-Sunny Skies: Before The Dawn-

The sun was setting over the roofs of Amber Falls as another busy day came to an end. The village was awash with activity as the final preparations were made to send their precious youth on the journey to the city. The golden amber luminescence of the Great Falls bathed the town in its far off gentle glow. Golden flickers danced their merry way down river right past town and into the deep woods; to wherever the current may take them before winking out. Even against the setting sun, the village was oftentimes awash with light like this. A nameless bard lay in a boat floating lazily downstream, playing a tune and singing to none but the wind and the prying eyes of the gods above.

♫We rejoice to see a babe is born
We love to see them grow
But come sunrise and sunny skies
We weep to see them go♫

♫A journey far ahead now lies
We send them on their way
But come sunrise and sunny skies
They’ll be back again some day♫

It was a time of both great sadness and as well as joy. The young men and women would be leaving their homes and families behind. At the same time many were eager to go. They would be taking their first steps towards adulthood, and acceptance. The first steps to creating a life for themselves outside the shadow of parents and masters alike. It happened every year but parents never got used to the feeling of letting their children leave. There would be tearful goodbyes and heartfelt chats in equal parts alongside those who simply blew it all off to finally get away from little old Amber Falls.

♫We watch the young march along
Towards their destiny
Until we see their faces once more
We ever sing this song♫

♫We few, brave few who leave this day
Face our future come what may
We shall return proud and strong
Until then we sing this song♫

The young ones had all been gathered inside the Sleepy Sheep on this the eve of their departure. The whole of the alehouse had been rented out just for the occasion. What awaited them inside the alehouse was nothing short of a feast; roasted meats topped with succulent gravy, stuffing and potatoes piled high, and a plethora of vegetables smothered with butter and seasoning. Topping it all off though was one mountain of a cake. All of it lay in wait for the young apprentices. So to did the village elder, Aaron Her, lie in wait. He was an older man, his short black beard running grey in places. “Welcome everyone. As you all know, tomorrow, you will be leaving here to train in the city of Crenshaw. There you will train hard, learn new skills, and begin to master your craft. When you return, your newfound skill will not only enrich yourselves, but the entire town.” He looked across the room to the faces of each of the children being sent off into the world. The man’s stern face cracked a smile. “Ah, but you didn’t come here to listen to me blather on did you.” He chuckled. “Tomorrow you begin your journey, but today is a day of celebration! Go on my friends. Eat and drink to your heart’s content.” With that the apprentices were free to eat, drink, and revel amongst themselves. Elder Her quietly slipped out of the Sleepy Sheep once things were well underway. In the cool night air he sighed heavily and dropped any pretence of joviality. That hadn’t been one of his best send off speeches. More urgent matters occupied his mind. Turning away from the inn he made his way over to the Ranger lodge. There were important matters to discuss.

♫We set once more upon the road
Our work and toil at end
But come sunrise and sunny skies
We long for home again♫

♫But should darkness could the road’s return
And pitfalls mar the way
Until sunrise and sunny skies
The Falls shine bright as day♫

Junior looked meekly around him as soon as they were dismissed to eat and chat amongst themselves, taking in the sights and smells of his surroundings. Oh, what a feast it was inside the Sleepy Sheep! So much food, the delicious aroma filling the air and making mouths water and stomachs growl in anticipation.

He quietly hugged his grey stuffed cat close to him as he wandered over to the gigantic cake that lay in the middle of everything. He stared up at the cake that he had made with his own hands, the cake the elder had commissioned from his mother's bakery, just as he did every year. Of course, his mother would bake the special celebratory cake every year, and occasionally he would help his mother here and there in the baking of the cake, but this was the very first time he had been allowed to bake the entire cake all by himself, and quite the fitting honor, to bake the very cake to be featured at his own ceremony. What a task it was, mixing just the right ingredients together and finding the right balance of moisture for the entire thing, and of course putting all the layers together and decorating it as delicately and intricately as he could.

