Strange Lights (Ch. 3a: Day 2)

NPC · Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2011 12:23 pm

There was enough space in the manor to easily allow a room for each guest, and accommodations were no less than should have been expected. The personal chambers upstairs contained antique furniture, feather-overstuffed beds that consumed their sleepers like carnivorous marshmallows, fine tapestries, busy and ornate wallpaper,... but not a blasted TV or other piece of electronics in sight. There was a sizable library centrally located, but it seemed to be the extent of available entertainment.

The night had passed by in dead silence until about 3AM, when a bright, orangish-white light surged through all the windows, and a roaring noise rumbled through the house. Anyone who had bothered to get up wouldn't find anything, though. The morning otherwise arrived uneventfully with clear skies, bright sun, and the bustle of the household and its staff making and having their breakfast.

If anyone asked for the baron, they were directed outside, where he could be seen out in a flat, empty space in the courtyard. Thin swords collided loudly as he and an opponent went back and forth quickly, shuffling through the grass. They were either practicing fencing without safety gear, or settling a dispute in a most final way. It was hard to tell which in the heat of the moment.

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Seafarinhare · Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 3:36 pm

Ivan, who couldn't find sleep in the all-consuming beds, found the window sill much more his style, laying with his legs kicked up and crossed on the wall with his arms folded behind his head. Being so close to the window, of course, he noticed the light.

But not much else. The oddity kept him awake for another half an hour before he fell asleep in the window.

The next morning, he headed downstairs to the smell of food. After some munching, he helped himself to some strips of bacon for the road and headed out to the courtyard where he caught witness to what looked like a scuffle.

It stopped him in his tracks, and he decided to watch for the time being. Cue another bite of one of those strips of bacon he had in hand.

Rachel · Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 12:46 am

Jack on the other hand had no trouble sleeping in the marshmellow bed, wrapped up in as meny blankets as she could find. She was roused from her sleep by the light, but not enough to become fully conscious, so by morning she'd forgotten all about it. As ever she was up earily. She got somethign to eat, dressed warmly, and headed down to meet the day and the dashing young baron.

She too stopped in her tracks at the sight of the sword fight. She was a little stunned, for one she'd never seen a sword fight, and for two, why anyone would do such a thing since the invention of the gun was beyond her.

"What's goin' on 'ere?" She asked to dark rabbit placing a hand on her hip as she shifted her weight a bit, leaving her free hand hanging over her holster.

MuffinUnsane · Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 1:10 am

Joining the duo was a chipper bird that had rested snug in a pile of blankets. Half-peeled orange in hand and can of spray cheese in the other, she approached her dear friend.

Eyes caught up in the fancy swordplay, she watched in awe for a moment before her stomach rumbled. Giving the can of cheese a good shake, she proceeded to layer a good amount over the flesh of the orange.

"So, wanna take bets? Baron seems to be holding up good."

With that said she dug into the cheesy orange with relish. Flicking off a spare bit of cheese that stuck to her beak, she went back to watching the pair.

((OOC: She had the spray cheese in the backpack when they arrived. So...not saying she got it from the kitchen. Just don't want any confusion.))

psikeout · Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 2:58 am

Closer examination revealed that the baron's opponent was in fact the steward from the other night. Yet closer examination may have revealed that they were very nearly identical, as well. Perhaps they were a little different in the eyes, or in other tiny facial features that were made apparent when they were side by side, but it was all otherwise extremely minute.

The fight was a fairly entertaining one while it lasted, but like most realistic swordfights, that wasn't for long. Though the baron had fine, precise form, the steward was clearly the aggressor, and boldly stepped straight at him without fail or flaw in defense, and, with only a few quick strokes, locked at the base of the baron's blade, and twirled it straight out of his grip with a cinematically artful motion.

The sword flipped and stuck into the ground a short distance behind him. The steward pointed his sword straight between the baron's eyes with a somewhat chilling look, then... calmly flipped his hat off with its sharp tip, sheathed the blade, and stepped back.

"Must you always do that," sighed Dureau, a little short on breath as he turned back to pick up his hat.

"What?" asked the snowy-white steward with inquisitive (and possibly sarcastic) brows raised, just like his tone. "Win?"

"The hat thing," clarified the baron as he stood straight once more, flapping the dew from his cap.

The steward offered only a smug smile in return. Dureau meanwhile turned his attention on the guests.

"Oh! There you are," he greeted, any sullenness gone. "Good morning, Ms. Clarke." He tipped his hat and bowed quickly. His steward looked wildly unimpressed in the background, then walked away.

"And good morning... ah." He hesitated, glancing between the rough-looking rabbit and the other lady of the party. "I didn't get your names last night, did I?"

Seafarinhare · Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 5:15 am

Ivan looked over at Jack as he chewed on a piece of bacon. He pointed a half finished piece at the fencing match before them.

"Looks like a sparrin' match ta me." He said. It only took him a few moments to realize that it was friendly, seeing as a realistically serious sword fight usually only lasts a couple strikes at best.

As the match came to a close, he finished up his bacon and dusted his gloved hands off on one another. He arched a brow at the behavior of the steward, but shrugged it off. He nodded to the baron.

"Name's Ivan." He introduced, and before extending a greasy gloved palm for a handshake, he wiped it on his coat to make it less greasy.

Rachel · Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 5:35 am

"Well, so long as it's friendly I don't much care who wins." She answered both her companions.

The gilded griffins head slowly fell to a cant as she watched the match go on. She only straightened up when Dureau was disarmed. From the sounds of it, she suspected this was not unusual for Dureau and his steward.

"Jack's fine, Baron, really." Jack insisted with a tip of her hat.

