Lady Aranessa Royce

An RP blog for Lady Aranessa Royce of Critical Role Campaign 4

[ladyaranessaroyce]

Introduction

Hello, everyone. My name is Lady Aranessa Royce. Member of House Royce. Widow of Thjazi Fang. I have created this in order to answer any questions that arise. Also, I've heard of heroes in another realm by a helpful interloper, and I think this might be a way to contact them.

So, ask me anything you wish.

OOC: Hey, guys! It's me again. The rules are simple. Don't be mean, as per usual.

Looking for any Sir Juliens to interact with.

Headcanons: Might possibly be in love with Julien. (Even she doesn't know)

Her horse, Seraphina, is the unluckiest horse on the planet. Despite this, Aranessa loves her. Largely because when she's not stepping into potholes or walking into branches, she's a good horse.

My tags:

Aranessa's Answers: Answering asks

Aranessa's musings: Her just saying things

OOC: Out of character.

The account that I follow from is @nerdyauthortheatrekid

[thedesignatedheroes]

Raven sighed - he finally had a moment to breathe.

Nevar and his demons hadn't been around in quite some time, and he was grateful, but things still felt off.

You are tormented by worries in your mind, Satyarani had told him once, when he'd expressed concern about demons when working with her to restore his homeland, long ago. He had a feeling that right now, he felt the same.

Footsteps crunched against the grass, and Raven turned, holding up his staff of power upon cautious instinct.

"Who's there...? Speak now."

[thedesignatedheroes]

Raven nodded, looking towards Aranessa.

"Aye, they are healing potions. These types are ones taht can heal certain ailments, such as paralysis or minor poisons. iT would be good to have around Araceli Nemesis, in case...she has a reputation with snakes and poisons." Raven admitted to her. He was certain that they would need it...just in case.

Footsteps came up, and Raven turned to see none other than Nuriel peek his head in, calling. "Helloooo?"

"Nuriel?" Raven blinked. "How did you find us?"

"You left the secret passageway open." The fiery advisor quipped, stretching his arms behind his back briefly. "Also, I came to find you two because dinner is ready." He looked around, chuckling a bit. "Looks like Raf did make good use of the place, huh....?"

"Aye, he did." Raven nodded. "He will not mind if we borrow a few potions, will he?"

Nuriel shook his head. "Nah, I don't think so. It's nothing major, is it?"

"Just a few antidote ones."

Nuriel shrugged. "Fair enough."

[ladyaranessaroyce]

"Now that is definitely what we need," Aranessa said.

She looked up at Nuriel's voice. Ah, yes, the advisor. He was a good man. Very fun as well. Hal would most likely love him.

"Dinner, hm?" she remarked, "What would dinner be?"

"Also, we had a conversation with the sorceress in the mirror. By that, I mean a woman named Starling. Have you ever met her before?" she asked.

[thedesignatedheroes]

Raven sighed - he finally had a moment to breathe.

Nevar and his demons hadn't been around in quite some time, and he was grateful, but things still felt off.

You are tormented by worries in your mind, Satyarani had told him once, when he'd expressed concern about demons when working with her to restore his homeland, long ago. He had a feeling that right now, he felt the same.

Footsteps crunched against the grass, and Raven turned, holding up his staff of power upon cautious instinct.

"Who's there...? Speak now."

[thedesignatedheroes]

Raven nodded in understanding, deciding it was best not to comment on the dead gods for now. Perhaps it was history best left not talked about...

Raven met Aranessa's gaze quietly at the mention of entertainment. "She will not do anything to interfere in our mission, Lady Aranessa," He explained, "but she will be keeping a close eye on us. Other than being able to see us through mirrors, she has other magical items and abilities that will allow her to keep an eye on us most of the time, as much as she desires. She also has four close agents working for her. Not all of them are like her, but...they are uniquely powerful in their own ways."

He frowned, shaking his head once. "I do hope that we do not have to encounter her agents...at least, not all of them. We will likely run into one at some point. Their duties are to keep close surveillance of Melodia as a whole and defend the land from anyone that could be a threat."

[ladyaranessaroyce]

"Well, that's good," Aranessa replied, "At least, sort of good. If she is merely contented to be a spectator and not an instigator, I am satisfied."

Starling seemed interesting. Not good, but not evil either. A sort of amused neutral party. A bit like that masked man at Thjazi's funeral. What was his name again? Oh, right. Bolaire.

