ladyleonster

[ladyleonster]

"You're still going to deny it!?" Ethlyn's voice raises and she steps closer to him, unintimidated by how much taller he is than her. She has to look up at him but she puffs her chest out proudly. She knows the truth. She knows she didn't start the cricket war.

"I don't know who you're trying to prove anything to. The viewers? They know what you did. I know what you did. There's no one else here."

Well, the horses are, which he draws her attention to with more of his nonsensical spouting. She doesn't like how much it annoys her to see her own horse enjoying herself so much but it just had to be with Andrei's. Hervor just had to favor the one horse on the entire continent that Ethlyn would rather her stay far away from. She doesn't want to step in the middle of this horse relationship but what else is there to do? She can't just sit back and let this happen and risk getting herself tied to Andrei in any way.

"And of course you'll blame this on me too! What if it was your horse who was seducing mine! Can't you just leave us alone?" She grabs a hold of Hevor's bridle and tries to lead her horse away. The mare, clearly unhappy, gives quite a bit of resistance. Ethlyn has never seen her so stubborn. "Come on, Hervor. There are plenty of other horses you can be friends with. Better horses!"

>>>

Juliequine fights against her rider, longing to remain with Horseo.

JULIEQUINE: I will continue to defy our fates!

For nothing is stronger than how I feel

For the brave stallion they call Horseo

I wish we had just a little more time!

Relenting with a sorrowful whinny, Juliequine's cruel rider begins to lead her away. Juliequine continues to look forlornly at Horseo, never breaking eye contact with him.

JULIEQUINE: I will not give up on you my dearest

Let us continue to meet in secret!

For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliequine and her Horseo.

Happyland Central Island Week 2

[ladyleonster]

Juliequine joins Horseo, happily munching on the plants he's alerted her to. Even though she is eating, a voiceover provides her dialogue.

JULIEQUINE: O my sweet Horseo! My closest friend!

It does not matter how fancy or fine

Any meal with you is simply perfect

All I want is to be in your presence

Juliequine looks up toward the arguing riders before turning her attention back to Horseo. She gives a single, soft neigh.

JULIEQUINE: O will they ever learn to get along

Do they not see their feud tears us apart?

>>>

"Oh what, now that you're caught you'll deny it?" Ethlyn's hands clench to fists at her sides, knuckles turning white. She tries to focus on the feeling of her fingernails digging into her palms to keep her in the moment and from getting too hotheaded. She doesn't need to give him any ammunition.

"I don't need to resort to cheap pranks. Even without sabotaging your sleep, I know I'll do better at this competition than you. But you know that too, don't you? And that's exactly why you decided to throw crickets into my window! I saw the footprints leading up to it. I know they didn't just get in on their own."

For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliequine and her Horseo.

Happyland Central Island Week 2

[ladyleonster]

@ulircursed

"I know it was you," Ethlyn hisses as she storms up to Andrei and gives him a good jab in the sternum with her index finger. There are objectives to complete and games to be won but she doesn't even need that sort of motivation when just looking at those horribly styled bangs is enough to get her blood boiling to bubbles. As much as she touts herself as the more reasonable Chalphy sibling, all of that is thrown right out the window the moment Andrei enters the picture.

"Crickets? Really? I thought you'd fancy yourself above such childish pranks but it seems you're just as brutish as you claim I am."

She doesn't think about or mention that her immediate response to the prank was to throw them right back at him. That doesn't matter. He's the one who is the mastermind here. She was simply defending herself.

She also doesn't realize that Andrei also has his horse with him at this moment and that her own mount has happily made her way toward her bestie Buttermilk to nuzzle against him.

"Don't even think about trying anything else while we're stuck on this island together."

For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliequine and her Horseo.

Happyland Central Island Week 2

[ladyleonster]

"A moment of your time!" Emcee catches up to you before you can disperse to your room or rejoin with your teammates, or wherever else it is you're heading off to.

"This way, this way." The strange host ushers you into a small shack, curtained off from the outside. They offer you a chair and a bright lamp hangs overhead.

"Now then," they start, positioning themselves across from you. "What do you think of the upcoming objectives? Do you believe contestants will be prepared to go hard?"

In their hand is a voice amplifying stick, which they hold out to you now.

Whoa the lights are bright. Ethlyn has to blink a few times trying to adjust her vision. It doesn't help much. Maybe a little. But she smiles at the Emcee across from her. She's curious about them, about all of Happyland's people, but now doesn't seem the time to start inquiring about them. Not when the spotlight (literally) is on her.

