Lady Aranessa Royce

Aranessa stared at the situation for a couple of seconds before groaning and burying her head in her hands. Things were going so well. There wasn't going to be any payment because Raven saved Candace's life. But now? This!

"Of course, it goes wrong. Why do things go wrong like that?" she muttered to herself. Maybe it was because they were all talking about how well it was going. Yes. That was probably the reason.

When she heard the news, her eyes widened in shock. Missing? But it was going to be so easy! Oh, well, she thought. Here we go...

"Missing? Would I be too hopeful to say that it's merely been misplaced? Or is this the thing we have to sing for?" she asked.

Raven stared. "I...I do hope we do not have to sing for it. Please." He stressed.

Candace sighed. "Look, the compass might have some magic imbued in it because of the crystals used, but you can't SING it into existence!" She groaned, looking towards Luciano. "How the heck did it disappear like that!?"

"I don't know!" Luciano stared, brows furrowing as he stared at her. "One moment it was there, the next - poof! Gone! Finito!"

"So it was magic that took it away?" Candace frowned. "Did someone steal it?"

A wince came across Luciano's face. "Oh, I hope not..."

Raven paused, then asked, "Would it be possible to make a new one instead?"

"It is," Candace stressed, looking towards Raven and Aranessa, "but it would take an entire day and I know you're kind-of in a rush to get home."

Raven frowned. "Time is of the essence....if Nevar shows up at Melodia sooner than later, Lady Aranessa will be in worse danger."

"I already requested the guards to do a lockdown of this entire building so the thief shouldn't have gotten out easily." Luciano stated, frowning.

"Meaning that whoever took the compass is still here." Raven pointed out. "That gives us time to make a thorough search of this place and recover it. Luciano, the compass was made just yesterday, was it?"

"It was." Luciano nodded. "In the armory - we have an area just for the castle blacksmiths to forge new armor, weapons, and other items. The compass was taken from there."

Raven frowned. "Perhaps there may be clues left behind..."

#lady aranessa royce #raven cbbc #lady candace #luciano #lady aranessa royce rp #undetermined verse #critical role rp #// She is one determined lady

"But there is something we do have to sing for, right?" Aranessa asked, "It's just, I've heard there's a lot of singing, and the singing does a lot of things."

Aranessa looked from Candace to Luciano to Raven. This was not going to go well; she could tell.

"Steal it?" she asked, "Why would someone want to steal it?"

"All right. Technically, we're not in a time crunch. Or maybe we are? Does time work differently here?" Aranessa mused. She hoped so, or else she had spent three days away from home.

Using an armoury to make a compass was not something usual in Aranessa's mind, but compared to what had happened in the last couple of weeks, it didn't even make the top one hundred.

"You said that there would be clues in the armoury? Well, let's look there," she said. She was going to find that compass no matter what it took. This was going to be done, no matter what.

She had been riding for a little while. Or maybe a long while. To be honest, she didn’t know how long. An hour. Maybe three. She couldn’t think straight, if at all. She just had to get out of there. To be honest, she was less riding and more letting Seraphina take her away from that place. She wasn’t looking where she was going when she pretty much rode past the rest of the group. She and Seraphina were covered in water after someone had dumped it on them from a window. Her dress was ripped. Her hair was an absolute mess. There were some blood spatters on her. There was a look in her eyes that signalled she was almost past reason. That feeling when you’re so scared, your mind just exits your body, and you’re almost calm. Almost, but not quite.

(This is for whoever wants to get involved. Oh, and it's for both Julien and Vaelus)

@ladyaranessaroyce

Their group had been riding in the opposite direction, though slow and wanting to reserve as much energy as possible. If it was anyone else that had approached, they would have just made way and not thought much about it. Roads were made to be ridden. Julien, however, recognizes the horse, then the poor estate of her rider.

"Lady Aranessa!" Quickly, Julien turned his own horse, trying to maneuver it to stand in front of Seraphine to make her stop. Something was not right. "What happened, my lady?"

The rest of the group, different from the one she had been traveling with, stopped, both concerned and confused about what was happening.

Seraphina almost walked into Julien's horse but stopped. She looked both tired and scared, like she'd just woken up from a nightmare and tried to run away from it, a lot like her rider.

At first, Aranessa didn't say anything because she was too much in shock. Then she heard one of the first safe and familiar voices in a while.

"Julien?" She asked in a voice so small and so different from how she usually speaks.

She seemed to come back to herself, but she looked confused, like she had no idea where she was.

"I... Where..." she looked around. She managed to notice the others. She recognised Vaelus and Occtis, and she could see the glowing light that was Thimble, but she could barely recognise the others. She looked like a soldier who was the sole survivor of a massacre.

Julien gives Seraphine some pats, silently thanking her for carrying her rider to him, even if she had not intented for it.

"I am here." He assures Aranessa, worriedly inspecting her. She looked way too out of it, and Julien did not know what to make of it.

Carefully, he moves to her side to put a hand on her arm, light as to not spook her but trying to reassure her that he was by her side now. "We are in the road going east from Dol-Makjar, my lady. We were heading to the Golden Orchard." He tries to speak softly, as soft as Julien can be.