"Does that mean a threat to the realm, a threat to her, or a threat to her entertainment?" Aranessa inquired. The first and third options were probably the same thing, but it was good to check.

[thedesignatedheroes]

Raven frowned at hearing Aranessa's question.

"I would presume, officially, at least the first and second options. The third...most likely also that, depending on circumstances." He finally answered, after a moment. He knew that Starling hated it when her 'entertainment' got spoiled by something too unexpected.

The warlord of Alaunus glanced around, hoping to find something of use while they were in the laboratory. Surely Rafaele might have left something... Raven checked one of the shelves, and was rewarded with finding two small vials of general status-ailment healing potions, pocketing both of them for later.

"I'll make sure to repay Rafaele later.."

[ladyaranessaroyce]

Aranessa nodded,

"Completely fair. I can see that happening."

Aranessa looked around the room, too. It was a pretty interesting space to look around in. Occtis would most likely love this place. Knowing him, he would turn this place upside down looking for cool and/or useful things. Then, he would do his best to put everything back exactly where he found it. Then, if he was unlucky, Pin would pop out of his little pocket dimension and wreck that process, and then Occtis would have to start cleaning all over again. For an animal that looked more like a dog, Pin acted more like a cat. To be honest, it was pretty hard not to laugh when things like that happened. Especially when she was with the others. Then it became downright impossible at times. Vaelus had a surprisingly infectious laugh when she really got going.

"Are they healing potions?" she asked, "If so, those are definitely going to help us."

[thedesignatedheroes]

Raven sighed - he finally had a moment to breathe.

Nevar and his demons hadn't been around in quite some time, and he was grateful, but things still felt off.

You are tormented by worries in your mind, Satyarani had told him once, when he'd expressed concern about demons when working with her to restore his homeland, long ago. He had a feeling that right now, he felt the same.

Footsteps crunched against the grass, and Raven turned, holding up his staff of power upon cautious instinct.

"Who's there...? Speak now."

[thedesignatedheroes]

Raven nodded in understanding, deciding it was best not to comment on the dead gods for now. Perhaps it was history best left not talked about...

Raven met Aranessa's gaze quietly at the mention of entertainment. "She will not do anything to interfere in our mission, Lady Aranessa," He explained, "but she will be keeping a close eye on us. Other than being able to see us through mirrors, she has other magical items and abilities that will allow her to keep an eye on us most of the time, as much as she desires. She also has four close agents working for her. Not all of them are like her, but...they are uniquely powerful in their own ways."

He frowned, shaking his head once. "I do hope that we do not have to encounter her agents...at least, not all of them. We will likely run into one at some point. Their duties are to keep close surveillance of Melodia as a whole and defend the land from anyone that could be a threat."

[ladyaranessaroyce]

"Well, that's good," Aranessa replied, "At least, sort of good. If she is merely contented to be a spectator and not an instigator, I am satisfied."

Starling seemed interesting. Not good, but not evil either. A sort of amused neutral party. A bit like that masked man at Thjazi's funeral. What was his name again? Oh, right. Bolaire.

"Does that mean a threat to the realm, a threat to her, or a threat to her entertainment?" Aranessa inquired. The first and third options were probably the same thing, but it was good to check.

[thedesignatedheroes]

Raven sighed - he finally had a moment to breathe.

Nevar and his demons hadn't been around in quite some time, and he was grateful, but things still felt off.

You are tormented by worries in your mind, Satyarani had told him once, when he'd expressed concern about demons when working with her to restore his homeland, long ago. He had a feeling that right now, he felt the same.

Footsteps crunched against the grass, and Raven turned, holding up his staff of power upon cautious instinct.

"Who's there...? Speak now."

[thedesignatedheroes]

Raven's gaze snapped towards Aranessa at the mention of godhood.

"No! I am no god, Lady Aranessa - nor do I wish to consider myself as one. When I became my homeland's protector, I gave up my mortality." he shook his head quickly, frowning. "I cannot age, and I cannot die easily like most mortals can. But it is still possible to kill me if one happened to have enough...power. Fortunately, my power equals that of Nevar, if not surpasses it."

"Mm, yes, our brands of immortality are not quite on a godly level." Starling hummed, tiling her head to the side as she looked between Raven and Tahirah. "We are strange beings. Not quite human, not quite gods...are we human, or are we dancer?"

Raven looked towards Starling in Tahirah's form. "Please, Starling, change to a different form."

