#unscriptedvillainess2022

[blaydiud]

DDR Battle Royale Edition [team villainess]

It was almost like a dream. The clock was close to midnight, Lady Maeghan and Lady Annabelle rejoiced in the middle of the ballroom and shared a chaste kiss to the crowd’s surprise and delight. Even Dimitri himself, still rather wet from his previous apple bobbing adventures with Maria, clapped at the heartwarming sight. She seemed to find love, at last.

But then the world turned and twisted, the crowd disappearing into smoke and their surroundings morphing into that of a ruin. Cracked marble floors, ripped curtains, vines reaching in through the windows and dust filling the air- it was as if decades had passed after a disaster, yet they stood there. They- the team Dimitri had been assigned to at the beginning of this mission, nearly a moon ago (or weeks? it was difficult to tell how much time had passed). All others were gone, except for Lady Maeghan and Lady Annabelle who stood bravely before what Dimitri could only describe as a divine abomination.

For some reason, it almost feels sinful to even make eye contact with the thing.

Two other beings appeared alongside the all-seeing creature- one was (emphasis on was) a witch, and the other was a strange looking Titanus. Dimitri gulped down as faint memories from a past mission resurfaced for a brief moment. It’s all or nothing now. We have been basking in peace for too long.

Almost as if the world heard his words, as soon as the merchant(?) flexed his fingers, he felt Areadbhar’s pole materialize in his hand, the crest stone quickly glowing red and the relic flaring to life. In the corner of his eye, Duke’s silhouette also appeared. Dimitri was no longer clad in his outfit for the ball- or at the very least, now he wore armor over it with a shield firmly latched to his forearm. The burning adrenaline before a battle ran through his veins, alongside the faint loom of dismay and disillusion. 

Let me cling to this illusion one last time. I need to for this battle.

Biting his lip, the merchant prince mounted his steed and held Areadbhar high. “We will get out of this alive, we must!” He shouted out loud, but it was mostly to himself than for his allies- and he didn’t even want to know why. Duke let out a whinny, and trotted towards the figure of the witch.

Dimitri attacks The Witch with Areadbhar! Roll1D20-2= 17, hit! | The Witch HP: 25/29

The relic rips through the witch’s shadowy body, its glow burning against its darkness. The figure falls back from the attack as a gouging wound appears in its middle while Dimitri orders Duke to start falling back. They are all unpredictable so far, I shouldn’t risk too much. They all had cards up their sleeves, but so did the enemies.

The Witch counters with Unscripting! Roll1D20= 10, hit! | Dimitri HP: 10/10

In the blink of an eye, the witch lunged towards him- an attack that would surely connect and leave a gnarly injury if it weren’t for the shield on his arm. Just in the right timing, the aegis of silver completely blocked the advance before Dimitri pushed the figure away from him. The witch’s attempt was clear on the silver plate, now riddled with scratches, but Dimitri’s body was safe.

“She is fast! Do not lower your guard!” He shouted as Duke trotted towards his allies.

@princessmacedon @lionsword @vermilique @cursedbluebird @goldoandragonprince @askrena @liegebound @aimlessarchery​

[venalier]

ALEKHINE’S GUN.

the emperor himself invited roy and maria to a private audience. it’d taken a while for the gravity of that to sink in — probably, she reasons, because this is a storybook, and they’ve only been here for a handful of days ( at least, it feels like a handful of days. maybe hours? for some disorienting reason, it feels all scrunched together somehow, as though her conversation with kent in that small courtyard might have been yesterday or last week ). she imagines that if this were back home, and lord ryoma had sent for someone...

well, that’s really what it is, isn’t it?

in that sense, roy and maria really didn’t have much of a choice, not without making things even worse for fenrich on the political front. but, why them? weren’t they just the younger siblings of the duchess’ personal bodyguard? in the back of her mind, part of caeldori worries that maybe the emperor had figured something out. nobody else in this book world — or in any of the others she’d been in — had ever seemed to suspect that the newcomers weren’t actually who they all pretended to be, but that didn’t mean the chances of it happening were zero. admittedly, that’s a small part of the reason she had also wanted to come. just in case... she wasn’t sure what, but just in case.