Vaelus rides closer, the first to break off the rest, though she doesn't approach as close as Julien. "Aranessa, are you hurt?"

When Julien put a hand on her arm, Aranessa flinched slightly, which was something she never did with Julien. The water had washed away a little bit of blood, but most of it had dried up. The blood spatter on her face wasn't a blood spatter at all. It was a handprint, like someone was cupping her face.

She looked around again. Had they really gone that far? She didn't know. She couldn't remember.

When she heard about them going to the Golden Orchard, her eyes widened.

"No. You... You can't. It's gone. All gone," she said, "We ran. Now we're here." It had certainly looked like they had. She sounded scared and lost.

She looked at Vaelus. She knew Vaelus. Vaelus was safe. She had lived a long time. Maybe she knew what Aranessa was talking about.

"I... don't know. Maybe?" She was slowly coming back into her body, but the supposed calm was being replaced by confusion and fear. Maybe even panic. It was sort of clear that she was trying not to disappear again.

"Can... can I come with you? Please? Wherever you're going today?" She asked, grabbing Julien's arm, or his hand if he hadn't withdrawn it. Despite what she said about the Golden Orchard, she felt safer with them.

Julien keeps back his own flinch at seeing his lady afraid of him, but he know it is just an involutary reaction. With his other hand, he reaches into his pouch, pulling out a handkerchief and wipes the blood of her face, trying to be slow and careful.

“We know.” He says, saving Aranessa from having to tell them anything else. “My mother arrived at Castle Torch to deliver the news. I am so sorry about not being there, my lady. I am sorry about your brother.”

Indeed, Vaelus knew what she was talking about, what she was feeling. To see nothing but ruin and falling loved ones around him. She gets closer, though she doesn’t touch her like Julien did.

“You did what you could, and you are safe now.” She speaks as airy as ever, telling her what she would have wanted to be told when she had been in her situation.

“Of course you can come, my lady.” He grabs her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Let’s take a small break and check for any injuries, alright? When was the last time you ate?”

The blood on Aranessa's face had dried, so it was hard to remove, but a little bit managed to flake away. If the water hadn't been dropped on her, it would have been way harder.

"Thank you," she replied. There was more that she was holding on to, but she didn't know how to say it.

She mutely nodded to what Vaelus said.

There weren't any injuries that she could notice. There were, however, some small cuts that had mostly healed and some bruises. There were some scratch marks on her arms.

"The last time I ate? I... I can't remember. The last thing I remember is getting home. And what happened after," Aranessa said. It would be nearly impossible to forget what happened next.

She managed to get off Seraphina, her muscles stiff from riding all that way. The horse nudged her, trying to find out if she was okay.

"I'm alive," she said, "I'm alive." She didn't know much, but she did know that.

Once he notices Aranessa is getting off her horse, Julien gets off his in one smooth motion, helping her get off her’s. He makes sure she is steady on her feet, still holding his arm out to her so she can hold on if she wants.

Vaelus, for her part, motions to the other’s to get off the path. They were taking a break, whether they wanted or not. “You are alive, and we are here.” She repeats, filling into the emotional suport where Julien cannot.

Carefully, Julien guides her off the track, along with their horses, and helps her sit down on a fallen log. “Let’s get you something to eat, and then you can tell us what you can.”

The rest approach too, the strange rough man getting off his horse and started to take his things off its back, while the other one mostly watches. He was one of Hal’s friends, though he looked a bit different.

#lady aranessa royce #sir julien davinos #occtis tachonis #vaelus #thimble cr #kattigan vale #bolaire lathalia #lady aranessa royce rp #critical role rp #// Indeed we are #// Just wait until everyone's been re-introduced #// After that we're off to the races!

When Aranessa first rode by, Occtis almost didn't recognise her. First off, her dress was different. Now, it wasn't just that, but they had been wearing the same clothes the whole time (largely because nobody thought to actually, you know, pack clothes), so he didn't recognise the clothing. The other thing was that she felt different, for lack of a better phrasing. There was something off about her. Something that almost reminded him of himself when he first saw the atrocities that his father committed.

One of the main things that made him recognise her was the horse and the fact that she was covered in water. It wouldn't be Seraphina without something bad happening. They had coined the term "Seraphina's Law", and the meaning was as follows: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

He got off his horse (which he was still wondering if he should name. The best he could think of was either Root or Mickey), but hung back, unsure of what to do next. He wasn't sure if his face was a face she would like to see, given what probably happened.

Thimble had no such qualms. The first thing she felt when she saw Aranessa was happiness. One of her best friends was here! Then she saw the blood and the look in her eyes, and Thimble's own blood ran cold. She flew over to Aranessa.

"Lady Aranessa, I am so glad that you're here. How did you get here this fast?"

All Aranessa could say was,

"Those bracers on your arms. Those are Callowyn's. Where did you get them?"

"It's a long story, but to sum it up, Teor got them off of some Seremai dude, and then I got them off of him," Thimble explained. Aranessa nodded in understanding.

"You know, there's something cool I can do now thanks to these. You wanna see it?" Thimble asked. Aranessa nodded. With that, Thimble grew to be about as tall as Occtis, and she crawled over to sit with Aranessa, who looked a little bit like she saw a ghost.