She leans forward a little too close to the voice amplifying stick to answer but pulls back quickly when she realizes she doesn't have to be that close to it. "You've got some interesting things cooked up for next week. Are you trying to turn this into a total drama island?" She laughs and crosses one leg over the other before getting serious.

"Even if they aren't prepared to go hard, I think they will. I think we'll bring it out of each other. I'm looking forward to seeing what unfolds!"

[ladyleonster]

The road is well illuminated by moonlight, but once Andrei reaches the other huts, it takes some time before he is able to find the correct hut, the telltale pink hair a clear sign of his target. It seems, though, that she has three roommates as well.

Unfortunate, but even if they had not been in on this, he supposes this is just a part of the punishment of being in the same room as Ethlyn.

Now, Andrei likes to think himself smarter than Ethlyn in general. This is why, despite so very clearly engaging in foul play, he does not intend to leave evidence of said foul play behind. Instead of tossing the box and its contents in, he carefully cracks open the window on her side, shaking it until each cricket had fallen into her bed, before stealing away in the dead of night.

He'd put the box back into his own room. That way, even if she comes over to demand an explanation, he could simply claim the crickets liked her more than him and migrated over of their own accord. A baldfaced lie, but how would she ever dispute that?

Satisfied for now, he returns to his room to enjoy his truncated, but now blissfully uninterrupted, sleep.

She isn't a deep sleeper and it doesn't take much for her to wake up. That being said, the opening and closing of the window doesn't seem to phase her. It's probably just one of her roommates trying to adjust the temperature of the room. Ethlyn keeps her eyes closed and rolls over, trying to fall back asleep.

She tosses and turns a bit, waiting to hear the telltale sounds of one of her roommates returning to their bunk after messing with the window. That sounds never comes, instead she hears a chirp. That chirp is joined by another and another until the quiet room is filled with a cricket chorus. Ethlyn jolts awake and sits straight up as one happens to jump on her face.

There are so many of them. They are so loud. In her sleepy state, Ethlyn can only think of one possible explanation for how this many crickets entered the room at one time. And there is only one possible course of action to rectify this.

As quietly as she is able, Ethlyn creeps around the room trying to gather up as many of the bugs as she can. She doesn't want to wake her roommates. They didn't deserve this. They aren't part of the rivalry she has with him.

It does not cross her mind that she is about to put a different set of undeserving roommates into the same position but that's a later problem.

The next step is to figure out exactly where Andrei is sleeping. It matters less to her that she is stealthy. At this point, she wants him to know it was her. She makes it to his door, opens it, and yeets a handful of crickets as best she can toward his bed before bolting back to her own.

Asshole.

[ladyleonster]

"Heh." She laughs out her nose. Patience was never a very common virtue among Chalphys. But for Leif, for Altena, she will take things slow. It's the very least she can do for them.

"I'm glad you're able to smile. You're a good kid. Friend. None of you are kids anymore, are you?" Despite the heavy tone of the conversation, a hint of a mischievous glint appears in her eyes. It's hard not to resist the urge to tease just a little, especially when Diarmuid is as easy to talk to as he seems to be. "Even if you were still in diapers the last time I saw you."

She sets a hand on his shoulder and smiles at him. "I'd like to be here for you, too. If there's ever anything I can do, please, don't hesitate to seek me out."

End!

The only BS I need is beach and sandals!

Happyland Week 1: Central Island

[ladyleonster]

"See if you can find some firewood while you're out there!" Ethlyn calls out after the boys. "A beach bonfire would be a nice touch too, don't you think?"

She takes a seat next to Camilla, watching her hands closely as she weaves together the grasses she's gathering. Ethlyn has never particularly enjoyed this type of handicraft but, with the final outcome being intended as party decorations, it feels less tedious. At least it will be used for something they can all enjoy.

"So, is it like this?" She asks, holding up a fairly decent attempt at copying Camilla's technique. It certainly isn't as elegant and refined, but perhaps it will do.

"And I wanted to apologize for my abruptness earlier. I am, ah, not a fan of wyverns. It was really sweet of you to offer drinks to everyone."

Someone shoulda built a Party City on this island.

[ladyleonster]

"He is, isn't he?" A desire to know him better. It's a sentiment they both share.

Ethlyn reaches into her pocket and pulls out the print from the photo artefix with both of her kids in it. Even with the looks of discomfort clear on both their faces, she still cherishes it deeply. She hands it over to Diarmuid just to show him what she was looking at.

"I was hoping I might be able to ask your advice on how to support him. I wish he'd been able to smile in that picture. I wish they'd both been able to smile." She sighs. Maybe she's gone to the wrong person. Maybe she shouldn't be asking for this type of emotional labor from her son's friend.

