Scene #9189: The Consensus

Owner	Pose
Kale Hearthward	There's a castle here. There's always been a castle here. But there wasn't always a castle here... yesterday. Various organizations that monitor the space time continuum are throwing a fit. One does not simply have a French castle on the American west coast. The pattern doesn't match a unifying world, it's the work of something else that's brought it here. Someone needs to check it out and see what's going on with it. That someone, by choice or by assignment, happens to be you. The castle's taking up space that, before it was always there, was part of a California vineyard. The castle and its grounds blend in seamlessly with the vineyard and adjoining winery, giving weight to the fact that it was always there. The castle is apparently occupied, given the smoke rising from a chimney, but there's no one visible outside or around it at the moment. The castle's main door is wide open. There's a number of different approaches to the castle itself, but curiously, only one entrance that isn't blocked. The towers turn out to be bricked up, the chimneys have thick bars on them. The windows are a possibility but they turn out to always have been reinforced and unbreakable. The door, really seems to be the only way in. The front door of the castle leads directly into the throne room, it turns out, with no other rooms, hallways, courtyards, or other things inbetween the door and the throne room. There's no barricades, defensive emplacements, or guards - anyone going through the door has a clear shot into the throne room. And in the throne room, there's five figures. Closest to the door, placed on a direct line between the door and the throne itself, is a broad-shouldered knight. He (or she?) is wearing thick plate armor, tinted green, with spiked shoulderguards and a full face obscuring helmet, and has their arms resting on the hilt of an oversized claymore that they have embedded into the floor in front of them. The presence of gouge marks in a short radius around where they are standing suggests that this is a stance they routinely take up. A little further in, to the side, is undoubtedly a wizard, given the robes, the staff, the hat, the book, the wand, and the crystal ball. The color scheme here is red. Also, to clarify, she is carrying all of those things: the staff, the book, the wand, and the crystal ball, all at once, some held and some awkwardly pinned in place by her arms and elbows. Halfway to the throne is the jester - not a merry jester, this one clad in black and with a skull rattle. He's constantly moving about, black-painted bells jingling noiselessly, and seems like the most active one here. And then at the far end of the room, the throne - with the king, dressed in white, and the queen, dressed in blue. "Hark," says the jester. "Visitors, to the castle. What ill tidings they may bring, I wonder?"
Gaonoir	A castle out of thin air, with none of the standard signs of Unification. No indicators it had been built by any mad scientist or evil genius. It was just there, always there but yet not, looking out of place and a part of the location at the same time. Even by standards of the multiverse it was very, very off-putting. Temporal shenanigans, culteral appropriation... or it was just a good old conspiracy. With all the other organizations that specialize in these occurances throwing fits over the matter it was more than enough to get Erika's curiousity. And where Erika went chasing shadows and string theories, Gaonoir wasn't far behind despite his annoyance at being dragged along on these escapades. It's like if there was only one 'meddling kid' and the dog knew how to actually fight. That said even the young woman wasn't blinded by curiousity enough to simply walk through blantant open doors, instead standing at their breathe with one hand on her hip while the other held up her smartphone/digivice. "Even to me this feels like a possible trap." There's a soft thud on the ground beside her as Gaonoir drops down from where he acrobaticed his way up to inspect one of the windows. "Trap or not, it's the only way in. The windows are sealed off. Unbreakable." Erika squinted at the dark furred canid. "Did you test them?" Gaonoir just stares flatly back at her like she should know better than to have to ask. He's a known 'wrecking ball' type after all. "... Right, dumb question." She sighs and checks 'unbreakable windows' off whatever list is on her display. "Well at least we're not the only ones to show up to investigate." Just not many. And once the small group ventures inside Gaonoir's hackles raise again, clenching gloved paws and growling through clenched teeth at the jester. But Erika grabs the back of his headband to hold him at bay. "Relax, that's not a Piedmon." "Creepy clowns are still creepy clowns," Gaonoir grumbles back, but partially withdraws back to her side.
Aidan Proudpick	Time stuff. Aidan hates time stuff. It has been the most frustrating year of his life thanks to time stuff. Hours spent staring at his tablet recently, reviewing the same ten seconds in time. That SAID, it's also a castle. And as much as Aidan hates the idea of kings and queens and emperors, it still has a storybook ring to it. A fascination, a style. It is enough to feel more like an outing at a theme park, and enough to lift his spirits back into place. He's wearing the full breastplate that Sarra got him, bag at his shoulder, shield on his back. His trek takes him around the perimeter of the castle, glancing up and down at the windows, the towers. Then the earth. The vineyard around it. He squats down, bouncing on his toes as he examines with his fingers, touching the castle, feeling the brick work. There's a trough here, right where the water falls off the roof of a tower, wearing through the dirt and soil. Aidan pops back up to his feet, nodding to himself. NOW it's time for Aidan Rushes In. "Trap or not, it's the only way in. "Come on. Who puts a giant castle up just to be a t- Oh, yea, we just did that, but usually there's an evil villain FIRST." "This is not how castles are supposed to work," Aidan notes outloud, an expert via Quicknest's castle, hanging out with Sarra, and romance novels(strictly for improving his reading skills). Aidan's eyes flicker around, but this time, rather than taking in pieces of a little puzzle, they take in the story with a wide eager grin. He bounces up on the balls of his feet once more before stepping forward. All of his recent attempts to learn how to be, or at least pretend to be, sophisticated and high society, have come from milling around the Gale Empire, Sarra, and drama classes. Stepping out in front of Gaonoir and Erika, he takes a bow, arms out, and hips angled back, a pose meant to display feathers. He addresses the King and Queen directly, forgoing addressing the jester, "We bring no ill tidings. We have come to learn of your castle, your excellency! I am Aidan, Aidan Proudpick, proud Elite."