"Eh!?" Starling gasped in mock horror, putting a hand to her own chest. "But I thought that you'd find this one appealing, Raven!"

Raven glared at her. "I prefer the real Hira, not you. Change your form now, please."

"Getting into nicknames, aren't we? How cute." A giggle left Starling, but she changed into a cloaked figure, face not seen underneath a hood and cloak that appeared dark, but with glitter all over it like stars. "Welllll, those teleportation crystals that the Countess gave you earlier should certainly help expedite your journey, so make good use of 'em~ So don't be shy about using them!"

[ladyaranessaroyce]

"Oh, now I get it," Aranessa nodded, "Though the gods of my realm could be killed, too. In fact, they've been dead for seventy years." She said that as if it were the most casual thing in the world.

She looked between Starling and Raven with that exchange. Should she even say something at this point? Was Raven truly this oblivious? She looked at Starlight and glanced over at Raven as if to say,

"You know, too, huh?"

"That's very helpful, thank you," she replied, "Rest assured, we will most likely be using them for whatever we need them for."

[thedesignatedheroes]

Raven stared at Aranessa. "What do you mean, your gods have been dead for seventy years...?" How...?

Starling looked at Aranessa dead in the eye and smiled wide, just nodding in response as if to say "Absolutely, yes, I know too and it is KILLING ME that Raven and Tahirah are this oblivious."

Raven caught Starling's look, but didn't comment aloud because 1. Starling hadn't actually said anything aloud even if her look was very clearly communicating the above to Aranessa, and 2. ..what was he supposed to interpret from this?

"Good!" Starling chimed in response to Aranessa's thanks. "I'm certain that you two will succeed. Eventually. No matter how hard things get, you'll never give up! Such determined folks make for great entertainment. So, don't fail me now! Ta-ta~!"

"Wait..!"

Starling disappeared, laughter echoing throughout the room before slowly fading.

Raven sighed, shaking his head. "Starling...aye, that is certainly like her to just pop in, speak so casually about the situation at hand, and then disappear..." A bit frustrating, in his opinion, at times - and quite spontaneous. "I am certain that she will enjoy poking mischief at me while we are still here in Melodia..."

[ladyaranessaroyce]

"It's a long story, but the shortest way that I can describe it is that there was a war where we rebelled against them and we killed them," Aranessa explained. It was common knowledge where she was from, so she explained it rather casually, almost like she was discussing how she built a tower from cups.

Aranessa smiled as if to say,

"Oh, I know, right?" Man alive, those two were so oblivious that it was killing her! It reminded her of talking with her old friends. Wait a minute, were they doing this with her and Julien? Uh oh...

"Entertainment? Wait!" she called after Starling as the sorceress disappeared.

"Raven, what did she mean by entertainment? Can she see us?" Aranessa asked. Well, this was going to be awkward.

"I just hope the mischief isn't going to actually hinder us," she said, "If that doesn't happen, I'll be happy."

[thedesignatedheroes]

Raven sighed - he finally had a moment to breathe.

Nevar and his demons hadn't been around in quite some time, and he was grateful, but things still felt off.

You are tormented by worries in your mind, Satyarani had told him once, when he'd expressed concern about demons when working with her to restore his homeland, long ago. He had a feeling that right now, he felt the same.

Footsteps crunched against the grass, and Raven turned, holding up his staff of power upon cautious instinct.

"Who's there...? Speak now."

[thedesignatedheroes]

Raven's gaze snapped towards Aranessa at the mention of godhood.

"No! I am no god, Lady Aranessa - nor do I wish to consider myself as one. When I became my homeland's protector, I gave up my mortality." he shook his head quickly, frowning. "I cannot age, and I cannot die easily like most mortals can. But it is still possible to kill me if one happened to have enough...power. Fortunately, my power equals that of Nevar, if not surpasses it."

"Mm, yes, our brands of immortality are not quite on a godly level." Starling hummed, tiling her head to the side as she looked between Raven and Tahirah. "We are strange beings. Not quite human, not quite gods...are we human, or are we dancer?"

Raven looked towards Starling in Tahirah's form. "Please, Starling, change to a different form."

"Eh!?" Starling gasped in mock horror, putting a hand to her own chest. "But I thought that you'd find this one appealing, Raven!"

Raven glared at her. "I prefer the real Hira, not you. Change your form now, please."