"Oh, did... did I scare you?" Thimble asked, "I can change back."

"No, you didn't," Aranessa replied quietly. She caught sight of the other two. She could recognise them, but their names escaped them.

"You. I know you. And you, too. You were with Thjazi, right?"

Aranessa smiled at Raven. It was clear that he was enjoying himself, at least in his own way.

"Thank you, Lady Candace", she responded. She was already liking Candace. She seemed like a very good person.

She listened to the rest of the good news, which went well, though she was wondering when the music they were going to have to sing was going to take place.

"Really? Well, that's a good sign," she smiled, "Oh, and before I forget, though I'm not likely to, that was quite a song."

Candace smiled lightly at Aranessa's compliment.

"Thank you! I've been experimenting with performing different musical styles so I appreciate that some of it is paying off."

Raven met her gaze. "The compass, Lady Candace - is there anything that we must supply in exchange?"

"Oh, that. Well..." Candace hummed, tilting her head to the side. "I did think about that, but Raven - you did save my life the last time we met, and I never really properly thanked you. So, consider the compass from me as returning the favour this time around. At least this time nothing will go disastrously wrong."

Raven admittedly was relieved to hear that, nodding once. "You have our gratitude, Lady Candace -!"

That was when a man burst into the room, huffing for breath.. He had dark hair that was about chin-length, wearing a leather vest and gloves and boots to go with his cloth tunic and pants.

"Lady Candace!" He burst out, panting as he looked up at Candace. "Something has gone horribly, disastrously wrong!"

Candace stared at him, eyes widening before she facepalmed herself. "You've GOT to be kidding me....Luciano, what the hell happened!?"

Luciano, the man, grimaced. "I-it's the compass...it's gone missing!"

#lady aranessa royce #raven cbbc #lady candace #luciano #lady aranessa royce rp #undetermined verse #critical role rp #// of course things go wrong

Aranessa stared at the situation for a couple of seconds before groaning and burying her head in her hands. Things were going so well. There wasn't going to be any payment because Raven saved Candace's life. But now? This!

"Of course, it goes wrong. Why do things go wrong like that?" she muttered to herself. Maybe it was because they were all talking about how well it was going. Yes. That was probably the reason.

When she heard the news, her eyes widened in shock. Missing? But it was going to be so easy! Oh, well, she thought. Here we go...

"Missing? Would I be too hopeful to say that it's merely been misplaced? Or is this the thing we have to sing for?" she asked.

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."

Raven wasn't dancing along, as he was not the type of person that could immediately pick up on choreography (at least not something this complex!) but he was at least having some entertainment from watching the dancing and the singing. A little smile threatened to overtake his face, and he was glad that Lady Aranessa seemed to be enjoying himself.

He politely applauded when Candace finished her song, and Candace thanked the backup dancers before dismissing them and approaching Raven and Aranessa.

"Raven," Candace breathed, her eyes darting between him and Aranessa, "It is good to see you again. And your companion here must be...Lady Aranessa, correct?"

"Aye, this is Lady Aranessa." Raven stated, looking between Aranessa and Candace. "The Countess Tahirah informed you of the curent circumstances, I presume?"

"Yes, she did." Candace sighed, shaking her head. "Man, that's...gotta suck, being targeted by Nevar. You have my sympathies, Lady Aranessa." She stretched her arms behind herself sheepishly, before stating, "Good news, the compass you need from me is pretty much almost ready - just needs a little polishing and I asked Luciano to bring it over here as soon as it's ready, so there should be no issue at all..."

#lady aranessa royce #raven cbbc #lady candace #lady aranessa royce rp #undetermined verse #critical role rp #// She's so cool!

Aranessa smiled at Raven. It was clear that he was enjoying himself, at least in his own way.

"Thank you, Lady Candace", she responded. She was already liking Candace. She seemed like a very good person.

She listened to the rest of the good news, which went well, though she was wondering when the music they were going to have to sing was going to take place.

"Really? Well, that's a good sign," she smiled, "Oh, and before I forget, though I'm not likely to, that was quite a song."

She had been riding for a little while. Or maybe a long while. To be honest, she didn’t know how long. An hour. Maybe three. She couldn’t think straight, if at all. She just had to get out of there. To be honest, she was less riding and more letting Seraphina take her away from that place. She wasn’t looking where she was going when she pretty much rode past the rest of the group. She and Seraphina were covered in water after someone had dumped it on them from a window. Her dress was ripped. Her hair was an absolute mess. There were some blood spatters on her. There was a look in her eyes that signalled she was almost past reason. That feeling when you’re so scared, your mind just exits your body, and you’re almost calm. Almost, but not quite.

(This is for whoever wants to get involved. Oh, and it's for both Julien and Vaelus)

@ladyaranessaroyce

Their group had been riding in the opposite direction, though slow and wanting to reserve as much energy as possible. If it was anyone else that had approached, they would have just made way and not thought much about it. Roads were made to be ridden. Julien, however, recognizes the horse, then the poor estate of her rider.

"Lady Aranessa!" Quickly, Julien turned his own horse, trying to maneuver it to stand in front of Seraphine to make her stop. Something was not right. "What happened, my lady?"

