First Spell ☠ Video & Action

[fantachetic]

Who: Dorian Pavus & You!
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Lyuku & Marsiva
When: 9/13

Video;;
[ Waking up in an unfamiliar place surrounded by unfamiliar things is certainly high on the list of disturbing things Dorian has experienced, on par with seeing a future that should never exist. It takes little time to figure this communicator business out, and somehow, he knows how to operate it despite never having seen it. Mark number two for 'this place is disturbing'. After a while, he opens the communicator and turns on the video feed. That is a very well-manicured mustache.. ]

From what I understand, and feel free to correct if I'm mistaken, but we've been spirited away by a seemingly-benevolent entity. Furthering that, we are given information that, by all accounts, should be impossible, yet here we are!

[ This entire tirade is complimented by a wide flourish, gesturing to his surroundings. ]

What, you thought that was simply the beginning? Turns out, we visit entirely different places, and this one happens to have something happening to it. A might convenient, I daresay. Oh, but let's not forget, we're entertainment! Steal the spotlight, win the show and get to leave. Sounds simple enough, but has this actually happened to anyone you are aware of?


Lyuku;;
[ The streets are colorful, if not a bit crowded, but not unpleasant. It's difficult to not want to spend hours winding through the stalls of the bazaar. He has a few credits to spend, but Dorian doesn't feel the immediate need to part with them in case there is something that strikes his fancy at the end. However, that won't stop him from browsing and trying to get a better deal. Maybe he stops to feed a strawberry to one of those dragonesque lizards. Definitely not picking it up, though. It can stay right where it is. He could also be found perusing the more mystical wares- tables of crystals and bottled herbs that he's absolutely unfamiliar with but intrigued by. ]

Fortune Telling;;
The beck and call of a few extra credits doesn't elude him, though really he doesn't see how he has the 'look' of a fortune teller- and he would have had half a mind to be offended had she meant anything by it. The orange-skinned woman had wanted a bit of shut eye, so Dorian finds himself sitting under a canopy surrounded by lots of musty tapestry and gleaming strands of beads. The crystal ball and stack of cards could be laughable. If he weren't superb at being incredibly charming. ]

I have a good sense about your future, care for a reading?

Wildcard;;
[ Hit Dorian up with something else! On the Marsiva, seeing the sights? Sure! ]

[ooc note: those who wish to make TDM threads canon and want to continue, feel free!]

Comments

video.

[brainiest]

We don't know very much at all about other fleets, winners or losers. I'm afraid you might find it a little bit of a struggle to learn anything about them either.

[ At least he's... Well. He's talking. More than can be said for some. ]

At least you'll be somewhat comfortable while you're here?

[bryces_pup]

Oh, banish the thought of the benevolence of these people. They are very much not.

[Atroma can have its moments of kindness, but Riona's long since attributed that to either flukes on their part, or setting up for something far worse and likely to cause pain later.]

And unfortunately no, we don't know for certain. There's doubt that this is a show at all. Good luck proving either way, though.

video.

[fantachetic]

A might unfortunate, that. Is there any particular reason that there is no information available? Have they erased the knowledge of it?

[ He considers the question with a tilt of his head. ]

Comfort is subjective. I am certainly not lounging in a horse-infested shithole that smells of damp and dog.

[fantachetic]

I imagine that they see themselves as benevolent, rather than the opposite. People with power do tend to have that delusion.

How long has this been going on?

[bryces_pup]

I am not so sure they do, but I'll spare you the details as to why. That can come later. [Regaling a newcomer with the story of how they shoved a drill through someone's head because they didn't perform to their satisfaction probably is not a good idea.]

This current "cycle" as they call it has been going on for a few years now. Only a handful, if any, of those people from the early days remain.

[fantachetic]

[ Not the brightest ray of hope to be had, no. Then again, blood magic is a thing sooooo.. ]

Years. Maker's breath, that seems excessive. Judging from your response, you've been around for some time, then.

[bryces_pup]

[Blood magic pales compared to what Atroma can do.]

Over a year and a half now. I know of one or two who have been here longer yet. How long we stay depends on Atroma's whimsy, it seems.

