nepleutpas | ( musebox ) open sandbox

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( musebox ) open sandbox

open sandbox

→ Pick one of my characters
→ Respond to this post
→ Profit \o/
→ A note: I don't play porn. Otherwise, I'm game for anything.

strong voices

voice testing

(I can't promise anything will be quality.)

prompts

Interpret the following words as you like, or make up your own.
AU and/or game memories are all good, just make sure you specify!

accusation • airport • anger • autumn • beginning • betrayal • booze • coma • comfort • creation • denial • destruction • dreams • fairy tales • festive • fluff • future • holy grail • ice cream • imagination • injury • innocence • kingdom • knowledge • letters • mistletoe • nurturing • options • pain • passion • picturesque • pristine • promise • rain • reflection • renewal • romance • roses • scent • shadows • snow • spring • storm • summer • sunset • underwear • warmth • wind • window • winter

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[Sansa has always been fond of fairytales and songs about romance and chivalry. But ever since she came to King's Landing, she has realized that they are nothing but that, tales... Real life Princes are not charming, and knights do not always protect the weak.

She sighs as she sits down in the gardens of the Red Keep, just breathing in the scent of autumn trees, wishing to be anywhere but there.]

[ Prince Charmings, while incredibly pathetic, had their uses. He'd seen first-hand how easy it could be to play with someone's romantic notions of Prince Charmings.

Poor little Sansa Stark. How she'd falling for him. Lied for him, even, against her own sister. Though, now that they are back home, and Ned had been accused of treason, there is no reason for him to continue his act.

Still. Sometimes, it is fun to play pretend.

Stepping into the garden, covered in a splendid gold jacket embellished with trimmings of Lannister red, Joffrey almost glistens in the sunlight. He doesn't speak at first, only smiles, allowing his presence to speak for itself. ]

[Sansa sees Joffrey approaching, her hands starting to tremble, but she does her best to hide it. She can't show weakness in front of him. Still, he is the King, so when he is close enough, she must stand up and properly bow.]

Your Grace, I am delighted by your presence.

[ Power is an intoxicating thing. He can't help but smile at how she's immediately submitting to him. He doesn't even have to do anything.

It's much more fun to play with your food before you eat it. ]

Are you?

[ He doesn't give her a chance to respond, before flashing her another kind smile. ]

How are you liking it here, my lady?

[Sansa doesn't submit to Joffrey out of respect, she does it out of fear. After what happened to her father, she knows she has no choice but to obey and please Joffrey's stupid whims.]

I-I like it very much, your Grace. K-King's Landing is everything I ever imagined it would be... [Not.]

[ The hunt is always far more exciting than the kill itself. He takes care to stand over her. It makes him feel bigger than he actually is. ]

And what is your favorite part?

[ Asking more to take note on what to destroy next. ]

[Sansa knows Joffrey is only looking for more ways to hurt and humilliate her. She has to be careful with her answer.]

My favorite part... It's being with you, your Grace, because I love you.

[ There's a hint of displeasure at that -- a minor nostril flare, the tightening of his fists. He'd hoped she would slip up, say something he could hurt her with. ]

Of course you do.

[ There's an edge to his voice, now. But he slowly relaxes himself back into an amicable smile. ]

Of course.

[She fears him already, and knows that she must say the right words to avoid any kind of "punishment".]

My greatest wish is your happiness...

[Not... She just wants to get out of there alive.]

It's cold.

[He said it sharply, eyes looking in all directions. With one hand, he unfastened his cape and draped it over his companion's shoulders.

The other hand was over the Birdarangs pocket of his utility belt.]

We need to keep moving.

[ She'd been deep in thought when she felt something drape over her shoulders. Sakura's head jerks up in surprise, and she relaxes into a smile. ]

Yes, sorry.

[ Reflex pulls the cape tighter over her shoulders. ]

But... won't you be cold as well?

Padded armor. Heavily insulated-- you don't go against Mr. Freeze that often and not be prepared for the next time.

[That said, he misses his polar stealth suit and its furred cape.]

Major serious about the moving thing, though.

[ A small chuckle at his words, before she glances around them. ]

Which direction?

[GPS Hologram...]