"Getting into nicknames, aren't we? How cute." A giggle left Starling, but she changed into a cloaked figure, face not seen underneath a hood and cloak that appeared dark, but with glitter all over it like stars. "Welllll, those teleportation crystals that the Countess gave you earlier should certainly help expedite your journey, so make good use of 'em~ So don't be shy about using them!"

[ladyaranessaroyce]

"Oh, now I get it," Aranessa nodded, "Though the gods of my realm could be killed, too. In fact, they've been dead for seventy years." She said that as if it were the most casual thing in the world.

She looked between Starling and Raven with that exchange. Should she even say something at this point? Was Raven truly this oblivious? She looked at Starlight and glanced over at Raven as if to say,

"You know, too, huh?"

"That's very helpful, thank you," she replied, "Rest assured, we will most likely be using them for whatever we need them for."

[thedesignatedheroes]

Raven sighed - he finally had a moment to breathe.

Nevar and his demons hadn't been around in quite some time, and he was grateful, but things still felt off.

You are tormented by worries in your mind, Satyarani had told him once, when he'd expressed concern about demons when working with her to restore his homeland, long ago. He had a feeling that right now, he felt the same.

Footsteps crunched against the grass, and Raven turned, holding up his staff of power upon cautious instinct.

"Who's there...? Speak now."

[thedesignatedheroes]

The reflection smiled back at Aranessa, humming playfully as he/she? eyed her.

"You may call me Starling," she drawled, "for that is all everyone knows me as. A sorceress at Melodia's service. Pleasure to meet you, Lady Aranessa Royce~"

Raven frowned, eyeing Starling. "And you're here," He asked, "because...?"

"Well, I sensed your presences the moment that you entered Melodia. Thought that about a day or so would be enough for you two to get settled in before I gave a little courtesy visit..." A chuckle left Starling, before the image in the mirror shifted, twisting and turning until - it looked like a reflection of Lady Aranessa Royce herself, eyes still glowing yellow. "And to sense a fellow immortal and someone else with great magic within them is always fun to see."

"Is this really all it is?" Raven asked, raising a brow. "A mere visit?"

"Well, I did want to wish you two good luck in getting what you need..." Starling hummed, tilting her? head from one side to the other. "But you should enjoy yourselves while you're here~! Maybe take someone or something out on a fun outing..."

"We are not here for fun." Raven stated firmly. "We are here to help Lady Aranessa get back to her homeland!"

Starling then changed forms - changing to look exactly like Tahirah herself, beaming at Raven as she chimed, "I know. But who said you couldn't have fun while you're at it, hmmm~?"

[ladyaranessaroyce]

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Starling," Aranessa replied. It was interesting talking to a reflection, but you got over the shock quickly.

"An immortal?" Aranessa asked, "Raven, are you a god?!" That would be news to her. In Aramán, the gods were dead, so this would be the very first god she'd meet.

"Thank you for the well-wishes," she smiled, "They are well-appreciated."

"Well, to be fair, you're not exactly wrong," she admitted, "But we are on a slight time crunch." This person was quite the interesting person.

[thedesignatedheroes]

Raven sighed - he finally had a moment to breathe.

Nevar and his demons hadn't been around in quite some time, and he was grateful, but things still felt off.

You are tormented by worries in your mind, Satyarani had told him once, when he'd expressed concern about demons when working with her to restore his homeland, long ago. He had a feeling that right now, he felt the same.

Footsteps crunched against the grass, and Raven turned, holding up his staff of power upon cautious instinct.

"Who's there...? Speak now."

[thedesignatedheroes]

"Last time I was here, there were plenty of crystals called Luminae Crystals...they're found in Melodia's mountains, and ground up to create healing potions, typically." Raven answered Aranessa. "However, Rafaele was...working on ways to use it for more advanced purposes."

His eyes were still on the mirror, watching how the surface of it seemed to swirl a bit, as if it were water rather than a mirror. His reflection stared back at first normally, then -

It laughed and shuddered, eyes glowing yellow as it twitched and moved on its own. Raven took a step back, pointing his Staff of Power at it. "What!?"

"Hello~" Raven's reflection chuckled, speaking in a different woman's voice, leaning forwards against the surface of the mirror. "Missed me~?"

"You-!" Raven's chest tightened as he lowered his Staff of Power slightly, brows furrowing as he stared back at the talking reflection. Despite what the reflection looked like, the voice was unmistakable to him. "Starling...? Is that you?"