[If there's a rhyme or reason to it, no one has yet to understand it.]

And I'm forgetting my manners, as usual. I'm Riona.

video

[scanninggaydis]

I'm curious what makes you think they're even seemingly benevolent. I mean, I guess other than just trying to kill us outright or something.

[Maybe Dorian's statement was a little glib, but at the same time. The Atroma aren't great.]

[fantachetic]

[ It's sounding more and more like there's something to this place. (Of course there is.) There's bound to be a reason they're all here- especially if they've been here for years. Dorian doesn't plan on being that person. ]

A pleasure. Dorian of House Pavus. [ He nods his head in as much of a bow that's humanly possible while holding a communicator and not bashing his face. ]

video

[fantachetic]

Ah, the benevolence is mostly from their own eyes, one assumes. They very well could- most kidnappers are hardly without ulterior motive.

fortune telling;

[aetherflows]

[Someone addresses him and it takes Alphinaud a moment to formulate a response. He's distracted by the mustache. Definitely the mustache. Most of the natives seem to have orange-hued skin; Dorian sticks out a little compared to the other fortune-peddlers. Maybe he's working for some coin?

Alphinaud sticks out too, though; he hasn't seen anyone else with big pointy elezen ears.]

I wonder how-- all I can feel is the tension begging to be cut apart with a knife. [A pause, and a little smile.] But if you're part of the Fleet, I'll play along.

Do you want my palm or somesuch? [He reaches into his coinpurse for some credits, which he earned mostly by running up and down several flights of stairs for lazy astronomers.]

[fantachetic]

[ Well, he is naturally distracting. It's all the charm and good looks. ]

Perhaps, but it's difficult to take a step back and see the forest instead of the trees in front of you. [ Dorian gestures to the empty seat in front of him in the booth. It feels closed off compared to the other peddlers around, tapestries and silks surround three sides for a more secluded reading. Once Alphinaud steps fully into the tent, the scent of incense is heady. The orange-skinned owner of said tent must bathe in it for how the scent lingers in the fabrics. ]

You're new to the Fleet as well, I'd wager. Your options include a palm reading or a look into the tarot cards. What do you feel the right answer is?

[aetherflows]

[Definitely the charm and good looks. How he misses Thancred, especially Thancred before he lost everything...]

I suppose so. [He sniffs and wrinkles his nose, obviously regretting that. He's not sure if he prefers the heavy incense, or the scent of frogs and mud, which was what Matoya was all about in her ever-present witchiness. But he takes a seat anyway. He's nothing to lose but a few credits, and everything to gain from information.]

And you would be correct. I've only recently arrived, but at least I've been far from idle.

[He strips off his leather gloves and offers both his palms. He's not sure which one Dorian wants so he gets to choose!]

The cards bear some similarity to those on my world, at least superficially, but the meanings are entirely different. I'm afraid both of us would end up confused.

[fantachetic]

We wouldn't want that, would we?

[ Don't mention the smell and it doesn't exist, right? That's at least what Dorian is telling himself. Once Alphinaud has his gloves off, Dorian takes his right hand between his own and flashes a bit of a smile. His middle finger traces over the topmost line on his patron's hand. ]

Your heart line suggests that you tend to express your feelings and emotions as freely as you experience them.

[ He follows the next line down, moving from inner wrist toward the thumb. ] Your thinking is clear and focused when it matters most.

[aetherflows]

[Dorian is very gentle, for which Alphinaud is glad. You can tell a lot about a person by how they shake your hand or even hold it. There's no psychic powers involved in that, no gift of fortune telling. It's something every diplomat learns.]

I try not to make a mess of things, [he agrees. He's always been more composed than his fiery sister, but he still feels the same things she does. When he's passionate about something, everyone around them knows it. It's just a matter of tact... which Alisaie has little of.

He wonders if she'd have the same reading. They're identical twins, after all.]

video; this guy could sort of be a Qunari?

[sonof_mogh]

[Was this guy so naïve to actually think that if he performed well enough the Atroma would send him home? Good luck with that...]

