Take Back the Crown

He grinned lightly back at her little joke. "Well we have that in common with our mothers then." She had been kind enough to reveal something she clearly wasn't comfortable with, so he felt no harm in doing the same. "And yes. That's the village I spoke of before. I mostly lived there for a while. But it was ransacked and destroyed by some rather unfriendly fae. Surprisingly nothing to do with daemons or kavacht." He actually seemed to work up at the mention of the village, despite the part where it no longer existed. "And that's what led to me being in the dark court, as I've mentioned before." He then went back to the subject of the village "I wanted to be there for the kids that were just like me and you. Parents with fleeting natures. So that's why I stayed even after I myself was abandoned. I didn't want them to feel so alone like I had."


@TeeKay
 
Sitting in a corner on the very edge of the group, Oceana scowled as she made armor repairs from their battle on the inlet.


She was trying with all her might to ignore the stranger in the odd clothing across the circle. She detested everything about him that she could currently perceive.


But when Phaedra and Foxrun started speaking of the Sphinx, who seemed to be guarding the Sunstone, her pointed ears twitched in interest.


Oceana loved riddles and puzzles with a near ridiculous passion. Tests of strength weren't something she won often; but patience and wit were tenets of being a huntress, and despite her hot-headed nature she possessed surprising amounts of both.


Not to mention I'll get to see a real Sphinx.


She felt a rising tide of excitement from within about all of it, despite the danger.


And further mention of a hot bath only served to sweeten the deal.
 
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The group chattered amongst themselves for another few minutes, but were silenced when the room puffed up with a mouth-watering mix of aromas. Helgi came from another door inside Sverrir's home that led to the deeper parts of their halls. She jumped a little as she ran up the stairs and then clapped her hands together, "It's ready!" She almost sung.


As everyone shot up from their seats in anticipation, Sverrir tugged on Svetlana's dress to get her attention.


"I'll leave you to feast and make merry." He said with a smile.


"You will not be joining us?" Svetlana asked, genuinely surprised. He never passed on a chance to stuff his face.


"No!" He exclaimed, "There's no way I can focus on eating when I have a project waiting right outside my door- practically screaming my name!" He jogged towards the stairs, pulling down his goggles and letting them slap against his eyes. That would explain it, Svetlana chuckled. If there was anything that overcame his stomachs will power, it was his drive to work with machinery and invent.


She turned her head back to her comrades, finding that some of the more impatient ones were trying to fit through the door at one time. She put a hand to her head, laughing to herself. She really was the mother hen, "Alright, alright!" She intervened, "The food's not going anywhere, have dome decorum!"


In single-file, Svetlana led the group to the dome where all the dwarven houses interconnected. It was a large, well-lit room that had a long brass metal table in the center. Large fires were lit on either side to keep the place warm (which was only necessary at night). The room smelled of mead, meat, bread, and all sorts of foods that they managed to gather around the desert. It seemed that even though they lived in a barren land, their feats weren't any less than they were in their finer halls. Helgi pulled out some chairs, "Come, come! Dig in, I'm sure you're all starving!" She shouted, excited to feast again. Other dwarves filed into the hall to join them, all were just as excited. It had been far too long since they last feasted. Their new life forced them to work twice as hard, which left little room for partying and even inventing.


Svetlana and Yaroslav took seats across from each other, and Hjalmar took one near the end of the table where it was dimmer.


@ everyone





(I find it hysterical that we can all imagine WHO tried to fit through the door all at once... Also!! Sorry for the inactivity, Meg and I had guests over this weekend and they're staying here until Monday).
​
 
Valeiah had shoved over her brother. She was small but mighty. He just pulled her by her hair behind him, so he was in front. She punched his back and he laughed at her. "You're not hurting me." He said plainly. Valeiah kicked his ankle.
 
