I suppose that’s true,” Jessie agreed and tapped her fingers on her now-empty glass. “Lady Tousson’s knights are important in the end, but you’re right. They don’t have a ton of personality or backstory in the play. Hmmm.” She considered what Dagger was saying. Was it unrealistic for the lady knight to return suddenly formidable and strong? “Perhaps we need to make a sequel! Well, not really a sequel. But a second play, that explores the relationship between Lady Tousson and her friends, the knights, a little more. And perhaps she needs more helpers along the way.” [break][break] “General Haido had followers, but not allies. Genevieve’s knights and subjects were loyal to her out of love and not because of duty or money. She cared for her people, Haido didn’t care if his lived or died. I do think allies and friends are certainly the most important part of any story, you’re right.” She grinned but it was forced; she felt a little wistful and sad inside. She didn’t know exactly why this conversation was making her sad and yearning, but it felt like there was something missing. Some friends and allies from the past that she couldn’t remember, some epic tale like Lady Tousson’s, perhaps? Jessie was normally content with her life in Torensten, she didn’t dwell on her amnesia often. But now, it was starting to overwhelm her. The gaps in her memory seemed all the more sad. How many people had she lost? She shook her head and tried to focus on Dagger again. [break][break] “Sorry, I was just lost in thought there,” she waved the unwanted thoughts and emotions away. Or tried to. “I love your take on the play. You really seem to know a lot. Were you ever involved in theatre before?”
Post by Garnet Til Alexandros XVII on Aug 13, 2020 15:21:48 GMT -6
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[attr="class,beatext"]
The young actress was truly delightful to talk to, and Garnet realised that it was the first time since she had arrived in Torensten she was truly having a fun time. She loved exploring new places, particularly free of her status and reputation, but she had been so stressed about where she was and what was happening it was so pleasant to finally have an opportunity to let her hair down, so to speak, and actually discuss theatre. "Well, I would not suggest charging into battle any time soon, but I think you acquitted yourself on stage most well," Garnet smiled a little. This girl was fun, although Garnet wasn't sure why she seemed to want to test her skills in battle. Garnet had been in enough fights to know she never wanted to wield a sword up close. Standing back from a distance and casting spells was enough for her. Close combat was terrifying. All flying metal and blades and blood. She never wanted to do that.
"Oh, it's okay. We can't help our feelings for someone, after all," Garnet assured Jessie. It was true, wasn't it? She had fallen for Zidane and had no choice in the matter. And yes, she had felt a little jealous, especially when he seemed to get her confused with another girl. Oh, she had played it off, but it had infuriated her, feeling like she was just any other girl to him to be flirted with. Until, of course, she learned that wasn't the case. She saw how much he really cared for her. And realised how much she cared for him.
She smiled as the two discussed the play. It was nice to discuss, to be able to speak critically about it. It had been a while since she had somebody to truly talk to about theatre. Oh, she tried, talking to Steiner, but she might as well talk to a wall, or Beatrix, who was polite but seemed largely uninterested. Again, Zidane was a fan, even if he was more of an actor than a critic, but... well, she had missed him for so long...
"Of course, there is a danger that I am projecting my desired outcome on the text, but I have found that villains have those who follow them either out of fear or because they have no choice, while those who do good inspire loyalty and work together out of mutual friendship. And when those two ideologies clash, I truly believe that the latter shall always triumph. People can be weak when they are alone... but together, they are strong. Together, they can do anything," Like defy a God of Death and save the world, Garnet thought. "I would very much like to see this hypothetical second play. The themes of friendship and strength would be fascinating to see, and it would also be nice to see how Lady Tousson rises to her new role. It is one thing to be destined for a position of power, but... if you have to adopt it, before you are ready, it can be... quite... challenging. Sometimes, you do not know what to do... and you feel as if every decision that you make is wrong..." Garnet paused. She had probably said too much. "I mean, or so I hear. It would be nice to see those themes explored in a sequel."
"I think you are right, though. To have people who follow you because of love, not because of duty, should be the goal of all good leaders," she admitted. She wondered if it was true of her subjects. Sometimes she wasn't sure. Garnet was never sure, she was always second guessing herself, so nervous, so uneasy. She was a queen now and she still felt like she would get everything wrong if she was alone. But, of course, she wasn't alone. And Steiner and Beatrix had had the option of remaining loyal to her mother, but chosen her. Zidane loved her. She could take solace in that. She was young and had a very long way to go before she could be the wise and gentle queen she wanted to be, but at least she knew she had those who loved her... "Oh, um, well, I studied drama, and I am something of a fan, but I haven't really... been involved in much theatre work myself, no," she answered, feeling a little like this was a disappointing answer and might damage her fledgling friendship with this Jessie girl. "Although I once played the role of Cornelia on stage in a performance of I Want To Be Your Canary," she added, hoping that this helped. That was a strange memory to think of. She had real fun on the stage in that moment, and maybe it was even the first heartbeat of an attraction to the strange thief who had chased her. That had been when escaping the castle had been so excited she had almost forgotten the seriousness. Before it had all changed. Before her identity was revealed and her mother had fired on the ship...