He turned and looked at all the other children, most of which were much older than himself, and he felt a pang of worry strike him in the stomach, suddenly anxious if his fellow apprentices would even like the cake. "What if they think the cake is too wet? Or maybe it's too dry! What if they don't like the icing, or the strawberries I put in between the layers? What if they don't like how I mixed the vanilla and chocolate together? Oh, I hope they don't hate it...!" These worried, paranoid thoughts raced in his mind as he hugged his stuffed cat even tighter.

((OOC: Hope this is an okay first post. ^^;))

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Alexandra had slipped in as quietly as she could just in time to hear it was time to eat. She ran over to the meat, grabbing a plate full before eyeing the cake. "Looks good, doesn't it?" she asked the kid she noticed looking at it. She giggled at his worried look. "Don't worry, it's probably a very good cake. Go ahead and have some, I'm sure the baker wouldn't mind." Spending so much time out of the town, she didn't know the kid she was talking to was in fact the one who'd made the cake. "Speaking of that, do you know who made the cake?" She looked down at him, half-expecting an answer from the seemingly shy boy.

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They taped over your mouth, scribbled out the truth with their lies, you little spies - You will release your life, joining with the god-damned world of the dead and the lonely. - Я сошла с ума, Mне нужна она
Innuendo Squad's Resident Lesbian
Mother of darkness, mother of light, earth beneath us, soul in flight, songs of love and love of light, guide us to our heart.
We all come from the Goddess and to her we shall return like a drop of rain flowing to the ocean.

-Malkizid Soluvan-


Carefully and with great caution, malkizid was placing various plates of food that had been sitting in the back away from the main table on a couple of secondary tables in the area. His parents were done cooking an hour ago and had begun festively celebrating with other parents. Mal had insisted on staying to finish up and encouraged them to mingle with the people they rarely got to see in the day to day life.
The squabble of other kids didn't interest him too much.

Wiping off a smudge on one of the plates, he gave a final sigh. Wiping his forhead with a cloth he kept on the strings of his apron. "Finally got it done! Oh I've outdone myself this year." Taking a big whiff of the various meats on the table, Mal licked his lips anxiously. Soon... A calm smile creased his lips as the young man walked behind the bar to get a glass of fresh juice, though he could drink without any problem it would be difficult to take any specialty orders that came in.
Their was bound to be someone who wanted something... different.

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"But when one of it's baby chicks is in trouble, Momma comes a run'nin' and a squawkin and a run'nin''." -General Treistar

Sabeam Nightshade– Sleepy Sheep Inn

The scent of the savory meats drowned in thick gravy, overly seasoned vegetables, and that monster of a cake that seemed to be as tall as Elder Aaron Her. Sitting in a corner of the inn of to the left of the feasting table sat Sabeam Nightshade, Apprentice Fletcher of Donovan McAlaster, the raven haired violet eyed young woman. Her violet orbs scanned the room noticing her 'peers' sitting and listening to the older man speak which he seemed rather serious but then his warm smile cracked through his stern mask to which he bayed the others to feast to their hearts content. The young teen watched the man leave which she just shrugged him off and then focused her attentions on the others who were practically drooling over the appetizing splendor before them all. The raven haired young woman with a shoulder length braid sighed while still seated in her corner of the room observing the others silently. She felt that it would be best if she just waited for the others to take food first, just to be sure that this feast was not poisoned, though she knew it wasn't but she just has to be careful now that she was leaving the proverbial nest, 'not like I am going to be eating much of it anyway,' she thought to herself. Yet after a short while she spotted the younger of her peers hugging a gray feline toy which she pondered to herself for a moment, 'Isn't he the apprentice baker?' She wondered while adjusting herself bottom slightly for she was getting a little uncomfortable. The raven haired fletcher got up off her wooden seat and slowly moved closer to the group while still remaining rather silent. Sabeam kept her focus on the food; succulent meat, potatoes, butter drowned green beans, cranberry stuffing, CAKE!

