(no subject)

[chokmahemperor]

Who: Peony IX, you, that cute girl, and that one...
Where: Plaza
When: Early evening
Status: Open
Style: Anything goes?



Peony was not unfamiliar with large bodies of water, or with accidents involving it. Being that his capital city was surrounded by the sea and in fact the sea passed through the barrier and alongside Grand Chokmah's streets--which were more like bridges as a result--there was always the occasional seaspray or accident that meant someone was getting soaked. It was more where he was that proved strange. Well, it helped that it looked like he was under the sea instead of on it. He paused in his steps to tilt his head back, towel falling from his head only to be pulled over his shoulders. Just to make sure it hadn't just been a bad fall and he'd been seeing things.

Nope, still underwater.

Damn.

To be honest, he'd mostly been wandering in a circle. Pacing, in a way, to help him think. He'd spoken to a few of the shop owners, but Peony only drew the conclusion that this was all pretty crazy. This place--Vatheon, they'd called it--had to have some kind of Fonic barrier to keep the water from flooding everything. He'd mentioned the word, but gotten no sign that anyone had ever heard it before. That was mainly why it was pretty crazy. Unless you were sheltered (which, he admitted, could and did happen), you'd have to know what fonons were and possess a general understanding of how they're used in day-to-day technologies.

At some point during this walk, just before his current state of pause, he'd taken off his sandals. The squelching noise wasn't helping him think at all. It was actually pretty distracting because of how ridiculous it sounded, and the part of him that still acted like a child kept laughing at it. He held them in his left hand now, ring and little finger hooked through straps on either. The befuddled monarch pulled his towel back up over his head like a hood, wringing his hair while it was covered; he needed to do something about this. Was there anyone higher up he could speak to? A ruler? But all he found was a cluster of coral, which he hadn't realized he'd stopped so close to. Grimacing slightly, brows drawn together and upward, Peony couldn't help a small chuckle.

"Well, if anything's going to rule an underwater city, you're the best candidate." As if it could hear him. Coral wasn't alive in the sense that humans were, after all. They were everywhere though, as he recalled from books he hadn't touched in years, and this batch seemed no different.

One of the few comforts of this place was bits of what he could see were vaguely reminiscent of Grand Chokmah (if just underwater). It eased the stress of his bemusement some if only because it gave him some hope that maybe he wasn't so lost as he thought he was. This probably unintentionally made things harder by thinking this way, but he'd deal with it for now; he needed the calm. After all, answers with any real substance would make everything that much easier to digest, even if he was wrong. He'd have something else to fall back on that wasn't just confusion of the highest caliber, but in the meantime he wouldn't be panicking. ...It made sense to him, somehow.

With a heavy sigh, he turned his attention away from the glowing mass and cast his gaze out upon the shops again. He hadn't thought to ask anyone who wasn't a shop owner, just yet... Maybe that's what he should try. If he ran into a tourist, then oops. Next person. This in mind, Peony strode away from the coral to find someone else to ask. Someone who looked like they might know enough to answer his questions, anyway. Er. Well.

Okay. First person he got to!

"Hey, I was wondering if you could tell me something about this place. Where it is, if everyone gets here without knowing how and catches cold as a result, that kind of thing."

Comments

[zelda_hylia]

[Zelda glances over her shoulder and smiles pleasantly. She wasn't going out of her way to greet the newcomers right now, but if someone asks her a question, she'll answer it.]

Certainly. There's a Welcome Center not far from here if you'd like to get indoors to discuss the matter. Catching cold is not uncommon if you don't dry off, after all.

[chokmahemperor]

[ And it's his good fortune that it's such a lovely lady he's run into~ He smiles ever-pleasant at her, and it shifts to a grin shortly after. ]

Could you show me where the center is? I'm still not really sure which way's up in this place.

[ He holds out an arm--his right, so his sandals aren't an issue. ]

If it's not any trouble for you, that is. I promise I won't pass any cold I catch.

[zelda_hylia]

[Before arriving in Vatheon, her reaction to his flirtatious manner would have been irritation. Now, it reminds her of Zelos - and he's practically family! She just smiles and places a hand on his arm politely.]

It's right this way. My name is Zelda, by the way. It's good to meet you.

[The Welcome Center isn't far from where new people arrive. It's quite a convenient location, really.]

There's a shower in here if you would like to use it. I can take care of your clothes while you get cleaned up.