"Correct! And my, my, I see you brought a friend with you this time around~!" She/he? eyed Aranessa with a raised brow, then chuckled, covering her/his mouth with one hand. "How entertaining! I love it when we get newcomers here."

[ladyaranessaroyce]

"Oh! That's interesting!" Aranessa smiled. This was one of the coolest places ever.

Aranessa jumped back, shocked, shouting "What!?" at the same time as Raven. She got ready to attack.

It was rather strange to see someone's reflection talking to them in a different voice and moving on its own.

"Uh, yes. I am Lady Aranessa Royce of Aramán. Who might you be?" she asked.

[thedesignatedheroes]

Raven sighed - he finally had a moment to breathe.

Nevar and his demons hadn't been around in quite some time, and he was grateful, but things still felt off.

You are tormented by worries in your mind, Satyarani had told him once, when he'd expressed concern about demons when working with her to restore his homeland, long ago. He had a feeling that right now, he felt the same.

Footsteps crunched against the grass, and Raven turned, holding up his staff of power upon cautious instinct.

"Who's there...? Speak now."

[thedesignatedheroes]

"Very well." Raven nodded, before moving forward. "Let's see..."

The passsageway tot he lab wasn't too long, fortunately, and Raven found another door up ahead that he could open easily with a bit of magic.

Inside the lab were several items; there were dried up flowers and other herbs on shelves or scattered on various tables. Notebooks with yelloewed pages lay on one desk, stacked up on top of each other with one left open flat on the desk apart from the others.

"This," Raven breathed, looking around, "has been used since last time, I'm certain of it. Hira told me about her late father previously using this space...and that her godfather also uses this location. I thought there might be more magic items that could be handy, though..."

He eyed the mirror that was up against the wall. The surface of it seemed to sparkle a little, if one looked closely enough. The warlord took a step closer to the mirror, brows furrowing.

"This, however...this is new."

[ladyaranessaroyce]

"What other magic items are there?" Aranessa asked. She was interested in what was in here already; she could barely think about the new stuff that Raven was talking about. She wanted to take everything in and read so many things!

She stepped forward to the mirror behind Raven, her eyes widening with curiosity. What was it? And why was it sparkling? It was certainly most alluring.

"What is it, Raven?" she asked.

[historical-rp-memes]

{ Send “saddle up” for our characters to travel together on horseback }

[thedesignatedheroes]

Raven sighed - he finally had a moment to breathe.

Nevar and his demons hadn't been around in quite some time, and he was grateful, but things still felt off.

You are tormented by worries in your mind, Satyarani had told him once, when he'd expressed concern about demons when working with her to restore his homeland, long ago. He had a feeling that right now, he felt the same.

Footsteps crunched against the grass, and Raven turned, holding up his staff of power upon cautious instinct.

"Who's there...? Speak now."

[thedesignatedheroes]

Raven's eyes widened as he looked towards Aranessa when he heard a fall.

"Lady Aranessa are you...oh!" He carefully made his way over to her (trying not to trip over multiple books on the ground was easier said than done) but he did make it to her in due time. "Well, that should be the passageway...I thank you, for your assistance."

Said passageway was lit by what appeared to be some dim, floating candles. If one tried to touch the flames, they woudln't be harmed - and Raven could sense the tiniest bits of magic being used to keep them floating and lit.

"...When I went down this passageway," Raven stated after a moment, his eyes gazing at the now-open passageway, "it...led to a laboratory, of sorts. I wonder if it's been used since I last visited. Shall we take a look?"

[ladyaranessaroyce]

"I'm alright!" Aranessa called, "I just feel a little silly." She stood up and dusted herself off.

She saw Raven make her way over to her, trying to avoid the books on the floor. She did not intend for them to fall. They just sort of... did. The candles looked really nice, and she liked them a lot.

"A laboratory? That sounds interesting. I wish to take a look," she nodded.

[thedesignatedheroes]

Raven sighed - he finally had a moment to breathe.

Nevar and his demons hadn't been around in quite some time, and he was grateful, but things still felt off.

You are tormented by worries in your mind, Satyarani had told him once, when he'd expressed concern about demons when working with her to restore his homeland, long ago. He had a feeling that right now, he felt the same.

Footsteps crunched against the grass, and Raven turned, holding up his staff of power upon cautious instinct.

"Who's there...? Speak now."

[thedesignatedheroes]

Raven nodded. "Aye, there are hidden rooms. The question is, do I remember where the ones I found were?"