Despite how much his stomach screamed at the smell of the food, he stayed back for just a moment. Seeing as valeiah had been by him just seconds ago, and then the next she was struggling with her brother, he thought it best to not get trampled. And once Svetlana straightened things out, literally, with a line, he finally caved to how hungry he actually had been. He had pushed it aside so long ago, that he really hadn't even felt the hunger recently. How on earth did they manage to gather all of this? And prepare this much in such short notice?! It was astonishing to him that they were just as skilled in the kitchen as they were in a workshop. But what also excited him, was the chance to maybe bond further with some of his companions. Everyone knew a meal almost always made for great conversation time!


@/whoever.
 
Bo could feel his stomach clawing at him from the inside as the sweet aroma of food filled his nostrils. It had been a long time since he'd had a big, home cooked meal, and the anticipation was rising within him. He stood up quickly as Sverrir's wife announced that the meal was ready, and eagerly began to walk to the door, but stopped for a moment as he watched the doorway being blocked up by several people. As Svetlana cleared the way, he followed in the line and finally let himself take in all of the sights. His eyes widened as he looked around the large round room, and the food that was spread across it. A small smile grew on his face as he took it all in, and he looked around for where to sit. Spotting Svetlana at the end of the table, he figured it might be nice to talk to her since he hadn't really gotten a chance to. That, and he hoped to talk to Yaroslav more... since he seemed to like him... enough. With a warm smile he plopped down next to Svetlana and looked at her and Yaroslav. "Hey guys!" He smiled, and spotted Nameen entering as well. He waved her down and pointed across from him, urging her to sit with him. He wasn't planning on asking her about her eye in front of others of course (since she'd told him only), but he figured maybe talking casually with here might help clear the air and ease any awkwardness she might've felt after she cut off their previous conversation.


His eyes also followed Phaedra. He knew she was curious and seemed to be a bit of a social butterfly (at least, when it came to questions), so he didn't want to pressure her to sit with him. But he did hope she might. Either way though, he was just happy to eat (and he could only manage so many conversations with so many people).


@Lo Alyssa @Rydellius
 
Alo grabbed some food and sat distanced from everyone else. He wasn't the most social person, unless he was around his sister. They always had to come at each other with snarky comments.


Valeiah decided to sit by Hjalmar. "Y'know, I don't really know what happened to you, but you seem a little different. You seemed to be more of a..." She squinted while thinking about what word to use. "Charmer?"


@Lo Alyssa
 

"Ah!" Svetlana smiled as Bo took a seat next to her. She and Yaroslav were already adding an assortment of foods to their plates, "Take advantage of this situation, my boy. I doubt we will be eating this good in a long time. Dwarven food is legendary." She emphasized the last word, hinting Bo should stuff his face first before talking.


@soundofmind





Hjalmar was subconsciously rubbing his marked arm, though concealed, deep in thought. He heard the scrape of the chair next to him as it slid across the floor and the healer sat in it. His eyebrows raised as she searched for words and he laughed, leaning back in his chair, "Well... I suppose you have to have a certain amount of charm in order to wriggle your way out of... tight situations." He grabbed some food, though he found himself without much of an appetite, and took a small bite out of a chicken leg, "Tight situations are an occupational hazard in my career."


@Danika
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LEGENDARY. The word echoed in his ears. Bo got the hint and nodded and hastily began to add food to his plate, finding himself eating bits of it as he piled it up. Normally he would be concerned about taking too much, but considering just how MUCH food there was, he wasn't worried at all!


Eat first, talk later. He wasn't sure if utensils were a thing, but he began to tear at a piece of meat, holding it in his hands by the bone.


As he took a bite his eyes closed and he gave a closed-mouth grin as he chewed. YES. It really was legendary. Once he swallowed, he quickly commented, before taking another bite (realizing just how hungry he was) - "Delicious."


@Lo Alyssa (hungry hungry hippos)
 
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Oceana gently padded after the group, light steps barely echoing in the grand cavern.


Choosing a seat just far enough away from everyone to be alone but still not garner much suspicion, the elf sat quietly. Cerulean eyes flicked around the dome's high ceilings and walls, soaking in all she could observe about the dwarven architecture and modes of decoration.