[chokmahemperor]

[ Well, it's good that he's not so irritating to her! Granted, irritation would just mean that he'd act his age, buuuut that's no fun. He flashes her a grin. ]

I appreciate this, Miss Zelda.

[ And... let's... just spare everyone the length. ]

I'm Peony; I'm glad to meet someone like you upon arriving here.

[ Though it's a wonder how he missed the place; must have been walking into a circle too much. Huh. Thinking too much--that's a new one. ]

I'd also really appreciate that. My city's on the sea, but there's only so much sea water a guy can handle, you know?

[zelda_hylia]

[Peony sounds like a girl's name, but she doesn't comment on it out loud.]

Indeed. And it's no trouble, really. We have to stick together down here, hmm?

[The princess picks up one of the brochures for him to look at and a fresh towel, directing him to the bathroom.]

Just leave your clothing outside the door, I will tend to it.

[bootsweremadeforcasting]

[Luckily or unluckily for the Emperor, one of the first people he greets is none other than the Necromancer himself. At the voice, Jade turns sharply and gives him a look up and down.

Oh you had to be kidding. Jade looked momentarily confused before he sighed and pushed his hands into his pockets.]

Really, Your Majesty. Catching a cold so easily?

[Still as condescending and uncaring as he usually is.]

[chokmahemperor]

Jade!

[ HEYBESTBUDDYajskdf That's a small comfort, seeing someone so familiar. Jogging happily up to Jade, he throws an arm around the other man's shoulders, heedless of the fact that his shirts are still more than damp. Peony hauls him close with a yank, grinning ear to ear. ]

Well, maybe not really catching a cold, but it's probably a logical conclusion, isn't it?

[bootsweremadeforcasting]

[He can't get away from you even if he gets sucked into another world. As the arm is swung around his shoulders, Jade makes a face. He'd had his fair share of being wet when he'd first arrived, and he wasn't really happy to repeat that. He lightly grabbed Peony's hand and attempted to lift it.]

I suppose so, but you don't seem to have a fever and your level of energy is as... Invigorating as always.

[chokmahemperor]

[Of course not. Military family? Serve under Peony. Fall into another world? Peony ends up there, too. Fate, man. At least he isn't Saphir, ahaha. He took the hint to move his hand, at least. Straightening and standing on his own, both hands found place at his hips, low laughter as a response to Jade's assessment.]

I don't suppose I do. A little shocking, though, randomly showing up in a place like this.

[bootsweremadeforcasting]

[Peony is a very benign cancer, known to affect impersonable Colonels, Their sister, and oddly-dressed bad guys. Jade's own hands disappeared into his pockets after one adjusted his glasses.]

Indeed. I can assure you, I was just as befuddled.

[fortheempire]

Oh, another new arrival. This one definitely more forward than most of the others, confused but willing to ask more questions than what Ioder is used to.

He didn't mind being approached, though, and offered Peony a polite smile before answering to the best of his ability.

"I'm afraid I don't know 'where' Vatheon is located, sir, but as far as I've been told and experienced everyone arrives here in the same way."

[chokmahemperor]

As a rule, Peony was fairly forward unless he was playing. He found it helped things quite a bit when he met with other political and monarchical minds.

"Really? Maybe the government needs to see about a new door system, then." The tanned face adopted a brighter grin and his hands found placement upon his hips, a rich laugh slipping past his lips. "But that's at least something to go on, I guess."

[fortheempire]

That earned a return laugh from the much smaller emperor as well as an agreeing nod.

"It would be nice for those arriving, wouldn't it?" he said, "Would you like to know anything else? There's a welcome center here that has more information."

[chokmahemperor]

"Definitely. I'm pretty sure at least making a plush landing pad would be a good idea. Might not hurt so much to get up, then," Peony added with a chuckle. "Though anything you can tell me is much appreciated; I'll see about that center though, too."

[fortheempire]

"Oh, that would have been a comfort when I arrived!" Ioder pointed out with another laugh.

"Well... if you haven't heard already, it's called Vatheon. Location is... otherwise unknown but for some reason people are pulled here from all sorts of worlds, all different times and places. Some one from your past, present or future could be here right now and you might not even know it!"

He removed his SFC from his pocket, showing it to Peony.

"Ah... these... looked different last week. I'm not entirely sure why they changed. However this is a common means of communication around here. You should have one as well."

[fistfullofmagic]

[Not for the first time, Dhaos wonders why it is that every time he goes to the plaza a new stranger wants to talk to him. Still, it would be polite to at least answer the friendly blond man's questions.]