"He's told me about you, you know. Well, about the war and how you helped. Thank you for that, by the way."

The only BS I need is beach and sandals!

Happyland Week 1: Central Island

[ladyleonster]

"Maybe," she agrees, "but that doesn't mean I don't still see her in you." It's the same way with her own children, isn't it? Anyone would know at first glance who their father was but, if they were willing to look closer, they'd find traces of her hidden in their expressions.

"I hope you'll be able to forgive me. As weird as this is, I'm about to make it even weirder." Ethlyn laughs. She has to laugh. With the absurdity that makes this particular meeting even possible, she isn't sure how else she could even react.

"I know you've been part of Leif's life for some time now. I think that's wonderful, by the way. How well would you say you know him?"

The only BS I need is beach and sandals!

Happyland Week 1: Central Island

[ladyleonster]

With all the confidence she can muster, Ethlyn throws back her drink like a shot. She isn't about to be the odd one out cautiously and slowly sipping at it.

It is a terrible decision and it burns going down. She coughs and sputters and she can feel her eyes start to water. It is impressive how put together Camilla seems after downing hers. Matthias, too, appears to be handling the awful burning taste better than Ethlyn.

This is, of course, expected for such a game and she comes out of it laughing after her coughing fit subsides. "Baldr's balls, that'll put hair on your chest! We have anything to wash that down with? I think I'm going to be tasting that for days..."

🍹 Fun First Consequences Later

the adults drinking game thread :)

[ladyleonster]

@charmblooded

It's hard not to stare when he is so so Nordion. The genes in that family are quite strong. He looks just like his sister. Like his mother. It makes her smile when she looks at him.

She realizes she is probably making things awkward and kicks off her shoes to cross the distance in the sand between them. With the sun setting, it's cool against the bottom of her feet.

"Sorry for being a little weird," she laughs awkwardly, kicking at the surf as it laps against her ankles. "You just, you really remind me of her, you know? You and your sister both."

The only BS I need is beach and sandals!

Happyland Week 1: Central Island

[ladyleonster]

"Fireworks! Yes!" Ethlyn claps and points at Ewan. Go big or go home, right? "I'm going to ignore how young you look and assume you know what you're doing." There's gotta be some sort of safety measures here on this island, right? Surely the hosts wouldn't just let them do something terribly dangerous.

She smiles when Forde brings up the party she had hosted, glad that he holds the memories still. It had been wonderful to see such a big turn out and so many people showed up to celebrate with her and her family. "Love that idea too, Forde. It would be a lot more stressful to put all of the food preparation on one or two people. And this way, we will be sure everyone will be able to find something they like."

When poor Camilla draws attention to herself, Ethlyn tries to make a point to lower her voice a little. She imagines too much excitement is probably not helping anything for her. "Axe throwing is fun. Easy to set up and gives people a chance to show off and blow off some steam. I've got a deck of cards. We could play King's Cup." She laughs and shakes her head while looking at Camilla. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding! But card games could be fun too."

"We still need decorations otherwise it won't really look like a party, will it?"

@optimismxmagicism

Someone shoulda built a Party City on this island.

[ladyleonster]

Entertaining viewers is a concept Ethlyn is not entirely sure about but she does know quite a bit about entertaining! Parties, get togethers, just simple little one on one visits, she's planned and done then all. They always end up fun and festive and enjoyable for the attendees. Perhaps that would be enough for someone looking in from the outside?

She remembers the Morfisian Elementals and their hovering over the ball a few years ago.

"Right!" She claps her hands together and surveys the space around them. "We're going to need food for sure. Some decorations. Some sort of entertainment. Music maybe? A game? What do you think?"

@optimismxmagicism @maligknightsthorns @renaisguy

Someone shoulda built a Party City on this island.

[ladyleonster]

Oh this is a fun idea! Mixing drinks, bonding over strange and probably awful tastes that they've all experienced together. Sounds like the perfect way to make a few new friends.

The concept reminds her of an old friend and the type of games he would have brought to the group when they were gathered 'round the fire sharing stories and laughs. She hums to herself and looks over the ingredients, considering for a moment what he might have added. But no. Perhaps it is better to start off smaller.

Ethlyn grabs a bottle of ginger beer and pours in what she assumes is probably close enough to two shots into the concoction. It doesn't look horrific yet but she's only the third person to give this a whirl.

"Alright, you're up!" She encourages as she pats the back of the next person.

🍹 Fun First Consequences Later

the adults drinking game thread :)

[ladyleonster]

Even on a beach island vacation, Camilla would find a way to keep her title of “juice lady.” Where she found the supplies, for both non alcoholic and alcoholic drinks, or the cart she managed to hitch to Barbie to drag everything along with her was unimportant. It was juice time. 