The sixteen-year-old found herself at the table to which she collected a handmade looking plate, and the rather simple looking utensils she was just about to gather herself some of that delicious smelling food when another erupted into the inn and headed over to the cake. Sabeam froze for a moment but then turned back to the food and started to create her plate, 'Chicken thighs, gravy, potatoes, butter drowned green beans, and stuffing!' The young woman smiled a little then slowly headed back to her corner of the inn to partake in the festivities. Once she returned to her spot she placed her plate down on the wooden table then headed back up to get herself something to drink, 'water would be better...but it is such an occasion...no stick to water....' The raven haired teen sighed while gathering herself a cup of water.

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You've tried so hard until now, you needn't blame yourself.
You've treasured your Rose Signet until now.
I shall give you a kiss as your reward.
This is your consolation.

Junior gasped lightly when his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by an older girl standing beside him with a plate full of meat. He nodded his head a little and looked back over to the cake. "Uh-huh, it...it looks good alright..." he replied softly, looking down at his feet as he shuffled them a little uncomfortably. "I hope the others think it's good, too..." He looked up at the girl as she asked him if he knew the identity of the baker who made the cake, eyes widening a little. "O-Oh, well, actually...you see...I...I-I made this cake myself," he murmured, hiding his face a little behind his stuffed cat's head as his face flushed, feeling a mix between bashfulness and embarrassment at having to admit such a thing, knowing in the back of his mind that he would be receiving either praise or criticism depending on what the people here thought about his cake.

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"I'll have to try it." she said, patting his head with her empty hand. "Heard you're almost as good as your mother, if you're who I think you are." With that, Alex disappeared into the crowd to find a table. Eventually, she found a seat next to the Apprentice Fletcher. "Mind if I sit here?" she asked just before the girl walked away.

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They taped over your mouth, scribbled out the truth with their lies, you little spies - You will release your life, joining with the god-damned world of the dead and the lonely. - Я сошла с ума, Mне нужна она
Innuendo Squad's Resident Lesbian
Mother of darkness, mother of light, earth beneath us, soul in flight, songs of love and love of light, guide us to our heart.
We all come from the Goddess and to her we shall return like a drop of rain flowing to the ocean.

~Zephrin Seams: To Home I Go. At last.~

This was the day Zephrin was waiting for.

The day he had dreamed of for about two years tops.

The day he would return to his hometown, Crenshaw, the grandest city in the land away from the roaring falls and the terrifying heights. This was it, his liberation from slavery. Finally, his dream of becoming the most fabulous tailor in all of Syl was about to come true.

The implications brought tears to his eyes. And he knew he had to look his very best for the journey back tomorrow. For now, he wore his golden embroidered vest with a red and white elaborate pattern over his usual white puffy longsleeved shirt. With it he wore blue clothed pants and black leather poulaines over tall white woolen socks. Tomorrow he planned on wearing his handmade green tunic with his favorite traveling hat and his brown cloak (once he finished it). His old cloak was already long gone, but it was totally worth it. Zephrin could simply burst from all the excitement. It didn't really matter that he had tons of preparations to make in order to make tomorrow's journey perfect and elegant. Today was the day to celebrate the village elder's wonderful news.

He gave one clap of his hands. "Wonderful! Hm, I wonder what's on tonight's menu. Hopefully none of that tasteless soup." While ignoring the simpletons who charged the serving tables like the hogs that they were, Zephrin gracefully strides towards one of the apprentice cooks, not very different from the common servant in his mind. "Excuse me sir, I don't suppose you serve any deer meat. All I see there is chicken, beef and pork" he added browsing the meat selection.

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Musicmac: "Sam4Books: Always ready to cheer things up with awesome art. Terms and Conditions apply."