The rest of the group, different from the one she had been traveling with, stopped, both concerned and confused about what was happening.

Seraphina almost walked into Julien's horse but stopped. She looked both tired and scared, like she'd just woken up from a nightmare and tried to run away from it, a lot like her rider.

At first, Aranessa didn't say anything because she was too much in shock. Then she heard one of the first safe and familiar voices in a while.

"Julien?" She asked in a voice so small and so different from how she usually speaks.

She seemed to come back to herself, but she looked confused, like she had no idea where she was.

"I... Where..." she looked around. She managed to notice the others. She recognised Vaelus and Occtis, and she could see the glowing light that was Thimble, but she could barely recognise the others. She looked like a soldier who was the sole survivor of a massacre.

Julien gives Seraphine some pats, silently thanking her for carrying her rider to him, even if she had not intented for it.

"I am here." He assures Aranessa, worriedly inspecting her. She looked way too out of it, and Julien did not know what to make of it.

Carefully, he moves to her side to put a hand on her arm, light as to not spook her but trying to reassure her that he was by her side now. "We are in the road going east from Dol-Makjar, my lady. We were heading to the Golden Orchard." He tries to speak softly, as soft as Julien can be.

Vaelus rides closer, the first to break off the rest, though she doesn't approach as close as Julien. "Aranessa, are you hurt?"

When Julien put a hand on her arm, Aranessa flinched slightly, which was something she never did with Julien. The water had washed away a little bit of blood, but most of it had dried up. The blood spatter on her face wasn't a blood spatter at all. It was a handprint, like someone was cupping her face.

She looked around again. Had they really gone that far? She didn't know. She couldn't remember.

When she heard about them going to the Golden Orchard, her eyes widened.

"No. You... You can't. It's gone. All gone," she said, "We ran. Now we're here." It had certainly looked like they had. She sounded scared and lost.

She looked at Vaelus. She knew Vaelus. Vaelus was safe. She had lived a long time. Maybe she knew what Aranessa was talking about.

"I... don't know. Maybe?" She was slowly coming back into her body, but the supposed calm was being replaced by confusion and fear. Maybe even panic. It was sort of clear that she was trying not to disappear again.

"Can... can I come with you? Please? Wherever you're going today?" She asked, grabbing Julien's arm, or his hand if he hadn't withdrawn it. Despite what she said about the Golden Orchard, she felt safer with them.

Julien keeps back his own flinch at seeing his lady afraid of him, but he know it is just an involutary reaction. With his other hand, he reaches into his pouch, pulling out a handkerchief and wipes the blood of her face, trying to be slow and careful.

“We know.” He says, saving Aranessa from having to tell them anything else. “My mother arrived at Castle Torch to deliver the news. I am so sorry about not being there, my lady. I am sorry about your brother.”

Indeed, Vaelus knew what she was talking about, what she was feeling. To see nothing but ruin and falling loved ones around him. She gets closer, though she doesn’t touch her like Julien did.

“You did what you could, and you are safe now.” She speaks as airy as ever, telling her what she would have wanted to be told when she had been in her situation.

“Of course you can come, my lady.” He grabs her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Let’s take a small break and check for any injuries, alright? When was the last time you ate?”

#lady aranessa royce #sir julien davinos #vaelus #seraphina the horse #lady aranessa royce rp #critical role rp #// yeah she's suffering #// there is at least one RP for each of my characters where they get put through the wringer #// Side note: Do you want me to bring in the others?#// Or do you want to play them?#// I do know the Thimble one so I can bring her in #// Largely because she's me

The blood on Aranessa's face had dried, so it was hard to remove, but a little bit managed to flake away. If the water hadn't been dropped on her, it would have been way harder.

"Thank you," she replied. There was more that she was holding on to, but she didn't know how to say it.

She mutely nodded to what Vaelus said.

There weren't any injuries that she could notice. There were, however, some small cuts that had mostly healed and some bruises. There were some scratch marks on her arms.

"The last time I ate? I... I can't remember. The last thing I remember is getting home. And what happened after," Aranessa said. It would be nearly impossible to forget what happened next.

She managed to get off Seraphina, her muscles stiff from riding all that way. The horse nudged her, trying to find out if she was okay.

"I'm alive," she said, "I'm alive." She didn't know much, but she did know that.

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."

Raven nodded, joining Aranessa's side before using the teleportation crystal! The two of them disappeared - and reappeared in a completely different area.

They were standing just inside the main hall of what appeared to be some kind of manor, ornate in a different way from Melodia Castle. There was more rock-themed architecture, and even some artistically cooled stone with some amber embedded in it in some of the pillars.

It was, however, much warmer in the area compared to Tahirah's castle. Raven was almost tempted to fan himself, and he was starting to regret wearing his feathered cloak to this place.

A young woman who looked a little older than Tahirah, with light brown skin, dark hair in small curls and pulled back into a thick ponytail, was the one that was singing this time, dressed in a iridescent blue jumpsuit with a flowy hem at the sleeves and cuffs at the ankles.

