rosavelle | Hayden Sorrows Late December/January Catch-All

[Hayden doesn't know anybody here, not really. He's spent the last week reeling and adrift and confused. He'd spent a couple of continuous sleepless days and nights nested in Amourian Library trying to figure out how parallel worlds are even possible, a couple days and nights of intermittently wandering the palace grounds and passing out, and finally a few nights of fitful sleep between days of wandering town and trying to meet people before chickening out and hiding inside his massive black cape.]

[People scare Hayden. It's ridiculous! The people are just strangers, they seem nice enough, and even if Hayden made a massive fool of himself, so what? He was leaving soon anyway! He'd only have to deal with the humiliation for...months? Many months? Mother had always drilled into him the seriousness and importance of first impressions; a potential ally or partner could not be given reason to dislike you before you even speak. So Hayden...didn't speak, a lot of the time. He really hoped he wouldn't fuck it up. So when he heard about the Lantern Hike, he dragged himself out of the castle and forced himself to go. He has to meet people sometime.]

[The breeze like a smooth hand stroking his feathers, Hayden glides down towards Marelys. He rests his spread wings and takes the glide time to survey the streets below. On a cobblestone street lined by not-yet-lit gas lamps, a crowd has already gathered. Stalls and tables hawking foods for the walk, or showing off their most extravagant chimes and lanterns. Some are already trading talk of loved ones at sea. Some are standing around, awaiting the coming of dark or a friend yet to arrive. A cold wind sets the chimes to a constant gentle music, and the sun turns the Azurite black and sparkling. Hayden, however, doesn't want to be right in the middle of the noise, at least not to land there. So he finds a seemingly side street and swoops down, swirling and wavering and flapping a little awkwardly on the landing. Hopping down to the window of an empty shop, Hayden looks in the mirror and intently focuses. As the dream of the bird begins to fade and blur into nothing, he focuses his self-image with an effort of will, forces himself not to see the normal bloodshot brown eyes, heavy dark bags, or tangled white bird's nest, but a clean and well-rested and distinguished scholar, a credit to the Bleak Academy.]

[Unfortunately, he did not count on seeing someone in the reflected glass standing and staring at him. Who on their way to Lantern Hike just saw an albatross fly down from the sky and turn into a goth-looking white-haired boy?]

[Listen. Listen, Ryu has become pretty credulous about a lot of things lately. What with Changeling popping out and Bulat's... Bulat.]

[But seeing a bird become a human was... a new one, he'll admit.]

So. Uh. Hi. Need a lantern?

[Hayden flinches stumbles backwards, nearly tripping over his feet (and cape).]

Fuck!!! I...IIIII, um, well, I was just, erm...hi.

[He puts a hand on the back of neck and chuckles nervously. He finally processes Ryu's actual question.]

Oh, um, yeah! ...You have one? Sorry, dumb question, of course you do or you wouldn't have asked, right?

Well, don't let me stop you then. Here.

[He hands it over.]

Of course, I'm mostly a guest...

[He pauses, and gently uses a stick to light Hayden's lantern, then his own.]

Thanks!

[Hayden sheepishly takes the lantern.]

Guest...? Are you-? You wouldn't happen to be a member of the Princess'...new advisory board, would you? I, um, I only recently arrived myself; haven't had the chance to meet everybody yet.

Ah. Yes, I am. Ryu, Odjn, Lord Sheldar.

[He bows politely.]

['odjn' is a reasonable bit of Russian for 'one'. Something Hayden might know, considering.]

Odjn? Well, that's lovely!

[Hayden can't believe it, someone from Russia! Back at his home-that is, back in Fortitude everyone knows Russia isn't real. But of course, apparently there's a multiverse now, so who knows how many worlds contain a Russian language, Hayden doesn't know, but it boggles the mind to imagine.]

Oh, where are my manners?

[Hayden takes a sweeping, elegant, respectful bow, his years of formal etiquette lessons finally paying off.]