as the emperor’s “favorite magician” — though she’s not sure how much that counts for anymore — maybe there was a chance she could do something if the need arose; if not to help the two of them as members of house fenrich, then at least as her allies on a shared mission.

beyond that though, they were on their own. with her own hands tied — narratively, anyway— by her loyalty to the court, there wasn’t much she could do as far as the emperor’s agenda for meeting with them. at least the things she’d divulged made them better prepared, she hopes, for whatever’s in store.

as for herself?

caeldori takes a deep breath, checking her imperfect reflection in the studded plate of her vambrace for the dozenth time. an unfamiliar face, that of one of the palace guards she’d ‘ borrowed ’ the look of for the occasion, still stares back at her, and she exhales. magic artifacts, hexed rings, illusory glamours. these are things from rhajat’s arsenal of dark magic, not anything she’s ever been able to make heads or tails of, much less claim to be an expert on. it’ll be all right, she reassures herself, you have a backup plan. and a backup to that backup plan.

“okay, here we are.” they stop before the magnificant pair of decorated doors to the throne hall, and she lowers her voice so only the two can hear. “remember, after i escort you in, i’ll be standing by the emperor’s side to guard him. if anything happens, i’ll do whatever i can to help. i just want to know why he’s been holing himself up and giving his own magicians the cold shoulder.” if it has something to do with the precariousness of her position, especially with the hunt coming just around the corner, she can’t miss out on the chance, however risky, to find out.

               ↪   @princessmacedon

[princessmacedon]

two redheads walk into a stable

More often lately, Sveinn took his siblings to the Fenrich estate -- not so often as to be every day, for Maria enjoyed a fair few days of idle exploration into both the land around their house and the knowledge in their tomes -- but often enough that she had grown to be familiar with it, and comfortable enough to have many a great adventure across the length and breadth of it, besides. 

It was a great shame that there were no wyverns in so beautiful a place, but it was hard to be disappointed when they boasted of such an impressive stable instead. And the horses! With their big, beautiful eyes and their round, soft noses, why, how could she be anything but overjoyed? Just how many waited in their stalls, she did not know, but it would only be fair if she visited each and every one!

Yet she was still only visiting with the first when she heard the clack of a boot against stone behind her, and she peered over her shoulder even as her hands remained laid upon the gentle creature’s neck. At first it was because she had been busy with lavishing it with affection, but soon it was because she had frozen, stopped dead in her tracks. That face -- she knew that face! Hair swished around her shoulders as she peered toward either end of the stable. Finding it to be fortuitously empty, she nevertheless whispered: “...Professor?” 

@liegebound

[shadesofpurity]

The Doctor Will See You Now

Artur wiped the sweat starting to form from his brow as he once again took a seat behind the desk. it appears that he was finally on his first mission, sent to this mysterious, tome-based world by the Projectionist. why they chose him of all people, he would never quite understand.. his usual priest’s robes were swapped out for that of the coat of a doctor, and although he had usually gotten to the source of what had ailed the common folk when they came to the Emperor’s castle in search of the doctor, which was, well... him. he only had surface level knowledge of medicine and sickness, but hey, he was doing a good job, apparently! The ever so familiar sound of the door opening was heard once again as another person stepped in, but.. they looked familiar. “Greetings. what seems to be ailing you today- wait....”

[aimlessarchery]

Blood of the Daedra [The Hunt — Team Ana]

Taking point isn't usually Python's shtick, but he finds himself itching to get away from the crowds by the forest's edge. The threat of demons hangs heavily in the air, but at least he could deal with those by sticking 'em full of arrows. It'd be a refreshingly straightforward altercation compared to the nonsense he'd been dealing with for the past couple of weeks. He grips his bow, straining to listen for signs of life in the trees over the footfall and the flapping wings of Anabelle's mount (After that magic show she gave earlier, it's a bit of a shock to see her wielding a bow. Girl's a jack of all trades, apparently).