Then she turned to the food on the table, only feeling slightly hungry -to her own surprise- and stared face to charred face with some sort of desert lizard, roasted whole.


Oceana scrunched her nose in disgust, teeth slightly bared.


She opted for the cactus stew next to it, scooping herself a small bowl of it and grabbing a small loaf of bread.


She sincerely hoped that everyone would just leave her alone. The elf maiden was sincerely drained of all social energy and just wanted a bath.


(Someone come bug Oceana... I mean. If you want to.)
 
Valeiah snickered a bit. "So, you get caught, and you just flash a smile at them, hm? Interesting."


@Lo Alyssa


Alo decided, for some strange reason, to move over and sit in the chair next to Oceana. "Cactus stew. That seems... Pokey." He was an idiot.


@OlKaJa77
 
The elf sent a sharp scowl at Alo, clearly not in the mood to humor him.


"If you think that they would leave the spikes in for consumption, humans are even stupider than I thought."


She huffed before taking a sip of it.


The chunky green stew wasn't "pokey" but very... spice-filled.


I really cannae tell if I like it...or donnae like it.


@Danika
 
"Even stupider. Wow." Alo raised an eyebrow at her. "Don't you mean more stupid?" He asked. "And it's not all humans. I am though. Valeiah is actually pretty clever. She just doesn't care enough to use her head."


@OlKaJa77
 
Dorian hated big gatherings of people of any kind. Even if crowds were great to blend into and lose anyone searching for him in seconds, he still knew how much people dropped their guard in such places. He knew it was most likely safe here, but he had slit more than enough throats over dinners similar to these, and he did not want to be on the receiving end of a similar experience.


He noticed Oceana was also avoiding everyone.


"Mind if I sit here?" He asked before sitting down on the chair besides her. Kacel'la soon plopped down nearby Dorian, keen to cath up om what her friend had done during her time away.


@OlKaJa77
 

Phaedra, though starved after not having a single bite to eat in the last few days, hung back alongside Foxrun, allowing herself to be one of the last to shuffle through the doors into the dining hall. She was admittedly awestruck by the sight of the feast set up for them on such short notice, finding herself silently thanking their gracious hosts for providing for them. There were plenty of sights to admire within the dining hall itself that didn't pertain to food, but Phaedra's eyes were locked on to the food by the time she set foot into the hall. She didn't need to be told twice to eat after Helgi's call for the feast to begin - she was more than happy to comply.

Still, she did need to decide where she would seat herself. It likely didn't matter so much, but she wanted to be in a place where she could enjoy herself and forget about the aching loneliness in her heart for a moment. Seeing a spot beside Bo open, she made quick footwork over there to seat herself beside him. She did want to get to know the others, but she was currently socially exhausted after the events of today despite the 'second wind' she had gotten upon seeing Sverrir's inventions and blueprints. Phaedra gave a broad smile to Bo - though it was clear how tired she was, she was genuinely pleased to see him. She extended this to Svetlana, Yaroslav, and the others who were seated closest by. She just was happy to have the pleasant company, to be honest.

This was the most greeting that they got from her before she proceeded to dive into the food, filling her plate and easily wolfing the food down, though still managing to eat in a polite manner. Though Phaedra was very slender and lithe, she had a voracious appetite that seemed unfitting for her.

@Lo Alyssa @soundofmind @GalacticRam @Rydellius (maybe if she sits with them? :D )
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Foxrun just naturally followed the one in front of him, which happened to be Phaedra. She made a bee-line to sit by Bo, not surprising to him actually. So he aimed for the other side of the table, to sit across from them. Which just so happened to be by Nameen (if she actually did sit there???). And just as all the others, began picking food for his plate, with only a brief greeting to those around him before doing so. Honestly he just grabbed a bit of whatever he could, not even knowing what some of it was. But eager to try it all, well maybe not all seeing as the table was jammed with all sorts of dishes he had never actually seen before. So whatever within reasonable reach would suffice for now.


@soundofmind @TeeKay @Rydellius @Lo Alyssa (I think I got all those nearest him??? Idk.)
 