Sabeam Nightshade – Sleepy Sheep Inn
Sabeam nearly bumped into the rather physically mature brunette, who was someone that she never really knew. The raven haired athletic built fletcher, who was not as "gifted" as Alexandra, she cleared her throat while her eyes slightly narrowed, "If you feel it is necessary...then you may." Her violet eyes studied the girl but then she slowly made her way up to the bar, 'No water...ALE!' She thought to which silently grumbled to herself, as well as her hungry stomach grumbled to Sabeam to hurry up. Once she arrived at her destination, the bar, she raised her index finger and spoke, "Can I get an ale?" The fletcher then stood there and waited for her beverage while hoping that the brunette with the chocolate eyes did not do anything to her meal. 'I should just throw it away, but that would be a waste...I don't think she is capable of poison making.' The raven haired teen thought silently until her drink was placed before her. Those sharp violet eyes gazed at the beverage and then she sighed, "Can I get another one..." She sighed while a thought popped in her mind, 'It is a happy occasion, its okay to maybe socialize...' After a short moment another pint of ale was handed to the girl with the raven haired braid. She then wandered back over to her their corner of the inn to which she placed down in front of Alexandra a pint of ale, "Here...its ale...and not poisoned." She spoke actually thinking that her statement was quite appropriate for she felt explaining what it is and that it is not poisoned was rather polite and proper. Sabeam then sat down and waited for the other to respond or to start eating.

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You've tried so hard until now, you needn't blame yourself.
You've treasured your Rose Signet until now.
I shall give you a kiss as your reward.
This is your consolation.

Junior flinched a little as Alex pat his head, an action he wasn't really expecting from a stranger, at least not right then. He looked up at her as she made a comment about hearing that he was almost as good as his mother, and watched as she walked away. He stood there, blinking a little as he turned it over in his mind. "Almost as good as...Mom?" he thought to himself as he glanced back over to the giant cake. "Mom's one of the best bakers this village has ever known...can I really be almost as good as her?" He looked down at his stuffed cat, stroking its head softly. "Well, what do you think of that, Rhyme? Do you think I can be as good as Mom?" he whispered to it quietly. He looked over to the tables full of food, his stomach growling. "Well, maybe I should go get something to eat now. 'Can't just stand here all night, after all..." he muttered to himself as he went to pick up a plate and pick out some of the delicious food that was laid out on the large tables around him.

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She nodded and sat down, glancing at the other girl's plate as she began eating. "Thanks." she smiled, hearing that the girl had brought her a pint of ale. At the statement that it wasn't poisoned, she almost laughed. "Why would anyone here try to poison someone? We all basically know each other." She looked the girl over with a smile. "You are a beautiful young woman, though." she said before taking another large bite of meat.

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They taped over your mouth, scribbled out the truth with their lies, you little spies - You will release your life, joining with the god-damned world of the dead and the lonely. - Я сошла с ума, Mне нужна она
Innuendo Squad's Resident Lesbian
Mother of darkness, mother of light, earth beneath us, soul in flight, songs of love and love of light, guide us to our heart.
We all come from the Goddess and to her we shall return like a drop of rain flowing to the ocean.

William Bruce

Too many. Far, far too many. William summoned what little courage he could to raise his head and peer through the thick curls over his eyes. He managed to scan the length of the room before he faltered and quickly retreated back to the relative safety of staring at the floor. There is just too many people around. Truthfully, he would have never ventured out to the celebration if his father hadn't literally dragged him there and tossed him in the door. To his credit, William had managed to scramble his way towards the safest looking corner. There, he had preceded to make himself as small as possible, which was an impressive feat in itself considering his height.

Truth be told, William was rather hungry but he'd have to navigate around all the others here to get at any of the edible treasures. Caught between his hunger and his apprehension, eventually his stomach won the argument. He took a deep breath and shuddered slightly before he made his way to the food. If he moved quickly and kept his head down, he might be able to grab something and retreat back to his safe corner without much event. About half way to the food, William came to a chilling realization as he froze in place momentarily, he'd also have to get himself something to drink as well! Water or a squeezed juice drink wouldn't cut it for William tonight, if he was going to last around this many people, he was going to need something a little stronger. Alright then, he thought to himself. New plan of action, make my way to the food, grab something quickly, then the bar for a drink and back to the corner! He almost smiled to himself, proud of his plan before he realized that he was still standing halfway to the food. He picked up his pace and made his way towards one of the meats on display.

