#divinely.open

[preylike]

Open starter with Kajsa Erner, who is watching The Tournament.

          A long,  drawn out sigh escapes her as the sound of blade against blade echoes through the air.  Several thoughts pass her mind.  One:  that should be her in the pit,  hilt of her sword pinned through flesh.  Two:  they really do a disservice using unsharpened blades in these tournaments.  Where are the stakes  ?  The fight  ?  She wants to yell out to the knights as they dance around each other,  parrying without striking,  evading hits with the elegance of a performer and not a warrior.     "     I thought there would be more blood,     "     she laments,  unable to fight the downturn of her lips.

          "     Come.     "     Kajsa nods in a direction away from the crowd,  far away from the play fighting that seems to amuse those too far in their cups.     "     Let's find something else to entertain us.  Surely there must be something interesting in this damned castle.     "

[preylike]

Open starter with Coraline Bucur, who is roaming through Old Town near White's Club on the third night of the Harvest Celebration.

          Even the most careful people are creatures of habit and Coraline is no exception.  Part of her needed a rest from the more robust celebrations at and around bran keep while another fraction wanted to walk the pebbled roads back in old town where she was raised.  She takes it upon herself to go on a undisclosed venture for information where the festivities would be less gaudy and the theatrics fabling the royal family unrestrained.

          She stops at a puppet show as it comes to completion,  lingering in the back where the shadows are monsters of their own and watches over the heads of children gathered around the puppeteer.  It toes the line of crude mockery,  poking fun at His Majesty and his family.  Most of the jokes can be written off as being for the enjoyment of the young ones,  but she knows better than to believe that.     "     Your thoughts   ?      "     She poses the question to the adult nearest,  offering no indication of appreciation or reprehension of the show herself.     "     That puppet of King Stefan is so true to his appearance that it looks preternatural.     "