Movement: E15 → E13

A rustle in the bushes—Python raises his bow, but he's too slow. Tendrils of dark magic descend on him, the amorphous shapes raking at his skin like beastly fangs.

Demon D attacks Python w/ Devour: Hit (8): -2 HP (Python: 8/10)

"Shit—Folks!" He calls out, fingers finding his bowstring, "Looks like we're getting hunted right back!" Python looses his arrows, one after the other.

Python counters w/ Brave Bow: Barely Hit (5) + Hit (11): -3 HP (Demon D: 0.5/3.5)

The beast reels back with an unholy screech, bloodied and writhing but clearly still alive. Its companions descend on the group, seeking their own targets. Python can only hope that they're ready. He turns his attention back to the injured creature, feathering it with another quick volley. 

 Python attacks Demon D w/ Brave Bow: Hit (6) + Hit (16): -4 HP (Demon D: 0/3.5) Demon D is defeated!

It lurches from the blow, falling on its side and twitching pathetically. Python wrinkles his nose at the sight. He’s felled his share of monsters in his time, but the way they move never fails to make his skin crawl. Creepy little shits.

@askrena @goldoandragonprince @cursedbluebird

[cursedbluebird]

Aschenputtel Sterbt um Mitternacht

Marianne watched the dizzying activity of Lady Meaghan’s birthday masquerade. In the lovely gown and mask provided by Lady Meaghan, no one seemed to notice who she even was. She could see the rest of the group milling about, partaking in various activities. Python had left her as soon as they got in, something about covering more ground that way. Marianne didn’t blame him. The two had been spending a lot of time together recently...

The place was quite lovely. There were ornate decorations and banners all over the place, The cakes and sweets were dainty and too beautiful to eat, in fact Marianne avoided the food table lest she trip and fall on to it. All of the guests looked quite lovely in their ball gowns and masks. She watched couples stealing each other away for quick kisses and long dances. She hoped they could break Meaghan’s curse before midnight...

Marianne’s mind wandered to an old fairy tale, a story of a girl who was gifted a pretty gown and shoes and went to a ball but the magic wore off at midnight. In way this felt like a twisted version of that... Only instead of a gift, the girl was given a curse and was going to die at midnight... 

A tap on her shoulder made her jolt. She whipped her head around, heart racing, only to find Professor Kurthnaga standing behind her. “Oh professor...”  She put her hand over her chest. Marianne was terrified that it was going to be someone who wanted to cause a scene at her being there. “Hello... How  are you this evening?”

@goldoandragonprince

[askrena]

of ice and men

event starter for @goldoandragonprince

      THE GARDEN, WHEN THEY ARRIVE, IS GORGEOUS. Each crystalline bead of the frozen trees glitters like diamonds, like a chandelier hanging above a ballroom. Sharena's hand runs along the sculpted ice bark of one, absently tracing the grooves and swirls. When the emperor speaks, however, she lifts her head up to listen. She must be careful-- if Anabelle finds herself nervous around this man, so should she.

"Welcome. I shall cut straight to the chase - no doubt you are wondering as to the purpose behind your summons." He doesn't leave much space for argument, hands laced behind his back. He stands tall, glancing up at a tree of ice, frozen still. Its tears glisten in the morning light. "I should like to ask you of my fiancée, Lady de Vaux. Is she well?"

      "She's well, your Highness." Sharena says with a nod, "Of course, there are a few parting pains that ail her—" she hums, "—But I don't think it's anything so out of the ordinary. It's completely natural for someone to feel this way before such a big event, after all."

      She gives him a small, courteous smile. "Needless to say, she's as wonderful as always. We're all lucky to have her."