Well, this weather system is pretty extensive. We're not going to get out of it, but if we keep moving until it blows over, we'll probably stay alive, at least.

Nearest town is south-west of here, and the wind is coming from the south.

[ Stay alive, at least........ that doesn't sound very reassuring, but she tries to maintain an optimistic attitude about all of it. ]

Should we really be heading toward the wind, though?

[ It's really no time to linger, but she pauses and closes her eyes, trying to see if she can hear the wind. Even if it's... artificially created, perhaps she can still talk to it, and ask it to help them. ]

The alternative is to go further from civilization.

Wind or not, what's a better endpoint? Shelter and warmth, or more snow?

[He holds a hand out.]

Just hang on to me, no matter what.

[ She can't hear anything from the elements around them. At least, not right now. Nodding, she reaches out to take a hold of his hand. ]

It's strange, though, that the weather would change so suddenly like that.

[ It had been warm and sunny only moments ago, she was sure of it. ]

I've seen it before.

[Ice villain fortresses again? He's not sure...

But he squeezes her hand.]

There are days when flying would seriously be useful.

[ She flew once...! In a cute little dragonfly, at that. It was pretty amazing. Though she's not sure she could in this storm. ]

Maybe we'll find something along the way~

A jetliner? Lady, I don't even have a driver's license yet.

[And flying the Bio-ship was intuitive, mental, but... he smiles.]

Can you pilot a plane?

Merlin had been worried it would be difficult for him to get permission to help Balinor get out of Camelot; he'd figured that after Balinor helped them with the dragon, Uther would just kick him back out without even a nod of gratefulness. And while Uther definitely hadn't expressed any gratefulness, he had been more lenient about it than expected and only told Balinor to be out of the city soon.

It had been a very nervous talk with Arthur, because Merlin wanted to get some legitimate time off to get the chance to go with his father. He could take him back to Ealdor, like he said he would. He still didn't mention who exactly Balinor was, but he did say that Balinor had once been important to his mother and that he would like to reunite them. Which Arthur had expected, even if he had given him the most strange of looks, almost as if he managed to put the puzzle pieces together. Which made Merlin incredibly nervous, because Gaius had acted like he'd for sure tell Uther, and then...

But at the same time, he couldn't really be all that bothered by it. Because he had his father back in his life, and his mother would be so overjoyed to see him again. The very thought of them getting the chance to be a family at all filled him with so much joy that he was pretty much jumping more than running back to Gaius's rooms, where he remembered seeing his father last. Unless Gaius had decided to drag him along on errands, they were either still catching up, or Balinor had been left to his own devices...

Either way, Merlin would find him, because he was going with him. He'd said he would.

((OOC: If you'd rather do brackets, I'm cool with that too!))

Edited 2013-09-01 14:53 (UTC)

Quite honestly, Balinor had considered leaving on his own devices. Being back in Camelot brought back many memories, and not all pleasant ones at that. There'd been a reason that he'd spent years hiding out in the mountains, far from the reaches of Uther Pendragon.

And yet, Balinor had stayed. Simply because the young man named Merlin was a strong force, one that he couldn't -- or rather, refused to -- keep away from.

And yet, he hadn't exactly gotten much of a chance to spend any time with Merlin since returning to the city. He spent most of his time in the surrounding forest; close enough to slip into the city and watch over Merlin for a short time every day, but far enough to remain undetected. He'd saved Camelot, but that did not win him favor with Uther. He'd already overstayed his welcome, Balinor could feel that.

But still, he waited.

It was peaceful here. He'd found a large tree to sleep under, and it was near a stream that supplied plenty of water and food. Not exactly living in luxury, but he didn't need much.

Balinor wasn't anywhere in the city, but Gaius informed him that he had left the city again. And so, Merlin packed only the bare necessities for a trip back to Ealdor, saddled two horses with Arthur's permission, and went out into the forest to find his father.

It didn't take all that long to find him, because there were only so many places a man could choose to make sure he survived nearby the walls without actually going into the city. Merlin was sure it would have been fine for him to stay there for a while, he could probably have done so without being noticed, even if Gaius's chambers would probably have been a bit too close to the castle. But Gwen, for example, would probably have been more than happy to help.