Sarracenia	For Sarracenia, going to the castle is definitely by choice. She heard about the castle, saw a possible adventure -and- the chance to visit a castle. As the appointed exploration time nears, a wooden VTOL much like an Osprey comes flying in, painted a shiny red with what looks to be a royal seal on the sides. It hovers to a landing in the closest open area, then the side door opens and Sarracenia hops out. She stretches her hands over her head for a moment, then walks through the vineyard somewhat slowly. She has never been in a vineyard before despite her station, and takes time to take it in before approaching the castle. Since she is not sure what to expect, Sarra is in her battle dress. It looks regal enough to pass as a royal gown, yet offers protection if something dangerous should happen. When she sees that all the entrances other than the front one are blocked, she lets out a curious 'hmm'. "If I did not know I was not involved in this, I might think I were involved. A castle popping up overnight with only one entrance and a bit of an ominous feeling? It could easily be one of the hero tests I used to set up." she says as she walks inside. And arrives without ado in the throne room. She blinks in surprise. "...this is the only room...?" she murmurs to herself before approaching the figures. 'Visitors, to the castle. What ill tidings they may bring, I wonder?' "Ill tidings?" Sarra asks before Gaonoir starts growling. The princess tries to laugh it off with a slightly awkward laugh, then curtseys. "I am Princess Sarracenia Sundew, Crown Princess of the Sundew Kingdom. Apparently there is some question about the...origins of you and your castle. Would you be so kind as to regale us with the details?" she says, then stands up straight again. "Of course, I would not enter someone else's castle without a gift." She snaps, and Gregory the piranha plant butler steps foward, carrying a classic treasure chest with a cooler on top. "Treats and riches from my world." she says before reaching to open the chest. Inside are a selection of power ups and several large gold coins. In the cooler are two gallons of ice cream. "This is my personal favorite dessert. Rainbow Bob-omb ice cream. It has a delightful tartness to the vanilla ice cream, with small candies inside that crackle when you chew." If allowed, Gregory steps forward to offer the gifts. Whenever it is she runs into Aidan, Sarra smiles cheerfully and gives him a quick hug. "It is good to see you, Aidan~"
Kale Hearthward	> "Creepy clowns are still creepy clowns," The jester in black ambulates right up into Gaonoir's personal space. "You say I'm the one who's creepy, hmm? But did you know..." Shake shake, goes the skull rattle. "That inside of you... there's... a SKELETON?" "Knock it off," rumbles the knight in green. "This is supposed to be a stately encounter." "Yes, it is so," says the king in white. "Welcome and well met to thee, sir chipmunk." "I believe that's a squirrel," says the queen in blue. The king in white continues, heedless: "It is well met of you to come on this day of all days. Henceforth, you shalt know of the future of thy world - we hath come anon to rule and to guide it." "Yes," says the wizard in red. "We're here from Planet Llechiclite - that's two l's at the start, e, chi, then c-l-i-t-e, and we are here to usher you into a new golden age using our incredibly advanced Llechiclitian technology that merely looks like magic." "You're not really supposed to be up front with that, court wizard," says the queen in white. "But there's just so much to tell about it. Did you know it runs on synthetic gluon fusion? It's actually-" The wizard tries to shuffle her belongings around to get the book out. The knight in green rumbles, vaguely displeased. Sarracenia brings some things. Gregory can approach. "Tribute! Though it would be ill met if we were to not have such victuals at the ready. Which fortunately we have everything set up to receive guests." says the king in white. About one moment later, there's a spread of snacks and drinks laid out on a buffet table, which was always there. "That is fine, my liege, but remember we are here to conquer, not entertain," rumbles the knight in green. "Yes, I remember," says the king in white, a little bit testily.