The two made it to the library pretty quickly, and indeed there were a plethora of books available to find, all sorted by various subjects. Magical items, spells, the history of Melodia, you name it - it was all there.

Raven glanced around. There were plenty of books, but he was honestly a little more interested in finding the rooms more than anything else. He walked towards one of the shelves, feeling along the spines of the books on there with one hand - he was certain that he'd found a room somewhere in this part of the library before.

"It was...somewhere..."

[ladyaranessaroyce]

The library was amazing. So many books! It would probably take Aranessa a couple of years to get through them all. She would have to tell Occtis all about it.

Aranessa looked around with Raven. She didn't see anything either. Of course, she had less experience with this place than Raven, but sometimes even a blind squirrel finds a nut.

"Do you wish for me to help you? Two heads are better than one," she offered.

[thedesignatedheroes]

Raven nodded as he looked towards Aranessa. "Aye, it would be helpful if you could look. The last time I remember finding a particularly hidden room was that I pulled a certain book off a certain shelf, and the shelf itself opened up to reveal a hidden passageway..."

But with so many books and so many shelves, which one was it!? The warlord of Alaunus had a feeling that this would...take a while.

----

And take a while it did. He lost count after maybe ten shelves' worth of books and he was starting to feel a bit...foolish. Idiotic, possibly. Some people may call him absolutely mad. And honestly, they might be mildly justified because this was getting ridiculous now.

Rarely did Raven lose his patience, but he might actually lose it with this.

"I am certain," Raven insisted, looking towards Aranessa as he suppressed a sigh, "that I found a passageway here that didn't just lead to a simple study area! And I know it was here, just...which book and shelf it was eludes me."

[ladyaranessaroyce]

"Pull books from shelves?" Aranessa asked, "I believe I can do that." There was a smile that was almost mischievous that graced her face. While she normally didn't like displacing books, this was going to be interesting, and, dare she say it, just a little bit fun.

15 minutes later...

Aranessa must've pulled books off about twenty shelves, and this was getting to be a bit hopeless.

"Let's just hope we're not here until midnight," she said. She then turned back to her work, which was starting to get ridiculous.

"Alright," she said to herself, "This one for sure." She had said that about five times, and she wasn't going to stop now. Luckily, she didn't get to, because once she pulled a book off a shelf (some romance novel named Tusk Love), she practically fell through the door.

"Raven? I think I found it!" She called. The path to her was kind of covered in books, so it was going to be a bit of a hassle to get to her.

[thedesignatedheroes]

Raven sighed - he finally had a moment to breathe.

Nevar and his demons hadn't been around in quite some time, and he was grateful, but things still felt off.

You are tormented by worries in your mind, Satyarani had told him once, when he'd expressed concern about demons when working with her to restore his homeland, long ago. He had a feeling that right now, he felt the same.

Footsteps crunched against the grass, and Raven turned, holding up his staff of power upon cautious instinct.

"Who's there...? Speak now."

[thedesignatedheroes]

Raven nodded. "Aye, there are hidden rooms. The question is, do I remember where the ones I found were?"

The two made it to the library pretty quickly, and indeed there were a plethora of books available to find, all sorted by various subjects. Magical items, spells, the history of Melodia, you name it - it was all there.

Raven glanced around. There were plenty of books, but he was honestly a little more interested in finding the rooms more than anything else. He walked towards one of the shelves, feeling along the spines of the books on there with one hand - he was certain that he'd found a room somewhere in this part of the library before.

"It was...somewhere..."

[ladyaranessaroyce]

The library was amazing. So many books! It would probably take Aranessa a couple of years to get through them all. She would have to tell Occtis all about it.

Aranessa looked around with Raven. She didn't see anything either. Of course, she had less experience with this place than Raven, but sometimes even a blind squirrel finds a nut.

"Do you wish for me to help you? Two heads are better than one," she offered.

[thedesignatedheroes]

Raven sighed - he finally had a moment to breathe.

Nevar and his demons hadn't been around in quite some time, and he was grateful, but things still felt off.

You are tormented by worries in your mind, Satyarani had told him once, when he'd expressed concern about demons when working with her to restore his homeland, long ago. He had a feeling that right now, he felt the same.

Footsteps crunched against the grass, and Raven turned, holding up his staff of power upon cautious instinct.

"Who's there...? Speak now."

[thedesignatedheroes]

"Then I'll get going then~!" Tahirah hummed, smiling at Raven and Aranessa. "I'll see you later."