Baby, you can find me under the lights / Diamonds under my eyes Turn the rhythm up, don't you wanna just / Come along for the ride? Ooh, my outfit so tight / You can see my heartbeat tonight I can take the heat, baby, best believe / That's the moment I shine

'Cause every romance shakes and it bends / Don't give a damn When the night's here, I don't do tears / Baby, no chance I could dance, I could dance, I could dance~

Several backup dancers immediately danced in sync with Candace as she kept on singing, dancing in some fusion of a cha-cha and disco.

Watch me dance, dance the night away / My heart could be burnin', but you won't see it on my face Watch me dance, dance the night away (uh-huh) / I'll still keep the party runnin', not one hair out of place~! (place)

#lady aranessa royce #raven cbbc #Lady Candace #lady aranessa royce rp #undetermined verse #critical role rp #// She's having an amazing time!

Aranessa looked around at the place. It was amazing! And hot. She was pretty glad she wore lighter apparel because of how hot it was.

She looked at Lady Candace, who looked quite different from so many people she had met. For instance, she had never seen an outfit quite like hers before.

She quite liked the song. It was very interesting. Nothing she had heard was quite like that. Well, except for maybe Tahirah's first song. And the dancing was fun.

She found herself dancing along. Not a lot. Just a little. She was enjoying herself immensely. She caught herself laughing for the first time in a while.

She looked over at Raven to see if he was enjoying himself as well.

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."

Being on opposing sides probably didn't help, no... Raven guessed, but did not say aloud.

"Well, whatever happens, I hope it all resolves smoothly." Tahirah hummed, before looking between Raven and Aranessa. "I'd love to keep speaking with you both, but I'm afraid I cannot extend breakfast for much longer. You two have your own special items to find to do what must be done, and I have a land to run."

"Speaking of which, Countess, you've got a meeting in about twenty minutes..." Nuriel trailed off. "Knight Captain Quinn wanted to speak with you an update on a few matters..."

"Oh, right! Thank you, Nuriel." Tahirah nodded quickly.

Raven nodded. "We will not keep you too occupied for long then, Countess. Thank you, for all of your help."

"You're welcome!" Tahirah beamed back at him. "And please feel free to return here to the castle to rest inbetween visiting all the other Melodian nobles, if you'd like! We'll keep guest rooms saved for you both!"

"Yes. Thank you," Aranessa said, grabbing Tahirah's hand, "You have been such a big help to me. All of you." She looked around at Arlyn and Nuriel. So wise and kind. And funny. So good at love. How would she ever be able to repay them?

She looked at Raven. She was ready for anything that was about to happen. This was going to be amazing!

"We're going to Princess Candace first. Wait. She's a princess, right? Or a queen? I can't quite recall."

Tahirah smiled, squeezing Aranessa's hand. "You're welcome...!"

"If you need more love advice, let us know. We're practically the matchmakers of the castle!" Nuriel half-joked.

Arlyn sighed. "...Assuming we're not too occupied with other matters, that is, like our actual duties...."

"This SHOULD be part of our actual duties!"

"Lady Candace is...well...She is not a princess or queen, exactly..."

"Just go with Lady." Tahirah hummed. "That's fine."

"Very well." Raven took out one of the teleportation crystals. "I am ready to go when you are, Lady Aranessa."

#lady aranessa royce #raven cbbc #tahirah #nuriel flame #arlyn #lady aranessa royce rp #critical role rp #// I'm gonna miss these guys #// They're so much fun!

"Honestly? Yes. Yes they should," Aranessa grinned.

"Just Lady? I'll keep that in mind," she replied.

She looked at Raven, filled with confidence and joy. This was going to be so much fun! She couldn't wait to get started.

"Born ready," she said, "Lady Candace, here we come!"

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."

Being on opposing sides probably didn't help, no... Raven guessed, but did not say aloud.

"Well, whatever happens, I hope it all resolves smoothly." Tahirah hummed, before looking between Raven and Aranessa. "I'd love to keep speaking with you both, but I'm afraid I cannot extend breakfast for much longer. You two have your own special items to find to do what must be done, and I have a land to run."

"Speaking of which, Countess, you've got a meeting in about twenty minutes..." Nuriel trailed off. "Knight Captain Quinn wanted to speak with you an update on a few matters..."

"Oh, right! Thank you, Nuriel." Tahirah nodded quickly.

Raven nodded. "We will not keep you too occupied for long then, Countess. Thank you, for all of your help."

"You're welcome!" Tahirah beamed back at him. "And please feel free to return here to the castle to rest inbetween visiting all the other Melodian nobles, if you'd like! We'll keep guest rooms saved for you both!"

#lady aranessa royce #raven cbbc #tahirah #nuriel flame #arlyn #lady aranessa royce rp #critical role rp #// Here we go!

"Yes. Thank you," Aranessa said, grabbing Tahirah's hand, "You have been such a big help to me. All of you." She looked around at Arlyn and Nuriel. So wise and kind. And funny. So good at love. How would she ever be able to repay them?

She looked at Raven. She was ready for anything that was about to happen. This was going to be amazing!

"We're going to Princess Candace first. Wait. She's a princess, right? Or a queen? I can't quite recall."