The Atroma will not send you home. Even if we perform well enough for their circus, none of us have been allowed to return back to where we came from. Our captors are cowards and deserve nothing but a dishonourable death.

[This guy is all about honour and killing.]

video

[ginger_firebird]

They're benevolent in the sense that they won't outright kill us. And as far as I have found out in the month or so I've been here, leaving simply doesn't happen, at least not actively.

[He's kind of impressed with the attitude thus far. People should always be critical of their surroundings and situations and Dorian seems very critical indeed.]

My full title is Psycho Mantis, but most stick to Mantis after a while. Welcome to the fleet.

video.

[brainiest]

Probably because they don't want us to know anything about a way to get home. Any information has been based on technology, and that's not exactly something I'm very good at.

[ Magical theory? Sure. Dabbling in hand to hand? Why not. Computers? Panic. ]

Luckily, the ships aren't at all horse-infested and mostly smell like metal.

video.

[fantachetic]

I imagine not. Why make the answers readily available to those who wish to use it? [ He tsks. ] I will admit I am not familiar with it, either.

Excellent. For a moment I was concerned. [ Not really about that, so much. ]

video

[fantachetic]

I had assumed the benevolence was more from their point of view than our own.

[ Listen. When you have been through the shit he has, it's hard not to be a cynic. He would have been eaten alive in Tevinter if he weren't. ]

Dorian of House Pavus. I would extend my gratitude, but I'm rather sure I will be eating my words shortly.

he sure could

[fantachetic]

My good man, I have little faith in their willingness- people with power tend to have false promises aplenty. Were it that simple, we would be where we are intended to be.

[ Dorian raises a perfect eyebrow at Mr. Rampage. ]

I'm inclined to agree until I have further proof.

video

[ginger_firebird]

It always is. Although, you can almost admire that they would even try to put on an act of kindness and showmanship. It takes a certain type to play a role like they are.

[They can be cynics together. Mantis has found things to like, but he still resents his situation for a long list of reasons.]

Dorian. I have never heard of the House of Pavus. It practically reeks of nobility built on politics and possibly warfare. [It's hard to miss someone brought up to live comfortably.] Save the gratitude for another day. We are in a very interesting situation involving shared dreams and a singing planet.

video

[fantachetic]

Having not seen them myself, I can only assume that they believe it to be a grand performance. People like that tend to have a flair for the dramatic.

[ Pot, meet kettle. Oh, Mantis. That certainly gets a laugh. ]

Not nobility, but something rather close. A powerful family with a history of powerful mages with a seat in the senate. [ Dorian isn't sure which part interests him more, the shared dreaming or a planet that sings. ]

Fascinating! I would like to hear your take on the situation thus far.

[fantachetic]

Far easier said than done, I'm afraid.

[ Most people tend to try not to make a mess of things, but situations come and go with little care for how their grand plan is set up. It is always difficult to tell what reactions will shape it for the better. Acting in the moment has its consequences.

Dorian clears his throat and runs a finger down the line be believes was for life, then the fate line, running down the middle of Alphinaud's palm. ]

You've had a sudden change in lifestyle, but you have a supportive network of people and you will determine your own fate. [ Letting go of his hand, Dorian sits back, smiling. ]

So, how spot-on was it?

Adalwolfe- action;;

[fantachetic]

(( continued from here ))

[ Dorian senses some sort of hesitation, but he chalks it up to more of a hangup on him being from Tevinter than anything so deep as worrying about making more connections. Since Adalwolfe sits, he must not be too bothered by it. Not something he's unused to, of course. The corner of his lip twitches up into a smirk as he talks, though it ends up as a laugh. ]

But isn't it fascinating to consider the possibilities? When I helped my old mentor develop that particular thread of magic, it wasn't meant to be used as it had been. It hadn't been finished, so it was horribly unstable. He was foolish to have used it so. [ He rubs a hand over his chin, considering for a moment. ]

Why not a combination of both? It isn't likely that the two are mutually exclusive. From what I have seen from this network so far, is that people are familiar with one, but not the other.