...Yes. It is the coral that brings us, or so they say. [...Well, sort of answer them anyway.]

[chokmahemperor]

[Weeeeell, he just happens to be the lucky guy? Peony wouldn't know what to tell him, if asked. And... well... Oh. That's a... Hmm. That's an answer. Of sorts. It's a start for one, at least?]

So it's theoretically the coral, huh. Must be some pretty potent polyps.

[fistfullofmagic]

[Chatty fellow that he is, Dhaos simply makes a noise of what is probably agreement. Unlike his fellow monarch, he's...a tad rusty at this "social interaction" thing, to say the least.]

[chokmahemperor]

[My, he just doesn't stop, does he? And there's always time for learning; Peony'd always be glad to tutor~ ...Really, he's probably too laid back for his own good.]

Is there any way out of here that you know of?

[fistfullofmagic]

...No. Only at the whims of the choral. Others may be studying ways around this.

[Yep. Still linefacing. Good luck Emperor!]

[chosen_gigolo]

Zelos doesn't usually interact so much with guys but the past few months here in Vatheon not getting lucky at all except the one strange thing with Mindfang... has made him have to look elsewhere for acknowledgement. So yes, he's in the plaza, idly flirting with the towel stall girls but not with much interest. There's other things to worry about as well, like that angel guy and Mithos and...

Damnit, shouldn't it be easier than this? Just.. find a way out? A single goal? But somehow everything keeps getting so complicated...

He's interrupted from his dour thoughts by the broad blonde man's question and turns to look at him with a blink. The textiles the guy's wearing are definitely a cut above, soaked though they are. Another noble of some kind then? From what world? Who knows and who cares at this point. The Chosen snags a towel from the vendor he'd been chattering with only to see the guy has one of his own already.

"Welcome to Vatheon, you'll be staying awhile." His tone is dry but not mirthless. "Sorry to say bud, but you got ganked here from wherever you were by the coral and we're all still trying to find a way out."

[chokmahemperor]

Desperate times call for desperate measures? Nah, not to that extent. The tall blond grinned upon being spoken to; that tone isn't something he's exactly unfamiliar with, so it scarcely bothers him. The language is different, obviously, but the manner isn't so much.

"Well, I thought there was something fishy about it, but that's a bit extreme." He twisted to look back at the coral, amused in an uncertain way about the veracity of the statement. "Dragged from a hiding spot by the staircase with Jade in my lap to this place, huh?" He sighed then, shoulders dropping as he twisted back to face Zelos. "Bad timing."

There was going to be a real need to get out of here, though, and Peony hoped someone had at least some kind of idea to start from. He kept his grin in place, concealing the concern; never good to share that.

"Guess that means I should probably start getting acquainted with people here, huh?"

[chosen_gigolo]

Well, the guy took Zelos's colloquial tone well enough, so at least he isn't one of those stuffy holier-than-thou nobles... and oh goddess a fish pun. He can't help but grin a little at that. This dude isn't so bad and Zelos's mood lightens just a bit as he goes on.

Digging around in his pocket, Zelos produces a brochure outlining the bubble. "It's kind of out of date, but this'll give you an idea of what's going on. I can answer stuff if you need 'em after you're done."

[chokmahemperor]

"Holier-than-thou" is probably a close approximation of exactly what Peony isn't. Scrubbing at the back of his head again with the towel he's been carrying around, his right hand abandons the task to take the brochure while his grin becomes a curious little "o". Probably ridiculous-looking on a man in his mid-thirties, but nevertheless there.

As he peruses the material, he starts grinning again. As fantastical as this sounds, he's pretty well aware he's actually in this place. He lingers in a few spots, and makes a mental note to check for housing. If what Zelos says is true, then there's definitely sense in doing it.

"Curses, mysterious tattoos, coral that's presumably some degree of self-aware... Man, it sounds like a children's play script more than reality."

[chosen_gigolo]

"No kidding, right? I thought I'd died when I arrived. I think a lot of people assume it's the afterlife of some kind when they first get here." Zelos leans back against the towel cart, elbows resting on the counter top and ankles crossed in nonchalance.

"Any questions? I know that doesn't cover everything and all the worlds people are dragged from are pretty different. Don't be surprised if a rabbit asks you what's up or if some guy with horns runs away blushing from a bucket." Lucky you Peony, catching Zelos in a helpful mood. He's not even sure why he's being helpful other than he has nothing better to do today though. Nicer than trying to deal with other things going on at the moment at least.