She had been riding for a little while. Or maybe a long while. To be honest, she didn’t know how long. An hour. Maybe three. She couldn’t think straight, if at all. She just had to get out of there. To be honest, she was less riding and more letting Seraphina take her away from that place. She wasn’t looking where she was going when she pretty much rode past the rest of the group. She and Seraphina were covered in water after someone had dumped it on them from a window. Her dress was ripped. Her hair was an absolute mess. There were some blood spatters on her. There was a look in her eyes that signalled she was almost past reason. That feeling when you’re so scared, your mind just exits your body, and you’re almost calm. Almost, but not quite.

(This is for whoever wants to get involved. Oh, and it's for both Julien and Vaelus)

@ladyaranessaroyce

Their group had been riding in the opposite direction, though slow and wanting to reserve as much energy as possible. If it was anyone else that had approached, they would have just made way and not thought much about it. Roads were made to be ridden. Julien, however, recognizes the horse, then the poor estate of her rider.

"Lady Aranessa!" Quickly, Julien turned his own horse, trying to maneuver it to stand in front of Seraphine to make her stop. Something was not right. "What happened, my lady?"

The rest of the group, different from the one she had been traveling with, stopped, both concerned and confused about what was happening.

Seraphina almost walked into Julien's horse but stopped. She looked both tired and scared, like she'd just woken up from a nightmare and tried to run away from it, a lot like her rider.

At first, Aranessa didn't say anything because she was too much in shock. Then she heard one of the first safe and familiar voices in a while.

"Julien?" She asked in a voice so small and so different from how she usually speaks.

She seemed to come back to herself, but she looked confused, like she had no idea where she was.

"I... Where..." she looked around. She managed to notice the others. She recognised Vaelus and Occtis, and she could see the glowing light that was Thimble, but she could barely recognise the others. She looked like a soldier who was the sole survivor of a massacre.

Julien gives Seraphine some pats, silently thanking her for carrying her rider to him, even if she had not intented for it.

"I am here." He assures Aranessa, worriedly inspecting her. She looked way too out of it, and Julien did not know what to make of it.

Carefully, he moves to her side to put a hand on her arm, light as to not spook her but trying to reassure her that he was by her side now. "We are in the road going east from Dol-Makjar, my lady. We were heading to the Golden Orchard." He tries to speak softly, as soft as Julien can be.

Vaelus rides closer, the first to break off the rest, though she doesn't approach as close as Julien. "Aranessa, are you hurt?"

#lady aranessa royce #sir julien davinos #vaelus #lady aranessa royce rp #critical role rp #seraphina the horse #// Yeah she's just finished dissasociating and now she's scared again #// She's even a little scared of Julien right now #// Well kind of #// It's complicated

When Julien put a hand on her arm, Aranessa flinched slightly, which was something she never did with Julien. The water had washed away a little bit of blood, but most of it had dried up. The blood spatter on her face wasn't a blood spatter at all. It was a handprint, like someone was cupping her face.

She looked around again. Had they really gone that far? She didn't know. She couldn't remember.

When she heard about them going to the Golden Orchard, her eyes widened.

"No. You... You can't. It's gone. All gone," she said, "We ran. Now we're here." It had certainly looked like they had. She sounded scared and lost.

She looked at Vaelus. She knew Vaelus. Vaelus was safe. She had lived a long time. Maybe she knew what Aranessa was talking about.

"I... don't know. Maybe?" She was slowly coming back into her body, but the supposed calm was being replaced by confusion and fear. Maybe even panic. It was sort of clear that she was trying not to disappear again.

"Can... can I come with you? Please? Wherever you're going today?" She asked, grabbing Julien's arm, or his hand if he hadn't withdrawn it. Despite what she said about the Golden Orchard, she felt safer with them.

She had been riding for a little while. Or maybe a long while. To be honest, she didn’t know how long. An hour. Maybe three. She couldn’t think straight, if at all. She just had to get out of there. To be honest, she was less riding and more letting Seraphina take her away from that place. She wasn’t looking where she was going when she pretty much rode past the rest of the group. She and Seraphina were covered in water after someone had dumped it on them from a window. Her dress was ripped. Her hair was an absolute mess. There were some blood spatters on her. There was a look in her eyes that signalled she was almost past reason. That feeling when you’re so scared, your mind just exits your body, and you’re almost calm. Almost, but not quite.

(This is for whoever wants to get involved. Oh, and it's for both Julien and Vaelus)

@ladyaranessaroyce

Their group had been riding in the opposite direction, though slow and wanting to reserve as much energy as possible. If it was anyone else that had approached, they would have just made way and not thought much about it. Roads were made to be ridden. Julien, however, recognizes the horse, then the poor estate of her rider.

"Lady Aranessa!" Quickly, Julien turned his own horse, trying to maneuver it to stand in front of Seraphine to make her stop. Something was not right. "What happened, my lady?"

The rest of the group, different from the one she had been traveling with, stopped, both concerned and confused about what was happening.

#lady aranessa royce #sir julien davinos #seraphina the horse #lady aranessa royce rp #critical role roleplay #// Well this is gonna be interesting #// Not sure how the rest of the gang are gonna come in

Seraphina almost walked into Julien's horse but stopped. She looked both tired and scared, like she'd just woken up from a nightmare and tried to run away from it, a lot like her rider.

At first, Aranessa didn't say anything because she was too much in shock. Then she heard one of the first safe and familiar voices in a while.