He stews a moment before reaching for the tree and - in a moment of compulsion, perhaps - snapping off one of its frozen droplets. He doesn't look back as he queries, expression dark: "Parting pains?"

      Sharena flinches at the way he breaks away one of the beads of ice, a phantom finger running through her spine as she hears the soft snap. She doesn't like this way his expression darkens, or the way he repeats her words, his voice as cold as the frozen tree he admires. The Askran swallows; she knows who his sort are. Somehow, he reminds him of a young Princess Veronica– there's a hidden emotion in his voice, she just doesn't quite know what.

      She can't say it's easy consorting with them particularly. She much prefers someone as forthcoming as Anabelle.

      But she'll do so for her friend. However difficult it may be, maintaining this act and maintaining her cool, she'll do it.

      "Yes, your highness," she says, her tone as level as she can make it, "parting pains. It's something we all go through when things begin to change." she pouts, "Forgive me, if it sounded insulting. I swear that wasn't the case at all! It just didn't feel right withholding it from you, is all. I assure you it's not something you should take personally."

He listens, though it seems in some moments as though he is far away... Fist closes over the tear in his hand, and sparkles of ice flitter, flutter to the ground... He exhales. Turns to look at Sharena, expression both questioning and yet painfully neutral at the same time. "Yes, well, perhaps I will." Gestures for them to follow as he  continues again to lead through the ice garden. "What manner of parting pains? Specifically."

      Her eyes, when they meet his, present no challenge, but they don't exactly waver. At the very least, they try not to. She follows him through the garden when he begins to guide them, trailing a few steps behind him.

      "Well, your highness," again, there's that desperate trying in her voice-- that determination to remain calm and collected, in spite of how her feelings begin to tumult, "They mostly relate to Kurth and I. She fears we might grow apart once she takes her place in your palace. That's all." She speaks no further, however much she wishes she could. Speaks no more truth despite her knowing it's for the better. Sharena knows how some situations are better with her silence. She's certainly been taught as much, back in her own castle.

For the briefest flash of an instant, the Emperor appears taken aback, hand trailing to his lips in thought. "Is that true...?"

      The emperor's tone turns quiet– but it's not the enigmatic, cold sort of quiet that's so much like his garden of ice It's more thoughtful, almost furtive. It surprises her; just as Veronica's kindness once did. Sharena finds herself unable to give a proper response, instead turning to face Kurthnaga and giving him a nod, flicking her head towards the emperor as though to urge him to continue.

[goldoanheart]

Trapped in Another Book! And Now the Empire’s Sweetheart is My Best Friend?!

event starter for @askrena !!

The scene before him now was an unfamiliar one. A tea party that he did not remember accepting any invitations to, nor even thinking of attending. Not to mention, he only recognized one of the girls sitting beside him. Hadn’t he just moments ago been trapped in that storybook? Ah, wait right. They were being thrown from world to world - all assumedly inside books - wildly without a way to get out... and the Projectionist had offered a way out... hopefully. Though... when she had said written into the books, this wasn’t exactly what he had thought that she meant.

All right. This was fine. At least they hadn’t been thrown into any kind of weird battle or anything. He could handle this. He’d been raised within Goldoa’s walls, forced to attend parties and social events that he hadn’t wished to as a young boy. This was surely a simple task. Though he felt as though he was supposed to know the young lady sitting before him. Ah, all of this travelling between the worlds of books was starting to make his head spin. How was he supposed to keep the plot of all of them straight?

He calmly took a sip of the tea that had been sitting before him, trying to act the role of a calm and composed friend of the young lady. Hopefully that would be enough to convince that he belonged here. He was quite good at acting like he belonged in places that he exactly didn’t, after all. A talent that he’d had to learn, that came in especially useful around the beorcs of the Officers Academy.

“This tea is quite aromatic my lady, thank you for inviting myself and Sharena here today. Did you have a specific reason for doing so? Either way, I’m glad to spend time with you. Right, Sharena?”