"We'll talk later, Countess." Raven stated. Tahirah giggled, smiling, before she left the room, leaving Raven and Aranessa on their own.

The warlord was just glad that he could finally get away from the awkward subject of teleporting into people's rooms by accident. And yet...a light sigh left him, before he met Aranessa's gaze again.

"Since we still have time...is there any other place in the castle that you wish to explore, Lady Aranessa?" Might as well use the time somehow.

[ladyaranessaroyce]

"Yes. See you later," Aranessa said, watching her leave. She was one of the best new friends anyone could ask for. She couldn't wait until she could tell everyone about her. Oh, and Raven, too. She couldn't possibly forget about him in a hurry.

"Honestly? I'm unsure," admitted Aranessa, "You know this place more than I do." This place was huge, not to mention very new to her.

[thedesignatedheroes]

Raven paused as Aranessa admitted that she didn't know where to go next.

"I do believe," he managed, "that navigating the library may be of interest again, or perhaps the eastern tower of the castle might be an option...assuming I am allowed inside, that is."

Those two locations had been key areas that he navigated last time he was here. Raven gripped his Staff of Power as he pondered over those places. "The library has many hidden rooms, and some hold secrets more than others. As for the eastern tower...it is not always open to visitors, but it does hold a few things of interest if it is."

[ladyaranessaroyce]

"The library it is," Aranessa said, "That would be most interesting." That library looked ginormous. She wanted to read at least one of the books there. How many books were there, anyway? Probably at least one thousand. She wouldn't be surprised if there were one million books.

"Hidden rooms, you say?" she said, "Well, that just makes things all the more interesting now, doesn't it?" That made her want to explore it even further. Oh, this was going to be awesome!

[thedesignatedheroes]

Raven sighed - he finally had a moment to breathe.

Nevar and his demons hadn't been around in quite some time, and he was grateful, but things still felt off.

You are tormented by worries in your mind, Satyarani had told him once, when he'd expressed concern about demons when working with her to restore his homeland, long ago. He had a feeling that right now, he felt the same.

Footsteps crunched against the grass, and Raven turned, holding up his staff of power upon cautious instinct.

"Who's there...? Speak now."

[thedesignatedheroes]

"Then I'll get going then~!" Tahirah hummed, smiling at Raven and Aranessa. "I'll see you later."

"We'll talk later, Countess." Raven stated. Tahirah giggled, smiling, before she left the room, leaving Raven and Aranessa on their own.

The warlord was just glad that he could finally get away from the awkward subject of teleporting into people's rooms by accident. And yet...a light sigh left him, before he met Aranessa's gaze again.

"Since we still have time...is there any other place in the castle that you wish to explore, Lady Aranessa?" Might as well use the time somehow.

[ladyaranessaroyce]

"Yes. See you later," Aranessa said, watching her leave. She was one of the best new friends anyone could ask for. She couldn't wait until she could tell everyone about her. Oh, and Raven, too. She couldn't possibly forget about him in a hurry.

"Honestly? I'm unsure," admitted Aranessa, "You know this place more than I do." This place was huge, not to mention very new to her.

[thedesignatedheroes]

Raven sighed - he finally had a moment to breathe.

Nevar and his demons hadn't been around in quite some time, and he was grateful, but things still felt off.

You are tormented by worries in your mind, Satyarani had told him once, when he'd expressed concern about demons when working with her to restore his homeland, long ago. He had a feeling that right now, he felt the same.

Footsteps crunched against the grass, and Raven turned, holding up his staff of power upon cautious instinct.

"Who's there...? Speak now."

[thedesignatedheroes]

Tahirah smiled at Aranessa. "You're welcome!"

As Aranessa asked about what happened last time, Raven cleared his throat before carefully explaining.

"Teleportation crystals are often used to instantly arrive at specific locations, as the Countess explained. You simply must imagine the location in enough detail and it will take you there." He started, glancing between Tahirah and Aranessa. "However...I had the misfortune of trying to teleport to Melodia Castle once, and thought of the Countess instead at the very last second before it fully activated."

"Usually this would have resulted in the person appearing within some proximity of the person they think of, not necessarily immediately right beside them." Tahirah stated, face flushing as she tilted her head from side to side. "B-but...a working theory is that the more you know a specific person well, the physically closer you'll end up next to them...and Raven ended up in my bedchamber by accident when he meant to end up at the castle gates."