"Julien?" She asked in a voice so small and so different from how she usually speaks.

She seemed to come back to herself, but she looked confused, like she had no idea where she was.

"I... Where..." she looked around. She managed to notice the others. She recognised Vaelus and Occtis, and she could see the glowing light that was Thimble, but she could barely recognise the others. She looked like a soldier who was the sole survivor of a massacre.

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."

Tahirah and the others listened on. Raven realized at the mention of Aranessa's husband that Julien was the one who arrested Thjazi...which also meant that Thjazi was probably also dead because of Julien doing so.

"Ooookay." Nuriel nodded slowly. "Love is...it's complicated. I can see the awkwardness of the issues of the fact that he arrested your husband and might also be into someone else."

Tahirah frowned. "I don't believe it makes you a bad wife or person to have feelings for someone, even if it is only recently after someone you loved has died." She stated, after a moment. "Whether you know that you're in love with him or not...I can't say. Only you can know that...but if you believe it's love, then it could be love."

"If Julien and Occtis are indeed together despite Occtis being in whatever state of life that he's in," Arlyn hummed, tilting his head to one side, "I do think it would not do you well if you were to attempt romancing Julien unless they have agreed to an open relationship at minimum..."

"Or polyamory!" Nuriel interjected. "It's okay if it's a three-way!"

Raven had no advice to immediately give because he did not understand matters of the heart like how the Melodians did. But he was indeed listening, looking between everyone a little awkwardly.

"Do you know for certain if Julien and Occtis are indeed a confirmed couple?" Raven asked, after a moment. "Or is it just speculation at this point? I do not see the harm in asking for clarification, at least."

#lady aranessa royce #raven cbbc #tahirah #arlyn #nuriel flame #lady aranessa royce rp #critical role rp #undetermined verse #// Yep!#// The RP-verse is a bit nuts #// The characters are figuring things out as they go

"Don't I know it," Aranessa sighed, "I was estranged from Thjazi for a time, with him being in the revolution. I don't suppose that earned him any merit with Julien, so there's that."

She paused when Tahirah said that she wasn't a bad person.

"You think so? I'm still unsure about what's going on, but if you're sure this doesn't make me a bad person, then I will take your word for it." Well, that was one crisis out of the way.

She was honestly a little surprised about the people not reacting to Occtis' state of life. Well, she did say that it was neither here nor there.

"I heard the speculations and the reason why they were fighting over some book. Long story. But when I get back, I'll be sure to ask," she nodded.

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."

"Julien...?" Tahirah blinked, then she listened to Aranessa's explanation with rapt attention, eyes widening at the last statement. "Feelings?"

"DID SOMEONE SAY FEELINGS!?" Nuriel gasped, looking towards Aranessa. "Could it be - Lady Aranessa -what sort of feelings are they!? Passion!? Love?!"

"It could be deeply-hidden unadulterated loathing for all we know," Arlyn stated with a deadpan expression, but it threatened to break into a laugh.

"I do not believe that Lady Aranessa would have kept Sir Julien around her for long if she loathed him." Raven pointed out quickly.

"Sooooo," Nuriel leaned in towards Aranessa slightly, grinning wide, "Good friends, huh!? Are you thinking it might be...more than just friends, hmmm~?"

#lady aranessa royce #raven cbbc #tahirah #nuriel flame #arlyn icia #sir julien davinos #occtis tachonis #thjazi fang #lady aranessa royce rp #critical role rp #undetermined verse #// She has no idea what's really going on inside her head #// She is having a small emotional crisis

Yep, she did indeed say that out loud. Well, no better way out than through. Here goes nothing.

"It's a bit complicated, but I'll do my best to explain," Aranessa said, "We have been friends since childhood. Well, since he was about seven, I think, and I was, oh, seventeen? But I've only discovered my feelings for him quite recently. And by that I mean, about a couple of days before coming to this realm. What makes things complicated is twofold. One: He was the one who arrested my husband, Thjazi. Though he said it was just to teach him a lesson, and he didn't really expect things to go quite that far. Julien has many strengths. Forethought isn't always one of them. Two: I do believe he's also in love with Occtis. It's been said that Julien also had a big crush on me, but I'm not sure. Either way, he and Occtis are sort of a thing the last time that I checked. I mean, I am happy for them. Occtis is a nice young man and incredibly intelligent. He also happens to be sort of dead but also alive, but that's neither here nor there at this precise moment." She took a breath to ready herself for the next bit.

"And to answer your question, those feelings are love. I think. Thjazi died only a week ago, so I don't know what I'm feeling. I don't even know if I should be feeling these feelings. Have I moved on too quickly? Am I a bad wife? A bad person? Am I even in love with him? I mean, I think I am. I mean, we've always been close. Sometimes, he's the only person I feel like I can truly confide in. He also listens to me when no one else can get through to him. So, yes, I believe these feelings are perhaps love."

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."

Arlyn sighed. "...If we explained it to you in detail, it would take a very long time. But, to sum it up - they're not allowed to just straight-up kill anyone - it has to be actual enemies, and even then they have to prepare the...goods, in ways that are sanitary and won't spread disease by accident and so on and so forth."