Gaonoir	Gaonoir just gives the jester that same flat, unimpressed stare he gives most people. "You do not want to find out what's really 'inside' me. Or that rattle is going to be so far insi--" "Gaonoir!" Erika sharply cuts him off. "Creepy or not, mind your manners." Gaonoir gruffs, but other than motioning at the jester with a 'I'm watching you' hand gesture that doesn't entirely translate well since he's wearing boxing gloves, relents on the matter. Instead folding his arms and resuming looking dour. "Advanced technology that resembles magic because the observers don't entirely understand it's principles..." Erika taps her thumbs at her device. "That would explain a few things." Like the appearance out of nowhere that is clearly new yet feels like it was a consistant presence. "Not that you would be the first of such aptitude... Synthetic fusion? Hmm. Interesting means of dealing with the input of resources and trigger energy fusion would require..." Then there's food. Or there was always food and simply not noticed until attention was made towards it... Oh for Goddramon's sake that's already starting to cause a headache. Normally food is a good way to get some of a Digimon's attention, but there hasn't been anything yet to burn a lot of Gaonoir's energy, so he's still mainly eyeing the royal court warily. Especially when they keep using words like 'conquer'. But there's a chance it's just some cultural mistranslation. Not that he would consider that, but Erika would, which is enough to just 'wait and see'. For now.
Aidan Proudpick	Aidan leans in to give Sarra a quick hug, "Sarra! I watched you fight the other Lilian, you were great." He couches down to a low whisper, "Maybe they have a prince for you here." Eyes drift down to the chest. "Were we supposed to bring presents?" 'Captured By The Black Werewolf Knight On The High Seas' comes out of his bag before the King goes on. "Llechiclitian," Aidan repeats, trying to commit it to memory while stuffing the book into his bag once more. "Uh, which world? The Kingdom of California? We can't really let you take over it. But we did walk past a lot of fires to get here. And some people very worried about aliens," he is already slipping back into a miner's accent, caught off guard by the sudden rush of Veni Vidi Vici. But, he has not been fully knocked down yet. He plows forward, assuming these are just friends he can make. "And there's a LOT of other worlds out here, it's not really just ONE world." "Maybe you could do trade?" He is already gravitating to the buffet table, picking pistachios and olives off the Charcuterie board. "Or some kinda peace mission." Claws wedge over a pistachio. A brain worm moves from one side of the brain to the other and he looks over at the wizard. "What kind of glue do you use?"
Sarracenia	'Sarra! I watched you fight the other Lilian, you were great.' Sarra smiles in appreciation, but the smile is somewhat weak. "I am not so sure. I survived, but that is about all I can say." 'Maybe they have a prince for you here.' "Aidan, you should know by now that I am not looking for a prince. I am looking for a hero. So, unless that prince is a hero..." Sarra might agree that the jester is creepy, especially after that terrible joke. She looks about as amused as Gaonoir looks and the knight sounds. The wizard says they are here to usher in a new age. The knight and king say they are there to conquer. Sarra's expression turns neutral. "I see." she says before realize there are snacks and drinks already here. She closes the cooler again, and moves to inspect the provided buffet. Gregory selects some things he knows the princess will like, and she nibbles politely. "Your generosity is appreciated, but I highly doubt the people of this world will appreciate being conquered. Even if you actually would usher them into a golden age of technological magic once under your rule. People are just funny like that. I would highly suggest you establish diplomatic relations and find an area with people willing to be annexed first. I am sure a display of your wonderous techno-magic would be enough to build a following." "Ll-e-chi-clite." Sarra says, joining Aidan in memorizing it. "Yes, trade would be a good way to start diplomatic relations. I suspect if your technology is as advanced as it seems then you might only need raw materials." Although this is a visit to the castle, Sarra realizes she has not addressed Erika and Gaonoir. "It has been a while but...we have met before, yes?" she says to them.
Kale Hearthward	> "Maybe you could do trade?" > "Yes, trade would be a good way to start diplomatic relations." "... Trade would be quite auspicious, verily," says the king in white. "Mayhaps we could do that instead of sallying forth." "We agreed," says the knight in green, "That we would do conquest. We each got to pick something and you all got what you wanted." "Be careful that you do not choke on a nut, ho ho ho," says the jester in black, cavorting around Sarracenia and Aidan. "In fact," rumbles the knight in green. "If you haven't noticed already, things are escalating quickly after we announced our plans of conquest. In fact, they already have their weapons drawn." Nothing happens. "I think it's only fair," says the queen in blue. And then, Aidan, and Sarracenia have their weapons of choice out. Gaonoir is in a fighting stance with his fists up. Erika, Gregory, and whoever else as well, if they happen to be carrying any weapons.
Gaonoir	Erika ahms. "No one has drawn any wea--" It's probably most noticable out of the visiting group that Erika doesn't have a weapon. At least not in the traditional sense. She's just holding her device in a more forward manner than your typical app typer. Because Gaonoir -is- her weapon so to speak. "--Oh that's going to get weird," she murmurs as she adjusts her glasses. Though to her credit more intriuged that intimidated or anything. "Great. If there's one thing more annoying that creepy clowns, it's perception manipulators." Likewise Gaonoir isn't that off-put, having had to deal with Digimon with such distortive abilities in the past. On the other hand he is the more clearly annoyed of the two, and while having not intended to take an aggressive stance, he's certainly not dropping it. "The trade option is still open. I've got two knuckle sandwhichs right here, ready to ship."