Jahkari · Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 10:19 pm

A rather bleary-looking figure slowly made her way down to join the party in the courtyard. Clearly, Key hadn't had a restful night, but she didn't seem upset for it. As she had immediately made her way to the library and spent a better portion of the night reading (how could she sleep when there were books everywhere?), she had been more than awake when the curious light and noise occurred. As one who hated a mystery she couldn't solve, the light and noise had nagged her even as she kept reading until she literally fell asleep on the book she had selected at roughly 5:00 AM (which had something to do with the average velocities of various birds and their migratory patterns- hey, it could be useful).

Catching up with the others, she was about to blurt out a question about the lights, but noticed that they were in the middle of introductions and politeness. After her talking-to from Jack the night before (and the weapons that had only just been in use), she decided to bite her tongue on the matter until she was sure it wouldn't be rude to do so. "Um, yes, and I'm Key- Key Ryan," she volunteered, with an awkward mix between a wave and a salute (she didn't know what was appropriate in this situation!). Much more quietly she continued, "And when it's appropriate, um, I've got a question."

Kazz · Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 10:46 pm

Mako did not look like he got the best night's sleep as he stumbled, only a few seconds after Key, into the courtyard.

"That knight guy decided to stand on the foot of my mattress and regale me with stories," he muttered to nobody in particular, "all night." He really was just muttering it to himself, as he shook his head and took in his surroundings-- he almost looked as though he had made his way out here completely oblivious to his surroundings until this point. Regardless, he paused. "... uhhh. Name's Mako?" he tried-- he hadn't caught the Baron's statement, but judging by the koala's self-introduction...
Okay, so he wasn't the best with politeness.

Then he paused, sniffed at the air, and looked at Ivan-- his sharky nose didn't miss a thing, least of all the lingering smell of bacon on the hare. "... and where'd you get bacon?"

(Sir Corin, for his part, had gone off to investigate at the loud light and noise in the night, and neither hide nor hair of him had been seen since-- probably to everyone's relief.)

Jahkari · Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 10:50 pm

At the mention of bacon, Key abruptly turned a remarkable shade of green. The vegetarian koala had absolutely no stomach for meat, and most certainly did not enjoy any meaty aroma. With a bit of a pathetic, sad glare at the shark, she said, "Y'had to mention it. Now I smell it, and if I throw up because of it, I'm aimin' for you."

psikeout · Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 7:16 pm

Dureau listened attentively and seemed to try to make note of each of their names, nodding to each introduction, and in at least one case, mouthing the name afterward. Perhaps it took some effort for him to remember. (It was a lot of new people all at once.) Worth noting was the fact that he actually didn't seem too perturbed by Ivan's handshake. Maybe he was... well traveled enough to know that the entire world wasn't tended to by butlers and stewards, and was occasionally a bit greasy.

With introductions out of the way, he stepped back over to his sword, and continued onward with business as he plucked it out of the ground and cleaned the dirt from the blade's tip with a cloth. (An astute eye would notice that he very covertly used it to clean his glove of Ivan's bacon grease at the same time, too.)

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you all; as I said last night, I am Baron Dureau von Fremont," (a friendly reminder, as he must have realized his name would be alien and potentially difficult to remember), "and this," he sheathed his sword and fanned a hand vaguely toward the castle gate and village some distance beyond, "is Fremont. I'll be happy to answer any of your questions—at least the ones I'm able to answer—so, that said,..."

He gestured with upturned hand to Key.

"I believe you just said you have a question, Ms. Ryan?"

Jahkari · Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 12:02 am

"Ah, yeah." The queasy koala, eloquent as always, glanced at the baron through her mess of fur. "Well, some time last night- guess it was 'round 3, can't say for sure -well, I saw somethin' weird." She paused as a huge yawn tore through her, providing further evidence that she had definitely been up at said hour, then continued. "This light showed up, and there was this sound- dunno what it could've been, and I don't like not knowing." Flicking said fur out of her eyes, she looked more solidly at the baron and shrugged. "Got a clue what it was? Does that sort of... weirdness... happen often?"

psikeout · Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 1:42 pm

As Key spoke, one of Dureau's arms crossed his body, the other's elbow rested on its hand, and he covered his mouth and looked down—an expression that, on first glance, could have been mistaken for thoughtful, but was actually more in the realm of troubled.

"Yes, actually," he replied hesitantly, and in a low tone. "That would be... the reason you're here. The disappearances always occur at night, accompanied by a bright light."

Seafarinhare · Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 2:39 pm

Ivan looked at Mako as he asked about the bacon. With a grin, he pointed back into the building, "The kitchen, mate." He said before turning toward the baron once again.

For having one eye, he did have a knack for details, it seemed. He snickered a bit when he saw Dureau wipe his hand with the cloth he was using to wipe the blade as well.

"Arr.. That be what that obnoxious light been..." Ivan grumbled, Then looked around, "Speakin' a'which... Anyone seen that landlubber with the stick?"

If he were around, he would probably correct him as to what the weapon was.

Rachel · Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 1:10 pm

Jack remained quiet as she thought carefully about what the others said. She didn't remember the lights but it would have to be pretty jarring to wake her out of a dead sleep. that bed was dangerously comfortable, she could have been kidnapped and not known it until she was out of the bed.

"Uhm, Baron, should I call ya Baron? Or Dureau? Has anyone seen where the light comes from, or what makin' that noise?" She was troubled by this, knowing that evidence would be sparse given the locals choice to forgo a lot of modern technology. "I musta slept through it, what do they look like?"

Strange Lights (Ch. 3a: Day 2)

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