Sabeam Nightshade – Sleepy Sheep Inn - A corner table
Sabeam sighed noticing that her plate was now Alexandra's plate to which the fletcher sat down and took a piece of chicken off of her plate and just started to eat silently. She then spoke after chewing and swallowing the poultry meat, "True, however you never know..." To be quite honest this is the most she had ever spoken to this girl since she first arrived in this small village many long years ago. The raven haired teen then picked a butter dripping green bean and started to eat that silently while still keeping her gaze down at the table slightly. 'main objective, nourishment...in process. Socializing...working on it!' She thought while swallowing the vegetable to which she just sighed to herself, "What brings you to this part of the inn anyway?" She spoke while taking a nice long swig of her ale hoping that the beverage would get her to relax just a bit. Her violet eyes glanced up slightly at the young woman with the earthy brown locks and those soft chocolate eyes, that are completely reminding the fletcher of that monster chocolate cake. She then took another piece of green bean and started to eat that still making that slight eye contact with Alexandra. She then waited in a small silence for her 'friend' to say something. Her eyes quickly scanned the room taking note of the few noticeable 'peers' in the room.

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You've tried so hard until now, you needn't blame yourself.
You've treasured your Rose Signet until now.
I shall give you a kiss as your reward.
This is your consolation.

☽Aldrnari - Sleepy Sheep Inn☾

While all of the children were eyeing the food, one set of stormy grey eyes was watching Elder Her leave. Early on, Aldrnari had hidden herself away in one of the dark corners of the Inn, near the door. Growing up the way she had, Aldrnari didn't like being shoved into the spotlight, all she needed was a simple good job from Hroth, which she had received earlier that day. Her cloak wrapped tightly around her, the hood pulled down to just above her eyes, she stood so still that no one noticed her as their eyes slid over the secluded spot. But there was very little she missed as she watched. The most interesting, was the fact that Elder Her had slipped out just moments after he finished his congratulatory speech. Moving quietly along the wall, Aldrnari was out the door soon after, closing the door quietly so that the elder would not notice that he had been followed. Walking slowly, she flitted from shadow to shadow, swaying with the breeze so that she would be even less visible if Her decided to look back.

She followed him to her home, and she raised an eyebrow. Hroth and the elder had been meeting a lot recently, and every time she had been unable to get close enough to hear any of what was going on. Hroth or one of the other rangers had caught her, but she hadn't seen any signs of the others around the cabin, and it wasn't unusual to practice her unseen movement on her way home from town. Keeping to the tree line around the cabin, she circled around to the window nearest to the fireplace, which is most likely where Hroth and Elder Her would be sitting. She had gone all the way around the cabin first, and was now positive that none of the other rangers were in the vicinity. Crossing into the clearing, she moved quickly but quietly, stalking her way to just below the window. Luckily, the moon wasn't high enough yet for the shadows to be gone from around the house yet, so she was pretty well hidden. With the woodpile on her left, and the small garden she and Hroth kept on her right, the shadows would keep her hidden no matter how high the moon got. Making herself comfortable, Aldrnari settled in to listen in on her adoptive father's conversation.

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Zath: Behold, Karo: The only woman in existence who can make Fenix shut the fuck up.
Redsnow: That, and, frankly, if Karo doesn't like you that much, your character is probably going to die soon after his acceptance anyway.
Keiran: Bad RPs don't get picked, unmemberable RPs get ignored.
Zelosse: I don't usually laugh at blatant attitude, but when I do. It usually involves Karo.

Gregory sat at ease in the restaurant, simply keeping an eye on others. He saw that plenty of people were enjoying themselves, and that Aldrnari was leaving to pursue something. He wondered what could have called her away but soon turned his mind away. Tomorrow was a good day to look forward to and he mentally went over his list to make sure he had everything prepared. He had bid his parents farewell, hoping to get up and begin traveling before the crack of dawn the following morning.

Smiling at his friends, he left the tavern to wander the streets. He spent enough time indoors on his job and much preferred fresh air. Aimlessly, he ambled through the streets that he had grown up on and come to memorize so well. He loved the town, but wanted to see more in the world, and so he took off his shoes to come into contact with the comforting cobblestone for this final night as he began to visit many of his favorite locations that he had grown up with for the final time in what he hoped would be a long period of exploration and journeying.