Aidan Proudpick	I am looking for a hero. So, unless that prince is a hero..." "I know, I was just having some fun. You really should call Princess Morbucks." "Be careful that you do not choke on a nut, ho ho ho." "I know how to handle my nuts," Aidan says, flipping another pistachio into his mouth. When his shield is suddenly forward in his hand, dragging it down, Aidan sucks in a sharp gasping breath. The pistachio flies out of his mouth as he snaps his head up. "Hold on!" He grabs his shield and plants it firmly in the ground, putting his hands on it. "Just hold on, we're here to just have a chat, have a little talk!" Aidan's brain struggles to run the playback while his hands are busy. Ear flick. Tail twitch. Tail twitch. His eyes track over to the Knight in Green, "Hold on, whadya mean." He moves in front of Gaonir and Erika. "Are you all here to do conquest or just this person?" He points at the knight. "We can just fightcha if you want a fight."
Sarracenia	'We agreed,That we would do conquest. We each got to pick something and you all got what you wanted.' Sarra blinks as her massive hammer is suddenly in her hand and she is in a battle stance. "...well, that was quite a quick escalation!" she says with a smirk, and looks at the Jester as if to say 'that is how you deliver a joke'. The princess grips her hammer, then twirls it around nimbly as she twirls gracefully. Her dress billows outward with her twirl and her hammer is spun around behind her, over her head, and to her side before being brought back to her fighting stance holding her hammer out in front of her in a stance more akin to a large sword stance. Despite the hammer's head surely being a few times heavier than her, she moves it and holds it as if it weighs hardly anything. "I see what it is you actually wanted." Sarra says, facing the knight. "A proper fight! I am more than happy to oblige! Martial combat is among my favorite pastimes!" Sarra looks over the gathering, then hmms. "Will you all be fighting, or just the knight?" she asks, a confident smirk on her face. 'I know, I was just having some fun. You really should call Princess Morbucks.' "Oh! I see!" Sarra says with a giggle. "Perhaps I should call her. But, I risk seeming too eager and lowering my value. If a hero is not willing to pursue me, then they are much less likely to be my hero." 'Just hold on, we're here to just have a chat, have a little talk!' Sarra pauses, then mmphs. "...I suppose we are. But, a good fight can tell you much about a person's character. Perhaps we should do both?"
Kale Hearthward	> "We can just fightcha if you want a fight." "Oh! Yeah, there's a good compromise!" says the wizard in red. "The musclehead can get a fight, get it out of their system, and then we can move on to doing this as a benevolent diplomatic mission." "... No," rumbles the knight in green. "We can even have a gladiator pit where you can fight while we are doing the diplomatic stuff," says the wizard in red, heedless. "In the gladiator pit that we have just off to the side of the throne room." Nothing happens. The jester in black starts laughing. "I said no," rumbles the knight in green. "In fact, our armies have started marching on the cities of this world already." Nothing happens. "The armies doth be-eth a bit extreme-eth at this juncture we find ourselves upon, prithee," says the king in white. "Well," says the queen in blue, addressing the multiversal elites here. "Thank you all for joining us here, but I think we have just a few things to sort out before we can reach a consensus. It does look like 'no conquest' is off the table, though, so you may want to go prepare for that."
Gaonoir	Gaonoir is all for knocking some sense into the Green Knight via knocking his lights out. So for a moment he actually looks faintly disappointed when the gladiator pit suggestion falls flat. On the other hand it's probably a good thing that large scale army invasions didn't work either. Some members of the court seem to have a bit more sense than the armored tantrum. There's a few moments pause, then a look between him and Erika. Then she leans down closer to his height so she can lower her voice to a whisper she knows only his enhanced senses will hear. "I think their ability to alter reality is connected to some manner of collaberation between them." Gaonoir finally partially drops the stance, if only to rub his temples a bit. "Why can these things never be simple..." Okay, so there's going to be some manner on conquest attempt, but they can't agree on how or to what extreme. That's... something.
Aidan Proudpick	"If a hero is not willing to pursue me, then they are much less likely to be my hero." Aidan's tone drops into a sudden grave whisper, "Sarra, we almost died. You need ta go after her. There might not BE a chance later." It has the tone of a mantra used in recent history. The Holodeck Adventure Team starts arguing amongst themselves. "There has to be no conquest! You can't just CONQUER! There are people's lives out there, their homes, I don't know you from a hole in the ground, we can't just let you conquer and rule." That conqueror itch is rustling up Aidan's back, making his teeth grit and his jaw clench. Listen, Aidan... ask questions, don't start shouting. "Why? All the big bad conquerers I've met at least had a reason. Why do you want to conquer this world?" "I think their ability to alter reality is connected to some manner of collaberation between them." A look over at Erika, squirrel ears rising up. Tail flick. Ear twitch.