But, then again, Balinor really didn't seem to be a person who enjoyed much company. Merlin didn't complain as long as he could still see him.

He urged the horse to trot as soon as he spotted Balinor, following along the stream towards him.

"I got time off, we can leave," he announced, unable to keep the grin off his face.

After spending years in hiding out in the wilderness, it was strange to actually sleep in a bed again. Something that actually felt uncomfortable.

He looked up at the sound of Merlin's voice, and can't help a smile of his own. It's still so surreal, finding out about his own son, and the woman that he loved.

Loves.

He'd only known Merlin for a short time, but he already felt terribly proud. Hunith did a wonderful job, considering the conditions that she had to raise the boy. And Gaius, as well. He'd meant to thank Gaius, but couldn't find the appropriate words, and it'd ended up in some sort of strange half-grunt and a nod. Something he wasn't proud of, but it seemed Gaius understood.

A nod, as he gathered up the small bag of his belongings. "Let us be off." A pause, as he felt his throat close with emotion. It took a moment for him to choke out: "I've been waiting for this."

"Me too." Balinor wasn't the only feeling choked up - Merlin had been so since the moment he told Balinor he was his son, it felt like, and it just wasn't going away. "She's going to be really happy to see you."

He wished he'd be able to stay in Ealdor for longer, but he could get away with at least a few days, he was sure. He'd tried to get as much as he could without giving away that Balinor was his father and, for a moment, he could actually have a full family. He'd take as much as he possibly could.

Once Balinor was ready to go, he held out the reins for him.

"I'm surprised you managed to obtain all this," he commented as he took the reins from Merlin and mounted. At first, he had considered Arthur Pendragon to be a selfish little prince, but through their travel back to Camelot, he'd seen a side of Arthur that Merlin must have. There may be more to that young man than Balinor initially assumed, but he couldn't resist making a jab in his expense nonetheless.

"I was not aware it would be so easy to be released from your... duties."

"I thought it would be more difficult, actually. But I said you and my mother had been close, and since she's my mother I guess it was enough for him."

He turned his horse around to start off back down the path he came. He didn't say anything about how Arthur had lost his mother when she was very young, but he figured that also played a part in it. No doubt Arthur understood his wish to see it happen, and to make her happy.

"He's met her. Ealdor was having trouble with a bandit a couple of years ago. Uther couldn't send any troops, but I went to help and... he came with me."

Uther couldn't send any troops... of course he couldn't. But Merlin had gone to help. As had Arthur, it seemed. It'd been one thing to simply send troops, but Arthur had gone himself. The boy really seemed to care. About his country, or Merlin, or perhaps both.

A nice thought, and one that he mulled over for a few minutes.

"It's been good? Camelot?" A beat. "...For you?"

Arthur said Merlin talked all the time, but for once he was completely quiet, perfectly content to just ride alongside his father. There was no need to talk. Although, he supposed part of it was because he didn't really know where to begin. They had a whole life to catch up on. It was... surreal.

He was grateful for the question. At least it gave him something to talk about.

"Yeah. Yeah, it has," he said and sent Balinor a smile. "I mean... I can't use magic, really, but I couldn't in Ealdor either. And Gaius is teaching me anyway. So I do it sometimes, I guess. Obviously." A quick laugh. "But. It's been good. Better than I expected."

It bothered him that Merlin had to hide his magic. Funny how Uther could turn a blind eye toward his hatred for magic when it was helping him rid his kingdom of a dragon... but for a brief moment there, Balinor had actually thought Uther was considering imprisoning him after he'd gotten rid of the dragon problem.

... He wouldn't have been surprised if the only reason Uther hadn't imprisoned him was fear that he'd bring the dragon back.

"Gaius is a good man..." He owed much to the man, and had attempted (though rather badly) to put it all into words back in Camelot. The rest of Camelot however, Balinor is still not so sure about.

A beat. And then, with a hesitant tone, eyes straight forward rather than directed at the boy he's speaking to: "I have... a few things I may be able to teach. ... If you would like."

The moment Merlin had learned Balinor knew magic, he had wondered exactly what he might know, and maybe teach him. Hearing the actual words was more than he dared hope for, even if it perhaps wasn't all that unexpected, and his face lit up in excitement.