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These are a few of my favorite things

"A beautiful young woman whom I'd hoped to get to know." she smiled, patting the raven-haired girl's back. "I'm Alexandra, and you?" She smiled sincerely between bites of meat and mouthfuls of ale. She had dressed up a little, wearing her nicest shirt and overalls, though still looked rather poor compared to some of the other children.

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They taped over your mouth, scribbled out the truth with their lies, you little spies - You will release your life, joining with the god-damned world of the dead and the lonely. - Я сошла с ума, Mне нужна она
Innuendo Squad's Resident Lesbian
Mother of darkness, mother of light, earth beneath us, soul in flight, songs of love and love of light, guide us to our heart.
We all come from the Goddess and to her we shall return like a drop of rain flowing to the ocean.

Lydia Chandler – The Sleepy Sheep Inn

It had all seemed very surreal; tomorrow would be the day that the clockmaker apprentice Lydia Chandler would leave upon her journey to the Dawn Guild in the city. Not once had she left Amber Falls to venture that far out of her comfort zone, she had wondered what it would be like or more importantly how she could cope being in the wilds traveling on foot.

Lydia Chandler arrived a little too late as she quickly opened the entrance door to the Sleepy Sheep Inn, but just in time to hear the speech by the village elder Aaron Her. Hopefully unnoticed she slipped in and curiously listened into Aaron Her’s words as she went to find an empty seat and table.

“Maybe I need more supplies whilst going to the Guild.” She mumbled to herself as she caressed the timepiece pendant hanging from her neck with her fingers. “A dress isn’t very practical for long walks, nor these shoes.” Lydia sighed softly and sat back against the backrest of the chair and curiously watched the happenings of all the other children and young teens within the Inn. Despite all the food one could dream of being served, the sixteen year old didn’t seem hungry enough to worry about that. At least not yet.

Millicent was running late to the party because of a last minute delivery, so she was still at her master's house in the town when the party was getting ready to start. She sat in front of a small looking-glass as she finished braiding her still-damp hair into her usual bun before she looked around the place with a nod to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything. Turning towards the door Millie grabbed her satchel and headed out the door.

As she stepped outside she breathed in the night air with a smile and then set off towards the inn at a brisk walk. As she got closer she noticed the Elder walking away from the inn with a frown on his face. For a moment she contemplated following him to see what was wrong, but decided against it when she noticed a slight flickering at the edge of her vision that she had come to associate with Aldrnari over the years. She was never able to actually find the girl unless she wanted to be found, but she could sometimes pick up on the girl's presence if she was within her field of vision. Of course as she looked closer to try and find the girl she had already moved from her spot and Millicent couldn't find her. Shrugging slightly and wondering if she should ask the girl what she saw later she continued into the Sleepy Sheep Inn. Dodging most of the crowd with careful practice she found her way to the table and began piling some food onto her plate. After her last delivery she was starving.

((aaaand I'mma stop there cuz I have to go get my hair chopped off now))

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Zee Captain: "Better dig your heels in"
Mr. Snippy: "Why? What?"
Zee Captain: "..."

(Alexander's House)

Alexander had always known this day was coming, he was more nervous than excited or anxious,and was afraid what would become of his father once he had left, but his father assured him he'd be fine. With a quick flick of the wrist he'd finished the last of the repairs the army had wanted done."Aaaahhhh I can finally get on my way to the celebration, those people though, I don't really think I've ever been around so many before"With a sigh he picked up his satchel full of tools and clothes and walked into the inn.

(OOC:In school right now will finish later)

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I got friends on the other side ~

-Malkizid Soluvan-


"Absolutely," He smiled politely to the person infront of him. Mal wasn't very social so it became a problem to remember the other children's names, whenever possible it became a matter of trying not to draw attention to that fact. "We do have some Deer in the back slow roasting, along with a few side plates of specific cuts. Would you like me to bring you one of the side plates? Alternatively we have a few Venison steaks on the grill right now."
Trying to be generous and polite, Mal stood with a smile and his hands behind his back waiting to be dismissed from the scenary.