Sarracenia	Sarracenia continues to hold her hammer at the ready even as she listens, somewhat confused. But, as the five figures talk to each other and nothing happens a few times she thinks she has an idea of how the power works. "I see. Consensus is key, I take it?" she says, lowering her hammer and giving it a twirling flourish before ending with holding it in one hand with its handle resting on the ground. And not thinking to keep it more of a secret like Erika and Gaonoir. "Still, if you do wish for a bout of honorable...non-lethal...combat, let me know. I know the perfect arena for gladiatorial combat where you can unleash your full power without fear of killing or being killed." 'Sarra, we almost died. You need ta go after her.' Sarra mmphs, cheeks puffing a bit. "She is a self-professed villain. I am not going down that road again unless that villain denounces their villainy. Besides...she may have saved me, but she paid me little mind outside of that." 'It does look like 'no conquest' is off the table, though, so you may want to go prepare for that.' Sarra sighs softly. "Well, that is unfortunate. We will be forced to alert the local armed forces and may have to join them in their defense. It is quite courteous of you to give us the warning, though. Still, it would be a shame to have to fight such lovely people in earnest." she says, mostly addressing the queen. 'There has to be no conquest! You can't just CONQUER! There are people's lives out there, their homes, I don't know you from a hole in the ground, we can't just let you conquer and rule.' Sarra nods in agreement with Aidan. "Your powers are quite impressive, but I myself have stopped two would-be conquerers in as many months. One of which had declared himself god and was about to forcefully brainwash, transform, or outright kill the entire population of a country." Sarra's expression goes more serious. "I would -strongly- urge that you find another way to indulge your desire for conquest." she says, then pauses. "Might I suggest...a place much more in need of your technology and conquest? There is a tryant in my world named Bowser..."
Kale Hearthward	> "There has to be no conquest! You can't just CONQUER!" "We kinda can, mister squirrely squirrel," says the jester in black, after jestering his way over. "Green's all hopped up on their four exes and his one-more-turns, they ain't gonna stop till he gets the real thing. Red just wants to show off all her fancy lore, White wants to larp, and Blue's just trying to keep the band together. Not an ounce of caring-about-humanity between 'em." "And me?" The skull rattle gets practically shoved in Aidan's face, and shaken. "I'm just enjoying the moment and the chaos. Ell, and I must stress this, ell emm ayy ohh." > "Still, it would be a shame to have to fight such lovely people in earnest." The queen in blue breaks off from the ongoing conquest negotiations happening in the background. "Well, thank you," she says. "It would be a shame, wouldn't it..." "... I think," she continues. "I agree with these people. We need to rethink the conquest part." "Oh, now you're siding with them now?" says the knight in green, heated. > "Might I suggest...a place much more in need of your technology and conquest? There is a tryant in my world named Bowser..." "Great, we can go conquer your world after we do this one," says the knight in green. "Not going to stop with Bowser, though."
Gaonoir	"As much as I would love to do a thorough lore dive," Erika chimes in, with a little knod towards the Wizard in Red, "It's a little hard to do so with all the ominous threats of conquest floating about." While Gaonoir continues to rub his temples, this time at Sarracenia. "As much as I respect the attempt to turn one possible enemy upon another Princess, I doubt they would stop with just the big lizard blowhard." Which Green Armor reaffirms not a moment later. "See?" A huff, an annoyed twitch of an ear, and he lowers his arms. "Look, I appreciate a good brawl. I can respect the commitment to the role." Gestures towards the Green Knight. "If this one is going to be so insistant on a fight, maybe you should let him... on a smaller scale. See what you're up against, if a full conquest is really worth it. Or if other means would be better suited." Then refolds his arms across his chest. "After all, you're not exactly dealing with people not familiar on how to deal with invaders." Weird powers or otherwise.
Sarracenia	'Great, we can go conquer your world after we do this one, Not going to stop with Bowser, though.' 'See?' Sarra frowns, her own temper starting to rise. Gaonoir's I told you so draws an mmph from the princess. "Well, three lovely people..." she says to the queen. 'Look, I appreciate a good brawl. I can respect the commitment to the role.' "Commitment to the role? He is hardly fit to be a knight at all from what I have seen so far." she says then, she looks to the knight. "You...are more like a bloodthirsty barbarian than a knight. What is it you seek in this conquest? You obviously do not need technology, so I can only assume you seek glory. What glory is there in defeating those that cannot hope to defend themselves against you? Unless...you seek the most unworthy of rewards. The dark pleasure of subjugation. A knight serves their king and queen, not the other way around, and does so to bring honor to the realm and protect its people." Sarra looks to the king next. "If you truly do not seek conquest, why do you not simply order this 'knight' to stand down?" she says, then her eyes glance over at the Jester. "...or is this some sort of...game?" she says quietly after the Jester mentions larping. Which the princess knows nothing about at all. Sarra looks to the Jester next. "...I suppose I cannot really be mad at a Jester for being a fool." she says. Then for a moment wonders...did she just sound like Lilian? She certainly hopes not...