Zidane would probably have joked that the performance had 'ended explosively' or something. Garnet almost cracked the same joke, but the words caught in her throat, memories of her mother's angry face as she fired the weapon, the realisation of how wrong things had gone, the panic shooting through her in that moment coming flooding back, and she had to force them back down, just to smile to Jessie.
[attr="class","jroverlap"]Sorry! I'll freak out if I don't talk.
[attr="class","jrbody"]Dagger seemed to really know what she was talking about in terms of villains and heroes. Her words on the subject were really quite inspiring, but Jessie looked hard at her. It almost sounded like she was speaking from personal experience… almost. But she seemed quite pleased at the thought of a second play. Maybe Jessie would talk to the troupe leader about these ideas. She thought the woman would be quite intrigued to learn Dagger’s thoughts and opinions. Their leader was always trying to think of new plays and ideas, she’d certainly welcome audience input! “You seem to really know a lot about challenging positions and inspiring loyalty,” Jessie commented lightly with a wink. She didn’t need the girl to go into her backstory, but she was quite curious. Dagger sounded like some sort of a code name, now that she thought about it. Or perhaps it was normal where she came from. [break][break] She went on to answer Jessie’s question. No, she wasn’t a true student of theatre, merely a fan. Jessie was a little surprised by the answer, but it was no matter. Analytical fans were great too, even if they weren’t inclined to involve themselves in the craft of the play. But then the girl added that she had a role in a play titled ‘I Want to be Your Canary.’ Jessie hadn’t heard of the name. It sounded a little odd to her, but sometimes plays and stories just had names like that, ones that were symbolic and strange. ‘The Black Knight’s Revenge’ was extremely obvious as far as titles go, but their troupe leader always seemed to prefer simpler titles. “What was that play about? I’m unfamiliar with it.” She paused, then decided to brave the next question. If Dagger was reluctant to answer, Jessie would certainly let it go. After all, she remembered very little of her past. “And where are you from, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Post by Garnet Til Alexandros XVII on Aug 13, 2020 15:59:58 GMT -6
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Garnet saw the wink from Jessie and realised she had definitely said too much. It didn't really matter, not there, after all, what would happen if she told her that she was a queen? Of a country in another world? It meant nothing. But she still thought advertising she was royalty was possibly a bad idea, and so she looked a little sheepish. "O-oh, I-I was.... a handmaiden... to a Lady once... Th-that is all..." she quickly lied, her eyes darting about as she did so. She had never picked up Zidane's talent for bluffing, but she did like to try. She could think of stories quickly enough, she was a very quick thinker after all, it was just as soon as she started to say the words they felt absurd and she lost her nerve. It was feasible though, right? And as a handmaiden, it would explain when she slipped up and sounded a little too formal, right? It was a good cover story. She wished she'd thought of it sooner. "You've never seen I Want to be Your Canary? Oh, you are missing out!" Garnet smiled. Now she was in her element even more; geeking out about theatre was one thing, geeking out about her favourite play? Even better! "It is one of the classic romantic tragedies by Lord Avon! A beautiful princess, Cornelia, falls in love with a brave, handsome peasant Marcus, but her father, King Leo, does not approve. He instead wishes her to marry Prince Schneider. He plots to force the marriage, but Marcus and his friends scheme to see true love shine through. But Marcus is betrayed by his best friend, Blank, who believes that war will come to the kingdom if Cornelia does not marry Schneider. He kidnaps Cornelia, to convince Marcus that he has been abandoned by her, on the night they intend to abscond. But Marcus's love for her is too strong, and he knows the truth. So he returns to save her, but in the resulting confrontation, tries to murder King Leo to free Cornelia from his grasp. Cornelia, however, still loves her father, and throws herself in front of the sword, dying herself. Marcus, stricken by grief, takes his own life for what he has done. It is one of the most tragic love stories ever written. The ending always makes me cry... The title is a metaphor, you see. Cornelia fears being caged by her love to Marcus, but Marcus tells her that he wishes to be her canary; placed in her cage, as a sign of his unending love for her." she explained, stopping briefly to remember the rather more improvised version when Zidane had revealed himself to her. A moment that she would never forget. "The themes of loyalty and betrayal that run through it are fascinating, as well as a testimony to the power of love, but also a warning of its destructive power. There are so many critical essays on it. I have read them all!" she went on, before pausing, and realising that given Alexandria did not exist here, Gaia did not exist here, Lord Avon probably didn't either... "Uh, well, at least, in my homeland. I am... from rather far away, I am afraid. A kingdom known as Alexandria. I... do not honestly recall quite how I came to be here," she admitted after a pause. "Sadly, I also do not know if there are any copies of I Want to be Your Canary here either, but.... if you find one, you simply must read it!" she said, her enthusiasm returning.