“Here darling! I have some more adult options if you’d like to add something stronger.” 🍹

Ethlyn's eyes do not move from Camilla's wyvern the second she sees the pair approaching. She likes Camilla. She thinks it's sweet that she continues to take care of so many people associated with the monastery. But that doesn't ease the feeling of dread that grips her heart tighter and tighter or the way her body tenses every time poor Barbie makes any sort of movement.

"Stronger. Much stronger." She would have made a joke about how she hopes Camilla has little umbrellas in her cart but she isn't about to risk any more time here than is absolutely necessary.

"Thanks!" When her drink is produced, she leaves as quickly as is polite. She'll have to make sure to catch up with the other woman later when it's just the two of them.

[ladyleonster]

It's nostalgic watching the group of people pass a beach ball back and forth to each other. She remembers a similar game she'd played with Sigurd when they were growing up. The two siblings would set aside their need to try and outdo one another in favor of working together to keep a balloon from hitting the floor. Instead of competing against each other, they would try to see how long they could keep it up, counting each time one of them hit the balloon.

It's nice to see the same sort of teamwork at play here before the true competition starts.

Of course, that doesn't stop Ethlyn from getting a little braggy. "I've got this! I'm a keepy uppy expert!" With her hands joined together, she hits it into the air, not really caring where it flies off to. That's part of the fun.

The ball hits her hands differently than the balloons of her childhood memories but it soars off toward one of the students. Cupping her hands around her mouth, Ethlyn yells, "incoming!"

@justices-blade

stupid happyland. i'm BALLIN

happyland: getting situated [group beach ball! sign up here]

[ladyleonster]

Unsurprisingly, there isn't much greenery to be found on a beachside resort.

Unsurprising to Andrei, perhaps, but the fact seems to be freshly disappointing to Buttermilk, who snuffles despondently as his rider approaches. What little foliage around him had bites taken out of them, with only a few kinds eaten clean.

"This isn't enough, is it?" Andrei shakes his head, tugging the reins free and leading Buttermilk up the path. He can't be the only person who brought a steed to the island, and yet they'd been left to forage for themselves.

Buttermilk stops at every patch of green they could find, though he only chews at some of it, leaving others untouched. It seems this island isn't any more pleasant to him than it is to his rider, and Andrei has no idea whether he's supposed to take solace in that fact.

Suddenly, Buttermilk perks up, trotting ahead of Andrei to the other side of the nearby hut. "What—"

His unfinished question dies almost to a groan as he sees who exactly they had come upon. Of course she had to bring a horse as well. And to make matters worse, Buttermilk goes right up to the mare with a soft whinny, looking happier than he had since arriving on this island. He nudges the other horse's head towards some of the foliage on the ground, apparently the kind that he's found most agreeable thus far.

...Why??

"B— stop that," he says, barely catching himself before saying his name aloud in front of Ethlyn, an action that he's certain would earn him nothing but mockery. He does not seek to give the Chalphy woman any more points to use against him than she already has. Predictably, Buttermilk ignores him, continuing to snort contentedly, tail swishing in the presence of Ethlyn's steed. Andrei rolls his eyes.

"Your horse," he says flatly, "Is being a terrible influence to mine." Out of all the other horses he could possibly choose to befriend, why did it have to be hers?

Ethlyn was a little wary about bringing her horse with her to this island. It's a beach island. Like with sand. But she and her horse have been training hard to overcome any obstacles the terrain might through their way and she's confident in their ability as a mount and rider team. She's not about to be caught slipping again.

And she's always felt more confident and capable when mounted than when on foot.

At first, Ethlyn only notices she other horse. She immediately recognizes him from the monastery's stables as the horse her own seems to prefer to be around the most. She's always thought it was cute that Hervor had made a little friend even if she didn't know anything about this other horse.

Hervor trots right up to Buttermilk and nuzzles her head against his happily. This is her bestie! Her horstie! She's happy to see a familiar face.

"He he, that's your buddy, isn't it?" Ethlyn asks before Buttermilk's rider comes into view and her face falls into a scowl.

This is a joke. This is some kind of cruel joke. Some higher being is laughing at her right now.

"Oh I hope she teaches yours all sorts of terrible things."

There is part of her that is annoyed that he's even here. Why would he be here anyway? Isn't he like incapable of having fun? But another part is thrilled to have the chance to prove herself as superior.

"I hope you're ready to be destroyed in this competition because me and Team Sheep are going to wipe the floor with you!"