Aidan Proudpick	Aidan immediately folds his legs, sitting down crisscrossapplesauce in place on the ground. His eyes glance over the jester, looking him up and down. He runs down his mental list of things to do to the Jester and it keeps coming up 'punch in the face'. He pops back up, shoving his face back into the jester's, "I'll get back to you in a second." When Aidan looks at the Green Knight, there's an honest anger in his eyes. His tail twitches angrily, his jaw sets. Teeth clench. The Jester's hint that humanity simply doesn't matter here is poison into Aidan's mind. As the others spread out, talking to the Red Wizard and the King, Aidan's chestplate bumps up against the Green Knight's. He looks up at the helmet. "Sounds like a game. You don't have anything in there." He pokes at the armor, "Do ya? Doesn't matter who you do it on, it's all just a game." He waves a hand towards the others, "They can have a game without killing people." Then he points back at the Green Knight. "Control and power. That's it? There's nothing else in the world you want? You don't want love or freedom? It HAS to be control and power?"
Kale Hearthward	>"Commitment to the role? He is hardly fit to be a knight at all from what I have seen so far." "You...are more like a bloodthirsty barbarian than a knight. "Sounds like a game. You don't have anything in there." "They can have a game without killing people." "..." The knight in green rumbles. It's not words, exactly, it's a rumble of discontentment. "You're taking..." The knight in green lets go of the sword, and starts storming towards the castle door. "All the fun out of this." "Okay - hang on, we can't do this without you," says the queen in blue. "Let's just all calm down-" "No - I'm afraid it's, uh, prithee, thou- oh, forget the olde speake," grumbles the king in white. "All the fun's out of it, they're right. No glory in defeating those that can't defend themselves." "But - but my lore!" says the wizard in red. "I wrote twenty pages just on how the magic-science subatomic particle engines work." "Ah ha, ha... ha?" The jester in black is petering out a bit, as everyone descends into silence. "Is... it over already?" "I mean - well, surely there's something we can all agree on to use these powers for?" says the queen in blue, desperately, in the silence.
Gaonoir	"... Wait, this -was- a game?" THAT is finally enough to get some surprise out of both Gaonoir and Erika. Followed by Gaonoir slapping a gloved palm against his face. "Oi vey, what a day..."
Aidan Proudpick	A lot of air suddenly wooshes out of Aidan. His body vibrates with adrenaline, having been ready to throw down with the Green Knight and start shouting about hearts and humanity and everything. He puts a hand over his eye, feeling it vibrate. After a second of calming his body, Aidan can put his brain to that thought. "Can't you just make up a new world like this? Why does it have to be a real world? Just make up a normal world where you can be a king," he points at the King, then back at Queen, "Where you can just have fun with everyone," then at the Red Wizard, "Where you can talk about how you can break the laws of motion," then over at the Green Knight, "Where you can I don't know, have armies fight each other. You can make a new place of excitement and wonder! Of adventure, and princes who need saving and heroines!" He finally turns over to the Black Jester, "And you... and you can..." He walks up closer to the Black Jester, reaching a hand out to put it on his shoulder. "Get out and talk to someone and really just..." Aidan takes a deep breath. After hearing Petra and Lilian say this so much... Aidan pitches his voice lower, "go get some strange. You know. But not with powers. Just, go get laid or something." He does lift a finger, "Or..." He lifts his head up to the ceiling. It's worth a try. "These powers don't exist."
Sarracenia	'You're taking...All the fun out of this.' Sarra hmphs in that way that only arrogant spoiled rich girls can do and turns her nose up. "Good. Let me know if you would like the experience of being a true knight. I would be happy to facilitate it." 'All the fun's out of it, they're right. No glory in defeating those that can't defend themselves.' Sarra lets out an approving and somewhat bragging 'mm-hm!' as she hears the king. "But again, I am sure we could indulge you in a non-destructive way." 'But - but my lore!' Sarra isn't so keen on that. Lore has never been her strong suit. "Um...well, I am sure if you post it somewhere likeminded people will be happy to hear about it." 'Is... it over already?' Sarra lets out another haughty hmph. 'I mean - well, surely there's something we can all agree on to use these powers for?' "I am sure we can find something you all can do together. But, it sounds like you may need some proper pampering time." Sarra says to the queen. "If you would like, you are welcome to visit my kingdom. I know a wonderful spa where they will have you so relaxed with skin so shimmery and hair so silky and shiny that you will forget your troubles. And please, feel free to enjoy the ice cream I brought. It would be a shame for it to simply melt." Sarra moves to the cooler she brought, and Gregory (who has been standing silently this entire time just watching all of this) helps her scoop out a double scoop onto a chocolate-coated waffle cone. She offers one to the queen, then the king and wizard. 'Get out and talk to someone and really just...go get some strange.' Sarra looks extremely confused. 'Just, go get laid or something.' Sarra does at least know that saying, and her cheeks go red. "A-aidan!" she exclaims. She shakes her head, cheeks puffed as she blushes heavily and gets a cone for Erika, Gaonoir, and Aidan as well. "...did you ever give us your name?" she asks the queen, then looks to the king and wizard as well. Is she trying to make friends with them now? Well, at least with the queen. She seems less inclined toward the king, wizard, and jester.