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"But when one of it's baby chicks is in trouble, Momma comes a run'nin' and a squawkin and a run'nin''." -General Treistar

{Sleepy Sheep}

Crimcha began slowly looking over the main table and the bountiful feast sprawled out for he and the others. His bright eyes shimmered in awe of the beauty, his face widened by the great smile that still steadily grew upon his joyous face. He almost squeaked with wanton hunger before he forced himself back to his senses. Okay, calm down, Crim. You’re not home and you don’t want any accidents, so you gotta act civil! The small lad thought while taking in a deep breath before nodding to himself. Good! He then blinked a few times and grabbed his overly baggy poncho, tugging it off his nose and back down to his collar. Only one near my size, and it’s STILL a bit too big…

Crimcha began moving in place a bit, turning his body and stretching his arms to check over his attire. Most of his form was cloaked in green by the large poncho, hiding everything he’d picked out earlier just to help him look better for the celebration. He sighed with an exacerbated annoyance, grumbling under his breath. He closed his eyes and shook his head, turning his attention instead to everything around him. His eyes quickly took notice of William and his attempts to hide away from reality. He watched for a second or two, starting to think of how he might help the only boy with more fear than Crimcha himself exhibited. But William began to resolve the situation on his own, heading directly for the meats on the table.

A sweet smile adorned Crimcha’s face at the scene. He then began walking over as well, his eyes wandering every so often to hungrily stare at the monumental mountain of baked genius that was the oversized cake. Oh, how he wanted to dig right into that sweet pile of confectionary delight. But he had something he felt he should do first. He took a deep breath, stopping at the table to pick up two empty plates before walking over near William. He didn’t say anything and tried his best not to move too quickly. His hand steadily reached out, placing the plate near the meat Will was eyeing, then placing a knife and fork onto the dish for him. Crimcha then turned to look away while picking up various slices of honeyed ham for himself. ”If you need to hide, you can use me for cover and stay behind me, Will.” Crimcha whispered so that only the taller boy could hear him, being sure to stand where he was blocking Will from being seen by Millicent while she was at the table, too.

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- Sandra -

Meat, meat and even more meat! What's that? Want meat with your meat? Go right ahead, there's plenty!

Sandra grumbled something, the choice of food wasn't exactly lightening up her already sour mood. For some stupendous reason, her mother had manage to talk her into, get this, wearing a dress. A dress! Oh god, it was horrible, there was this feeling of embarrassing freedom, yet at the same time it felt just as constricting. It's a formal party dear, you have to look your best! she could still hear her mother drone on Come on, I won't be seeing you for a long time, it would mean so much for me. That had hit a sensitive spot, her mother was good at that.

So here she was, in this ridiculous outfit, combed straight hair and high heels that made her ankles hurt. Why on earth would regular people do this to themselves? She looked around the room, noticing that she was the only one who had apparently bothered to dress so formally. With the exception of Mr. Fabulous of course, but he'd dress up even if he just went to the bathroom, if given the chance. He'd probably get a good laugh out of all of this... Good thing the dress didn't inhibit her ability to punch.

But come on, this was a party, no need to let such trivial things as clothing or food get you down. The dress did do an absolutely marvelous job of showing off her new... assets -- oh she simply had to find Rem, just to rile him up --, and there was always that big cake to look forward to! And quite honestly, the whole prospect of travelling to the Dawn Guild had given her enough energy that there probably wasn't going to be much sleep tonight.

She noticed Lydia sitting at a table and figured she could use some company. Sandra made her way to the table somewhat wobbly, heels were hell, and gave Lydia a firm pat on the back, before sitting down. "Heya Lydia, great party, no?" Sandra tried to cross her legs, but the dress wasn't really forthcoming so she abandoned that hope. "Shame about the food though, I had really hoped to see more fruits and vegetables... you know, less meat." She looked at the stack of food for a bit, before turning back to Lydia again "So how're you holding up? Just one more day and then it's off, to adventure!" To illustrate her point she raised her arm up into the arm, in a sort of striking pose. "Oh, and not a word about the dress, okay? Or I will end you." She quickly added, somewhat jokingly.

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Lydia had been so wrapped up in her own thoughts and worries about what tomorrow would bring that she had actually became distant from the happenings within the inn, so silent and so still staring towards the table before her as she tried to figure out what she really needed. Sure, dresses weren’t really practical nor these semi-high heeled boots. Need something more comfortable, will be walking a fair distance.