"Yes!" he said quickly, and reeled himself in some as he turned his gaze forward on the path. "Yes, I would like that."

[ He breaks into a smile at the enthusiasm. Somehow, he'd almost been afraid that the answer would be no. ]

We'll have to see what you can do, first. [ He hadn't exactly seen all there is to see in Camelot -- it was obviously too risky. But from what he did see, there's a great deal that Merlin could do. ] Perhaps there isn't even anything left for me to teach.

He gave Balinor a wry smile. "I doubt that. I'm not that good."

A natural, maybe, but there was so little he knew, still. And the more time passed, the more he realised it.

Don't be afraid, okay?

[In some ALTERNATE TIMELINE OF CONTINUAL WOE, Madoka raises her bow.]

I mean, be a little bit afraid. [She smiles sheepishly.] But have faith that I'll get you out of the labyrinth safely!

[ She clutches onto the ends of Madoka's skirts (because that's really about all she can reach...) and glances around them. Even through the fear, though, there's still a bit of admiration. Because, Madoka, you're so cool. ]

I'll try not to be afraid.

[Madoka giggles, but doesn't try to make her loosen her grip.]

Mm, you're a big, brave girl, right?

[She keeps her smile reassuring. This is why she's a magical girl, isn't it? To give hope to people, to protect them like this?]

Let's go this way. And remember, if I tell you to do something, you have to do it.

[ A determined nod, and then she follows in silence.

There's obviously a question brewing in that little head. Should she ask, though? ]

[Madoka permits the silence, because she's concentrating... Her soul gem should lead her to the witch, so if she just does the opposite of what it indicates...

Even so, it's hard to get a good look at her own neck.

Oh well.

She squeezes Elicia's hand to be reassuring. She is in control of this, she is.]

[ He barks out a laugh. Afraid? Of what? Varro takes a step forward and swings his sword in his hand. ]

You're just a child. Should I not be saying those words to you instead?

[Madoka smiles, always happy to recognize what might appear to be heroic impulse in others.]

We'll protect each other, okay? But I don't know if you'll be able to see what I'm protecting you from.

[ He'll let the little girl believe she's helping if that makes her feel better. ]

Then I will just crush it under foot.

[ Because if he can't see it, it really can't hurt him, right? ]

[She giggles nervously.]

It might not be that easy... [It never is.]

But as a magical girl, I'm the one who is supposed to be fighting witches.

[ A magical girl. Witches... if this made her feel better, he'd go along with it. Children liked to play imaginary games, didn't they?

... he wouldn't know exactly. He'd missed out so much on raising his own son. ]

Tell me, girl. What is your name?

Aaaah, Madoka.

[She thumps her bow against her chest self-deprecatingly.]

I won't let anything stop me from saving you. That's my vow as a magical girl.

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( musebox ) open sandbox

Joff or Sandor | Fairy tales, romance, innocence, roses, dreams...

sorry for the delay... IDK IF THIS'LL BE AL THAT ROMANTIC THO. SORRY SANSA...

It's ok, Mei! LOL It's Joff, he doesn't know romance.

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orz

XD it's ok

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Sayaka, Ouka, Ayachan, Sakura, Conner, YOU CHOOSE

you gave me too many options...

HEY I NARROWED IT DOWN SUFFICIENTLY

I WANTED TO RESPON WITH THEM ALL...

you still can

.... don't tempt me...

why

I was gonna tag you with mimi then I got too lazy to make a journal and find icons...

LOL

uuuuugh I'm sorry I'm so slow

i win the slow race. or lose. one of the two.

You know who. Let's alternate-timeline it up.

\o/

/chininhands

ouo

c:

ugh, sorry... life happened

All good! I never mind slowness

I'm back for good now, I swear

Woops look at me hello I dunno where all those days went

that is me all the time... xD

Sob.

>8( DW... why didn't I get a notif for this tag?

Rude, DW, r u d e

okay this is secretly Kaley, and this one needs a test. CHOOSE A CHARACTER.

*screams quietly into the night*

*reaches for earplugs quietly or not"

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also this... because dammit, he needs to be voicetested so badly (so don't mind my badness...)

i'm canonblind I WON'T KNOW

THIS IS TRUE

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screams quietly into the night