Kale Hearthward	Sarracenia makes some suggestions. "... Maybe," says the knight in green. "That would be nice," says the king in white, promisingly. "Maybe I can post it somewhere and then force people to read it," says the wizard in red, which is maybe less promising. "... Some pampering, yes," says the queen in blue. People get ice cream, which helps with tantrums and hurt feelings, and helps set the stage for Aidan's suggestion. > "Can't you just make up a new world like this?" After a moment of consideration (preceded by a moment of trying to get ice cream stains out of kingly robes) the king in white raises a finger. "Ahem. How to phrase this... There's a planet out there that didn't exist before, that's full of people that are receptive to diplomacy, open to new technology, and deserve being conquested at least a bit." There's a long moment, and then all of the color-coded reality benders simultaneously glance up at the sky, in the same direction. And then many of them breathe a sigh of relief. "And they all have enormous stinky feet," declares the jester in black. "You know what, fine, whatever," says the king in white.
Gaonoir	Gaonoir and Erika get ice cream. This does help cool off annoyed nerves and such... though Red gets a look from the canid when she mentions forcing people to read it. Fortunately before he can do or say anything snarky Erika walks over to sit next to the would-be wizard. "Online somewhere can be good for sharing. But forcing people to read it wouldn't make them -appreciate- it if they're not interested. You can tell me more about it if you'd like though." It's not quite a conspiracy but it's interesting enough to get her generally curious. "Takes a nerd to handle a nerd," Gaonoir murmurs, and sticks to eating his ice cream before saying something that could spoil the moment.
Aidan Proudpick	Aidan opens his mouth, "Well, no I-" He stares at what are truly GODS. "You can't just... no one DESERVES to be conquested, I-" He grips his hands into fists, then slowly lets them back out into a spread palm. The urge to scream and rail and shout about the injustice and unfairness of it is written plain on his face. But it's not Father Lucius that Aidan thinks towards first. "I gotta be better than that." He straightens himself back up, tail twitching erratically. He tries to put the Green Knight out of his mind and rerun his thoughts. From the cooler, Aidan grabs a grapefruit soda, popping it with one clawed finger. A smile spreads on his face, "Yea, tell us about it! I can tell you about my own world, we have technology that is magic... oh, and Ru Li's world runs on gears!" A toast of his soda to the King. "You are gonna have knights, right? Maybe make them skilled warriors instead of nobility. That's more fun! Then anyone can be a knight if they try hard enough."
Sarracenia	'Can't you just make up a new world like this? Why does it have to be a real world?' Sarra didn't pay it much mind until the group started to do it. Her eyes widen, and she mmphs before shooting Aidan a 'really?!' kind of look. As she hears the ingredients going into this new world, Sarra sighs. "Well...if they truly deserve it, then..." she murmurs, then at a normal volume. "What makes a people deserve being conquered, I wonder? Are they a nation of pirates, perhaps?" She gives Aidan an apologetic look since it seems to have worked out. 'And they all have enormous stinky feet.' Sarra balks, then rolls her eyes and snickers a bit. "I am not sure that makes them worthy of being conquered, but it will certainly be a way to improve them." Sarra joins Gaonoir in giving the wizard a look. She too leaves it to Erika, nodding in agreement with Gaonoir. "It is the best way, really." Aidan takes a grapefruit soda. Sarra blinks in surprise. "I thought you did not like sodas?" she says with a smile as she offers some stain remover to the king. You think a princess obsessed with her clothes is not going to have stain remover?
Kale Hearthward	> "no one DESERVES to be conquested" "Subjective," rumbles the knight in green. "We can workshop that a bit," says the queen in blue, diplomatically. "Maybe something more... military-intervention than just plain conquest." > "Yea, tell us about it!" "Tell you about it - I'm sure we can take you with us to it," says the wizard in red. "Yes - as our honored guests," declares the king in white. "Allies in battle," says the knight in green. "I'm sure you have some ideas we can use our powers for," says the queen in blue. "Would you like to join us?" asks the king in white. "I'm sure you have obligations here, but - even for just a bit?"
Gaonoir	Gaonoir gestures at the queen in what would be an affirming point if his gloves had more individual fingers. "I use to serve a group of knights that operated in such a manner." At least what he thought of such until he learned of the deeper issues within the Royal Knights, but that's neither here or there. "An.. intent to help resolve a matter and preclude resolution through military pressure might go over better than a full invasion." If they can't get them off 'conquest' maybe a less negative spin on it is the way to go. "And an envoy to better understand your situation would help us in aiding you finding suitable application of your efforts," Erika chips in, then resumes working through her ice cream. This was turning out to be a lot more interesting than just another conspiracy or paranatural misunderstanding.