My name is Hayden, Hayden Sorrows. You're um, headed on the lantern walk, aren't you? Wanna, um, I mean, you aren't...expecting, any partners, um, I mean, I know you just met me, so if you'd rather walk up yourself, that'd be fine, I'd get it, but um, if we're headed to the same place, then...ah, fuck, sorry, I'm bad at talking.

I'm currently available, yes.

[Though he sounds a bit surprised as he says it. Why him?]

[Hayden, equally surprised at the positive response, completely fails to register Ryu's confusion]

Oh! Okay, well, sure, let's...let's go!

[Hayden inches at least somewhat closer to the waiting crowd, lantern in hand.]

Isn't there supposed to be a meteor shower tonight too?

I... Think so, but I have not prepared for it in the slightest. Have you?

...no. No, I haven't. Probably should have, I'm curious about testing the rumor, but I didn't think I'd have a partner, so...no. Should still be pretty, though, yeah?

Most likely. Do you want to stick around a while to see, once this is done, then?

Um, certainly. I, uh, I don't have any other plans tonight.

[Hayden reaches the main street and notices the larger group has started moving up the hill. He starts following them, dragging his feet along the cobblestones and avoiding getting too close to them.]

So...the "multiverse?" Many worlds exist alongside each other on totally different incompatible metaphysical paradigms and yet they sill are. It's insane, isn't it?

Well, maybe, but starting with even slightly different assumptions leads different places, doesn't it?

Whatever do you mean?

Doesn't changing how things started change how they end?

[Every once in a while, Dante needed to take a break from soliciting handouts from folks on the street to unwind and check out something new. Wandering around and appreciating a city? One couldn't just do that in Redgrave. Taking in the sights often triggered the predatory instinct of every piece of shit looking down from their seedy hideouts.

He'd been bored as sin, expression flat as he listened to the old man behind the front desk measure out what was needed to fix a tattered red coat he'd walked in with--something normally beyond saving. There was something wholly listless about the way he'd regarded a great bird of that size landing in a back alley--at least until it changed shape and became a man. A sharp grin overtook him and he blew a breath on the glass only to smudge it up with a big, sloppy smiley face draw with his pinky. His voice, muffled behind that glass, would have still picked up just fine.]

Hey, I know you... from the castle, right?

[ hang around the Amourian library at unusual hours long enough and one is bound to cross paths with Ororon. or, perhaps, he made his path more... available? (unavoidable.) to the apparent newcomer after a few sessions of social chicken from afar. after all, it isn't hard for him to tell that Hayden must be a fellow invitee of the Princess.

he sure looks out of place enough to fit the bill...

and Ororon would know! as a fellow connoisseur of the all-black wardrobe, of course. and that's not even getting into all the other curious anomalies about the other young man's appearance that - he suspects - only he can see. ]

Oh, hello.

[ Ororon looks up from his book and politely ambushes the new fellow with a greeting, before he can escape. ]

[Hayden lets out an impossible screech, jumping in surprise and dropping the book he's been holding. Ororon can't be sure, but for a brief moment as Hayden whirls to face him, he seems to see only darkness where Hayden's eyes should be. Hayden sees this new stranger and immediately scrunches up in embarrassment.]

Oh, uhhh. Hi! I'm so sorry I didn't see you, I just get so immersed in my research I sometimes don't even see what's right in front of...I'm Hayden. Hello.

[ to his credit - and as is his habit, being on the relatively outwardly calm side - Ororon's face hardly flinches at the dramatic shriek. his ears, on the other hand! they have barely just stiffened up in alarm before the sheer volume makes them both flatten against his skull.

he finds himself blinking rapidly, wondering if his eyes have decided to play tricks on him now that his ears are ringing like a bell. ]

N-no problem...

[ he tries for 'reassuring' with his thumbs-up when Hayden apologizes, and uncringes in his seat. ]

I'm Ororon. Another... Royal Advisor... I guess. What have you been researching here?

Hayden Sorrows Late December/January Catch-All

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Re: Open Prompt: Lapis Lookout Lantern Hike (Featuring: Ominous Flashbacks!)

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