[attr="class","jroverlap"]Sorry! I'll freak out if I don't talk.
[attr="class","jrbody"]Dagger was clearly lying when she said she’d been a handmaiden to a lady once. Her eyes darted around, giving her away instantly. But Jessie let it slide. It wasn’t her business if she didn’t want to reveal too much about herself. She just nodded, as if her story made perfect sense. Dagger seemed a little awkward talking about herself, but she perked up noticeably when Jessie asked about I Want to be Your Canary. The play was a story of forbidden romance, daring sacrifices, and a tragic ending. It reminded Jessie somewhat of one of her other leading roles, that of the Princess Sarai von Tranburgh. Princess Sarai had a similar story of star-crossed romance, though hers ended less tragically. [break][break] The metaphor in the title of the play was interesting to Jessie. She hadn’t understood it at first, until Dagger compared Princess Cordelia to the titular bird. “Ah, that sounds like a very sad ending. I think I prefer happier endings, personally. But it does have a good message! Love is beautiful and wonderful, but too much of anything is never good.” Jessie hadn’t really been in love, not that she remembered anyway, but she assumed this was how it worked. She’d longed for that type of all-consuming love in her life, but perhaps she should be careful what she wished for. [break][break] She was intrigued to learn that Dagger had read essays analyzing the play. It made Jessie instantly curious if there were any essays out there on The Black Knight’s Revenge, or maybe on The Sea of Stars, the play that Sarai featured in. But apparently, Jessie realized as Dagger answered her last question, she would be unlikely to ever watch or read I Want to be Your Canary. Dagger came from a kingdom far away called Alexandria. The name didn’t sound familiar at all to Jessie and she wondered if Dagger was a traveler from another world. She knew there were some of those far-flung travelers here. It was likely Jessie herself was one of them, though she’d lost all recollection of her life before coming to Torensten. [break][break] “I think a lot of us are here with no idea how we arrived,” Jessie commented, slightly wistful. She wished she could remember anything but the most basic details of her childhood. But fear kept her from investigating too closely. Fear kept her from Sonora, where she might learn answers. “But perhaps there is a copy of the play here.” Then she was struck with an idea, “Or you seem to remember much of the story! Perhaps you could transcribe a new version of the play just for Torensten. I bet my troupe leader would be interested in seeing something from a far away kingdom like that! It wouldn’t matter if you didn’t get it exactly as it was, you know? As long as the story and themes are the same.”
Post by Garnet Til Alexandros XVII on Aug 17, 2020 13:24:56 GMT -6
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Jessie was quite correct, of course, it was a very sad play. The ending was a true tragedy, and Garnet had to often wonder why it was her favourite piece of entertainment. Oh, she knew it was a critical masterpiece, with such an amazing, compelling story and dramatic characters, and such a moving tale to tell, but sometimes she did wonder why she so actively sought to make herself sad by re-experiencing it. "I wish that I could say why I found the sad ending so important," Garnet admitted after a pause. "I... think that sometimes it was... because when I was younger... I had... rather a lot. People... would not expect me to be sad. But I was very lonely, and... could not do much. I was often so sad, but I felt that I was not allowed to express it. The play... it gave me a chance to feel the emotions that I was hiding. It... let me be sad when I needed to," she said, before giving a slightly weak smile. "I-I am sorry, that is not something you need to hear about..." she said quickly. She didn't think it was fair to burden Jessie with such things, especially when Garnet did not entirely understand said feelings herself.
"You... don't?" she repeated when Jessie said how many of them had no idea how they arrived. That was... interesting. Thus far she had assumed that only people from her world had been pulled into this new strange one, but if Jessie was a Thespian and had never even heard of I Want To Be Your Canary there was no way she could have been from Garnet's world. "From where do you hail, if you do not mind me asking? I... am still trying to understand what happened to bring me here. It is... very confusing. Knowing that others have come from... potentially other worlds... is... interesting, to me," she admitted awkwardly.
When Jessie suggested transcribing I Want to be Your Canary though, Garnet looked horrified. "O-oh no, I couldn't! I mean, it's .. it's... I Want to be Your Canary. By Lord Avon! It is the greatest play ever written. I-I mean, obviously, I know the play, and uh, I... I do know all the lines, but... what if I made a mistake? J-just one line wrong and I might ruin the context of the greatest play ever written! I-I could not live with myself! And I do not recall all the stage directions, what if I convey an action wrongly? It is far too much pressure!" she panicked, wide-eyed, as if somebody had just asked her to recreate a masterpiece painting from memory.