Then suddenly she had been thrown out of her worries as she felt Sandra’s firm pat on the back, she almost lost the position of her glasses as she was forced to lean forward as she was patted. Lydia was startled as she looked up towards Sandra wide eyed behind her spectacles, with an outstretched finger she pushed them back up onto the bridge of her nose. “Uhh.. Yes, I guess it is.”

Lydia sat back as she watched Sandra sat down on a nearby seat at the table and nodded slowly, she knew the girl was a vegetarian but she didn’t have time to inspect the serving tables having arrived a little late. She had been quite nervous about the prospect of leaving her home and comfort zone, despite Sandra being a friend.

“Yes, about that. Dresses and these shoes aren’t very travel friendly are they? I’m not really that eager to go, but I know I must. It should be good in the end.” Lydia smiled awkwardly before noticing Sandra wearing a formal dress just like she had been; she couldn’t help but hide a slight giggle behind her hand. “I see your mother tried to make you presentable.. You actually come up like a pretty penny.”

After picking some chicken and some of the buttered vegetables, Junior looked around him, searching for a place to sit down and eat his food. The crowd of people around him started to make him feel a little claustrophobic, he could barely see two or three feet in front of him. With a gulp, he meekly walked through the crowd, feeling like a small, awkward little thing as he looked around for a table to sit at. "I-I didn't realize how many people were here...there doesn't seem to be a lot of seats left, and the ones that are left are full of people, too..." he thought to himself. He wasn't very comfortable at the thought of sitting at a table already filled with people talking and chatting amongst themselves; it just felt like he'd be intruding, an unwanted outsider poking in on a personal conversation, listening in on a joke he's not in on, etc, etc.

He began to whimper slightly, standing around looking like a frightened lost animal as he hugged his stuffed cat close to him in one arm while holding out his plate with his other.

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Orcus Morton - ...

Orcus sat on one of the old chairs facing the fireplace, watching the fire burn furiously as it had since four in this afternoon. A plain cup was in his ungloved hands, half-full with now warm water. never-the-less, he took a small sip from it, his pale fingers tensing and the sickly-coloured nails scratching at it's surface delicately from the small force causing the friction. He'd drank a quarter in the last hour alone since the inn had begun to fill and bustle with preparations, something to so with the increased grouped body heat perhaps? A side plate was placed on his scarf which was in turn, looped thrice round itself and then placed on his lap, a few crumbs from the half-loaf of bread where left on it from when he'd finished scavanging from it 2 hours ago. Perhaps he should request another half from one of the workers, he'd need to keep his strength up for the journey tomorrow and this was a special occasion. His hood, against his misgivings, had been pulled down to fold over his neck, showing the black hair of the back of his head to the rest of the room. His clerical collar itched a little but that would fade after it lost it's stiffness in a few days, it still couldn't be seen back and was mainly hidden by the nape of the cloak still wrapped around him. The symbol of the Spooks was hidden by the back of the chair but the staff that lay between his dark trousers gave away his profession, passing through the circle of his connected arms and body and the head of it resting on his shoulder, the dark violet orb enclosed in the ancient wood glinting strangly as the lights from the room flittered unnaturally through it.

His own dark eyes stared at the fire, monochrome reflections of it played in his calm eyes, giving the aged eyes a small illusion of life, distracting away from the dark circles underneath them and red veins cracking through his sclera. He hadn't moved once he'd entered and ordered his meal except to take nourishment from his provisions, although once the other apprentices had entered, he did seem to have taken a slightly more relaxed tone although he still hadn't looked from the fire, even when the other chairs round him had been occupied and unoccupied and occupied in their own turns. Although that didn't mean he didn't listen although he tried not to eavesdrop to his temporary comrades. He'd paid attention to the elder's speech, closing his eyes as he did so, and opening them again once he stopped. He took another sip from his mug, the tanzanite in his ring shinging brightly for a moment as the firelight gleamed through it.

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“One day you wake up and realize the world can be conquered.”