open | The Commander's Audience at the Palace of Landed Sky

[alderwood]

Characters: The Ironwood Emperor Alderwood Commander and anyone who came to speak with the Ironwood Emperor.
Date: June 15th
Location: The Palace of Landed Sky
Situation: The expected holding of an audience for any that care to speak with the Ironwood Emperor, though they will be met instead by the Alderwood Commander.
Warnings/Rating: N/A; to be updated if necessary

The hall is still and white, strung with softly glowing lanterns that are strung up high beyond reach. Outside, the sun is at its zenith, and it filters down through the cloudy glass roof to create a brilliant, nearly blinding ambiance.

The floor is marble, inlaid with mother-of-pearl and ruby quartz. It catches the light, and casts strange patterns on the walls.

The room itself is almost eerily silent. No noise, no echoes. No one and nothing vaguely human, excepting the presence of Evandau. The Alderwood Commander stands before the Emperor's empty throne with patient expression and posture reminiscent to the at-ease bearing of a soldier. He waits to receive the petitioners, kedan and Foreigner alike, in Eshai's place this day. As with her audiences, those wishing to make their case must approach him and he will make not move to shorten the distance between the grand entryway and the throne that he defends.

The 'audience' is an open one, and no one will be turned away. So come one, come all, to the Palace of Landed Sky.

[Actionspam or prose are both acceptable! The Emperor has delegated the audience to Evandau this month and he has been temporarily granted many of the authorities that she naturally holds. Why is that? Well, telling y'all would be too easy, wouldn't it?

Characters will only be admitted into the hall one by one, so there won't be anyone present for anyone else's conversations, and there won't be any 'mingling' in the chamber itself.

By popular demand, we continue to allow mingling for those waiting for an audience in an antechamber. There is a thread header below to allow for that!]

Comments

AUDIENCE - the latest ;-;

[notdreaming]

[ Kara approaches uncertainly, but she has made her decision. She has plenty to offer. She steps forward. ]

Um. Hello.

nevar late!

[alderwood]

[Evandau nods.]

Put your purpose to words.

:')

[notdreaming]

[ She bites her lip rather than her thumbnail (which is clamped firmly in her other hand behind her back) in nervousness before speaking up. ]

I was told that I could ask for [ oh what did they call it ] a vision of my future in my own world, in exchange for... something?

[alderwood]

How much of your future do you seek?

[notdreaming]

Just... maybe a month? [ She's accepted that Krypton will never come back, but she needs to know if things ever get better. If people stop trying to kill her. If she finds a way to get by. ]

[alderwood]

Name what it's worth to you then.

[notdreaming]

I have money, and... um, I don't really know what you want. [ But she has thought about it at least a little bit, so... ]

I can work? Physical labor, or research, or... anything, really.

[alderwood]

[She is not the first to flounder and so he waits for her offer. Service. Assistance. Such are offers of value to him.]

A day in exchange for one month.

[That is his counter offer.]

I will choose that day, but when it comes, you may not argue my calling in the debt.

[notdreaming]

[ She wavers for a moment. A day to do... whatever he says? That's not quite the deal she was expecting. But then, she supposes, if he wants her to do anything particularly unpleasant she can simply refuse. She has enough friends here who might defend her. Finally she nods. ]

Alright.

[alderwood]

Then come.

[He gestures for her to follow. He will take her to the pool, where she may see what awaits her back home.]

[notdreaming]

[ She approaches gingerly. Now that she's here, she's a little afraid of what she might she. But she has to know.

She peers at the pool, waiting for visions to appear. ]

[alderwood]

[Evandau waits for her to approach the edge. It is only when she seeks to find some image in them that he acts. A push -- hard, with the influence of his nullification field further dampening what she may try to do in resistance. It is necessary -- she must be in the water to bear its tidings.]

[notdreaming]

[ She yelps in surprise as she falls face first into the pool. It is very difficult, after all, to defend from something you aren't expecting. Even harder to notice movement when you're focused on the still surface of water in front of you.

She lifts her head and spits water, shaking her head and turning around to glare at him. ]

What was that for?!

[alderwood]

[Evandau gestures to the water.]

You want the information? You must submit yourself to it. Submerge and see what you're looking for.

[notdreaming]

Oh. [ She blinks, still mildly offended. At least she doesn't have to worry about breathing. ]

All the way under?

[alderwood]

[A quick nod.]

Now or never, Foreigner.

[notdreaming]

[ She gives him one last dubious look before dunking her head in, reminding herself that she doesn't have to breathe. ]

[alderwood]

[Evandau waits. That is all he must do now; it is up to her to see what her future would hold for her.]

[notdreaming]

[ The vision presses its way into her mind, and she can't tell if it's in her eyes or only her head. It doesn't matter though, as she watches in rapt attention the events of her next month on Earth.

When she finally resurfaces she gasps, and it sounds horribly like a sob. She's badly shaken, and all she can think is that she wants to go back to her suite - not home, not just now it isn't - and not see anyone else on the way. ]

T-thank you. [ It's meek, and she doesn't meet his eyes but rather makes for the door in a rush. ]

[alderwood]

[Evandau nods and follows her, his pace steady and efficient. It is not an uncommon reaction -- many face unpleasant futures and few are equipped to deal with that reality.]