Aidan Proudpick	Aidan looks over at Sarra with a blown out breath. "What happened the last time I yelled at someone that they couldn't do something they wanted to do because it was wrong." He looks at the soda, then smiles. "It's vegan, and I like little sips, just not a whole one." He takes said sip, looking around at everyone. "I think a lot about what I'm gonna do about the Gale Empire, Sarra. And..." he frowns, "shouting isn't going to work. At least, not for everything." A grin spreads out on his face. "This will work out, we can make it work out, somehow. You'll see. Like Balan said, we make miracles." He nods towards the group of reality benders, "Sure!" It's a mission, right? Not a vacation. He has to protect the people who were just created. "I'll need to grab some clothes, but we have to make sure your new world gets off to the right start!"
Sarracenia	'Subjective,' "It really is." Sarra agrees. "I can imagine a world or people that I would agree deserve to be conquered. It would require a few things, though. But, I agree with you, your highness...perhaps instead of conquering a people, you could save an oppressed people from some sort of evil conquering force. I myself faced such a situation not long ago. An evil wizard had taken over a kingdom and was slowly wiping out its people while using them and their land to sell 'hero experiences' to the children of rich families. Their king had been killed. Perhaps you could save the people from their evil overlords, then offer to become their benevolent leaders and grant them the benefits of your technology. If they agree, then you have fulfilled your desire for army-filled conquest and your benevolent ruler angle. If not...well, you seem virtually omnipotent. You could rerun the event. On another world. Erasing people is rather bad as well." The five colors offer to take them along on the military-intervention. Sarra ponders for a few moments. "Hmm. Certainly. As a princess who is also an aspiring heroine, I would be happy to help free a people from their oppressors and assist noble allies in their cause. Oh! And while you may not need them, I think you would enjoy using some of the power-ups I brought!" Gregory once again opens the chest, revealing such things as fireflowers and super mushrooms and leaves.
Kale Hearthward	"Great, okay! So we head up to the new world with our new friends," declares the king in white. Nothing happens. "I said-" "I'm not going to disagree and hold us up, if that's what you four want, but I just want to float a little other suggestion before we reach consensus," says the jester in black, quickly. "I mean, okay, you can make a suggestion, but it has to be something everyone agrees with in order to work," cautions the queen in blue. "Sure, sure, just - food for thought," says the jester in black, "but - how about, instead of taking these losers with us, which we're clearly only offering because we're being polite, we just ditch them and leave them behind and we never ever have to deal with them ever again?" And then instantly, the royals are gone, the castle is gone, and Aidan, Sarracenia, Gregory, Gaonoir, and Erika are all alone in the vineyard again.
Gaonoir	And just like that it's like nothing ever happened once the jester speaks. "Well that was just rude," Erika murmurs. "I was genuinely interested!" "And you wonder why I have an extreme dislike for clowns," Gaonoir huffs, shaking his head. "If they go off and try to invade someone less willing to 'play along', they deserve what they get." "Gaonoir, that's harsh." "So's life."
Aidan Proudpick	Aidan falls onto his ass in the middle of the field. He throws his hands up, "We helped you! Hey! Hey, get back here-" All of his breath comes out of his mouth in a slow raspberry, a long drawn out fart noise of frustration. The squirrel gets back up, brushing dirt and grass out of his tail and off his pants. He does a regal over the top bow and offers a hand to Sarra as he does so. "Gonna lose some sleep over that one. I hope all those people are gonna be okay. Let's- let's just go get ice cream, I know a place that serves vegan."
Sarracenia	'but - how about, instead of taking these losers with us, which we're clearly only offering because we're being polite, we just ditch them and leave them behind and we never ever have to deal with them ever again?' And then they are in the vineyard as if the castle was never there. And Sarra is speechless. She is still holding the stain remover out as if to dab the king's robes. Her teeth clench. Her face turns red. She throws the stain remover down and stomps on it with all her might, then has to pace back and forth for a good minute before her anger even starts to subside. "Are you SERIOUS?! Losers?! They AGREED with us!! If I ever see that Jester again, I am going to hit him so hard that he FLIES to another planet!!" She hears Erika and Gaonoir's exchange as she stomps about. "I hope it is plenty harsh for them! Amazingly harsh!! And they had better not come looking for me if they do run into that harshness!!" Sarra huffs about a little bit longer, then finally shouts, "Gregory!!" She does not have to say anything else. He closes the treasure chest and the cooler, bows to the others here, then picks up the princess's luggage and follows after as she stomps toward the Dyna. 'Let's- let's just go get ice cream, I know a place that serves vegan.' Sarra stops her stomping march with a slow exhale, then motions to Gregory and he continues on to the wooden VTOL. "...fine. But, they had better have some very good, extremely decadent ice cream." The others are welcome to ride in the Dyna with her...but in her current mood it may be a very fast, very acrobatic ride.