Fortunately, Tahirah was fully clothed and had just been touching up her hair at the time. Unfortunately, her godfather had been coming to her room to check on her at the time, and thus was thrown off by Raven being in the same room as her, forcing the warlord to explain before he got smited by the other man's abilities.

"...Please don't laugh." Raven was trying not to blush, his gaze averted from Tahirah and Aranessa at this point. "I would rather not relive the incident, if possible."

[ladyaranessaroyce]

It was taking all Aranessa had not to bust a gut laughing. Thank goodness she had a lot of etiquette training to fall back on, so all she seemed was mildly amused.

"Well, that was indeed inconvenient," she managed to say, "Not to mention unfortunate. I can trust that nothing like that will happen to us?" The last thing she wanted was to disturb a king (or any other sort of monarch) in the bath. Something like that had already happened once, and she did not want a repeat of that. It happened when she was quite young, and her family has never let her live it down.

[thedesignatedheroes]

Tahirah and Raven's faces both flushed as they recalled the memory. Hopefully it wouldn't happen again...hopefully. Right?

"No, Lady Aranessa, of course it will not happen again!" Raven insisted quickly, shaking his head. "I would wish to not repeat such an incident or create a similar one."

"At least it was just you, too." Tahirah hummed. "I don't mind having you nearby, Raven."

"..." Raven looked towards Tahirah briefly, eyes widening, then nodded quickly "Thank you, Hira. I appreciate that."

"Now," Tahirah sighed, "I suppose we should...prepare for dinner? I'll go see if the meal is ready yet, and I'll send someone to fetch you two..."

"Aye, that would be most convenient." Raven managed quickly. The sooner they departed from this awkward subject, the better. "Thank you."

[ladyaranessaroyce]

"Oh, thank goodness," Aranessa said. That would have been indeed very embarrassing if it had happened to them. She did not want to have some sort of diplomatic disaster to deal with. While she knew what she was doing when it came to that, she very much preferred to keep that sort of thing to her world, thank you very much.

Oh, those two definitely had something between them, and Raven definitely had no idea. Should I tell him about it? Aranessa thought. Was it her place? She was still rather new to them, so she didn't know if her observations would be welcome.

"Yes, that would be quite wonderful," she nodded. Dinner sounded lovely. She wondered what it would be.

[thedesignatedheroes]

Raven sighed - he finally had a moment to breathe.

Nevar and his demons hadn't been around in quite some time, and he was grateful, but things still felt off.

You are tormented by worries in your mind, Satyarani had told him once, when he'd expressed concern about demons when working with her to restore his homeland, long ago. He had a feeling that right now, he felt the same.

Footsteps crunched against the grass, and Raven turned, holding up his staff of power upon cautious instinct.

"Who's there...? Speak now."

[thedesignatedheroes]

Tahirah smiled at Aranessa. "You're welcome!"

As Aranessa asked about what happened last time, Raven cleared his throat before carefully explaining.

"Teleportation crystals are often used to instantly arrive at specific locations, as the Countess explained. You simply must imagine the location in enough detail and it will take you there." He started, glancing between Tahirah and Aranessa. "However...I had the misfortune of trying to teleport to Melodia Castle once, and thought of the Countess instead at the very last second before it fully activated."

"Usually this would have resulted in the person appearing within some proximity of the person they think of, not necessarily immediately right beside them." Tahirah stated, face flushing as she tilted her head from side to side. "B-but...a working theory is that the more you know a specific person well, the physically closer you'll end up next to them...and Raven ended up in my bedchamber by accident when he meant to end up at the castle gates."

Fortunately, Tahirah was fully clothed and had just been touching up her hair at the time. Unfortunately, her godfather had been coming to her room to check on her at the time, and thus was thrown off by Raven being in the same room as her, forcing the warlord to explain before he got smited by the other man's abilities.

"...Please don't laugh." Raven was trying not to blush, his gaze averted from Tahirah and Aranessa at this point. "I would rather not relive the incident, if possible."

[ladyaranessaroyce]

It was taking all Aranessa had not to bust a gut laughing. Thank goodness she had a lot of etiquette training to fall back on, so all she seemed was mildly amused.

"Well, that was indeed inconvenient," she managed to say, "Not to mention unfortunate. I can trust that nothing like that will happen to us?" The last thing she wanted was to disturb a king (or any other sort of monarch) in the bath. Something like that had already happened once, and she did not want a repeat of that. It happened when she was quite young, and her family has never let her live it down.