"Asking permission to bite someone and drink their blood is absolutely a thing though." Nuriel pointed out. "Some even find it kinky." Arlyn elbowed Nuriel, who gave a light noise in protest. "Hey, it's true...!"

"We live with many varieties of people." Tahirah hummed, tilting her head to one side. "They just happen to be one sort of variety."

Raven nodded. "Aye, it is true that Ariel's sense of smell is quite unique." He admitted to Aranessa. "Apparently it is a rare talent for those like him to have such a sense work so well. He might be curious about you since you'd be new to him, but he wouldn't do anything to harm any visitors intentionally. Not without permision for something such as a spar, for example."

#lady aranessa royce #raven cbbc #tahirah #nuriel flame #arlyn #lady aranessa royce rp #critical role rp #// Ooh this will be fun #// She's this close to admitting her feelings about him

"Ah, I see," Aranessa said. It was still something strange to wrap her head around, but it was less scary than when she first heard the news.

"My world also has many sorts of people. It is quite interesting to learn about new ones," she agreed.

"That's fair. I'm curious about him as well," she nodded, "Also, I'm not exactly the sparring type. If Julien were here, on the other hand, he would be all too happy to do so." She smiled, imagining the chaos that would ensue.

She realised that the others (bar Raven) didn't know who he was.

"Oh, by the way, Julien is from my vassal house. We have been good friends for a while. Though, to be honest... Well, I think I've learnt something about him and me. As in feelings." That last part was out before she could realise it.

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."

At the mention of Ariel's heartbreak, Arlyn hesitated, then shrugged.

"Depends on how you define often," He managed, "but he's been spurned in romance many times. Not nearly as much as our Countess here, but he takes heartbreak hard."

Tahirah sighed, swirling the tea in her cup lightly. "If we rambled on about heartbreak it's gonna take all day. So, to answer your OTHER question - " She nodded as she met Aranessa's gaze. "Yeah, he can hold his own in other ways in battel! He's excellent at physical combat, very skilled in swordsmanship and other close-combat...and he's a cannibal so that scares a lot of people."

"Actually, we should probably explain that Melodia has a noticeable minority of cannibals. However, before you panic, it's not like they're just gonna eat anyone plucked off the street!" Nuriel pointed out. "That's illegal. Also, extremely unsanitary! We have legal procedures in place to make sure whatever happens, er...happens in a better way."

"He also has a...very good sense of smell." Raven pointed out after a moment, nodding once. "He can even get a general sense of someone having magic based off their scent alone. The first time I met him, he almost-instantly figured out that I was immortal based on scent alone."

#lady aranessa royce #raven cbbc #tahirah #nuriel flame #arlyn #lady aranessa royce rp #undetermined verse #critical role rp #// I was also a little surprised by the whole cannibal thing

"That's good. I'm glad about that," Aranessa nodded. "Not about the heartbreak. That's bad. I mean the other ways."

There was an awkward silence after the cannibal comment. She had never met a cannibal and didn't really want to be someone's luncheon, please and thank you.

"What do you mean by legal procedures?" she asked warily. How could they possibly have procedures for that sort of thing?

"Then he'll definitely know that I have magic powers," she said, "Though, I must admit, the sense of smell seems impressive enough to count as a magic power in and of itself."

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."

"That's exactly it!" Tahirah beamed, nodding in response to Aranessa's question. "Their tastes shift and change depending on the context but Araceli does favour a lot of theatre music. Candace doesn't really have a preference and goes for whatever fits. Ariel likes some more sophisticated jazz music but he's not against a moody pop number..."

"Especially when he's going through heartbreak," Arlyn commented, just as Tahirah rambled on.

"Oh, also, Ariel's the only non-magical person between the three. Candace has the power of illusions on her side, and Araceli can use some pretty powerful wind magic! They can hold their own in battle and in musical numbers!"

"That's pretty much expected for everyone who's nobility in Melodia, though - be good at battle AND a performance." Nuriel pointed out. "The Countess here can sing and dance and play a couple of instruments, but she can also use that deadly voice to do a lot for helping her allies!"

#lady aranessa royce #raven cbbc #arlyn #tahirah #nuriel #nuriel flame #critical role rp #lady aranessa royce rp #// It was so much fun!

"Now that is good to know," Aranessa said, "Thank you."

"Going through heartbreak? Does he go through that often?" she asked.

"Of course, she does," Aranessa smiled, "I would not expect anything less of her."

She was liking them all more and more by the minute. She was almost kind of sad to leave them. They were so much fun to be around and so kind.

"Wait a minute. You said that Ariel's the only non-magical person. I take it that he holds his own in other ways?" she asked.

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."

Tahirah smiled softly at the mention of Aranessa sleeping well. "I'm glad to hear that! That's always pleasant to have some safe dreams for sure..."

Nuriel shivered at the mention of who they were talking about. "Yeah, she creeps me out too. She'd definitely fit in a haunted house."

Arlyn sighed. "Nuriel...."

"Hey, it's true!"

"Anyway," Tahirah decided to steer the conversation away from who-knows-what, "Is there anything that you wanna know about the rulers of each of the regions of Melodia, Lady Aranessa? It would be your first time meeting them after all, and it's only Raven's second time..."