Nameen treaded just behind the rest of her companions, all starving and itching to get their hands on what she could see was the most extraordinary feast she had ever laid eyes on. However, she was still feeling ill, and all of the food piled atop table after table suddenly seemed unappetizing. Convincing herself that she would feel better after she began to eat, Nameen went on.


Not seconds after she had stepped into the bright and busy hall, Nameen spotted Bo waving her over to a table where he sat with Svetlana, Yaroslav, Phaedra and Foxrun. She stiffened, remembering how her last conversation with Bo had gone, but forced herself to make her way for the table anyways, since it would be impolite to outright reject the invitation.


Nameen nodded to each of the four in turn, and then took a seat across the table from Foxrun, before she turned her eye down to the food. The dwarves seemed to have prepared every dish imaginable, and even some that Nameen would never have thought were edible, had they not been laid out in front of her. Ignoring her stomach's protests she grabbed the first thing she laid her eye upon, a sliced loaf of spiced bread, and put it on to her plate. She stared at it for a good minute, before finally picking it up and forcing herself to take a bite. A taste that she had trouble placing flooded her mouth, and before she knew it she was taking another bite. By the time she had finished it, Nameen could feel her appetite returning. She looked eagerly around for something else she wanted to try.


@Lo Alyssa @soundofmind @TeeKay @GalacticRam
 
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"One would think that a person would actually eat such bountiful food, rather than speak trivialities" Oceana said pointedly, reaching for a tankard that she thought was water to wash away the taste of the interesting stew.


Just as she brought it to her lips she sniffed and then hurriedly placed it back down, almost spilling it.


It was ale. She couldn't drink ale.


She hoped no one had seen her fumbling.


She nearly jumped when Dorian spoke, face flushing in further embarrassment when she saw who was with him.


"As you wish." The elf said tersely, stuffing some bread in her mouth and looking for something else to eat than just a loaf.


She decided she didn't like the stew after all. Or perhaps it was the constant appearance of humans leaving the unsavory taste in her mouth.


(The food would be delicious to normal people but Oceana has super senses so... It's overwhelming)


@Danika @L1d1ja
 
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"Because you seem to dislike humans on principle, I think I should point out that I am no more human than you, even less. This is not even my original appearance." Dorian pointed out to Oceana, as he had seen the distaste hidden behind her features when he had sat down. Though he had addressed Oceana, he was watching Kacel'la with amusement, because she had trouble eating calmly with Sera trying to steal something from her plate, or just steal the entire plate. The little wyvern seemed to think of it as some kind of game.


@OlKaJa77
 
Something Dorian said caught Oceana's attention even though she was distracted watching Sera and Kacel'la.


Both the Wyvern and elf maiden amused and delighted Oceana in equal amounts. With smiling eyes she nibbled on her bread, sour mood forgotten.


Blue-green eyes turned to regard the familiar.


"Then what do you really look like?" The Raven-haired elf inquired, head crooked curiously.


@L1d1ja
 
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"I truly have no clue what species I had leeched my traits from. It was something like a mix between elf, human and fey." He shrugged. "And when I mean 'leeched', I mean this." He quickly placed a hand on Oceana's shoulder, and his appearance changed: his face became more angular, his ears became longer, his eyes were a little more slanted. He looked like an elven version of himself. "This is what I would look like if I had an elf for a mage." Dorian shrugged as he withdrew his hand. It took a couple of seconds for his appearance to become the usual human one. "Interesting, isn't it?"


"Yes, and it weirds me out every time I see it. Remember when you accidentally did that when we first met? My whole clan freaked out." Kacel'la answered even if the question wasn't aimed at her. She was now trying to pick something up from her plate with a fork, but Sera kept batting the utensil away.


"Don't you dare remind me of that." Dorian groaned and glared at Kacel'la when she grinned.


"Hey Oceana, want to hear how Dorian freaked out a whole elven clan at the age of six?" She asked and chuckled when Dorian hissed 'traitor' at her.


@OlKaJa77
 
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Oceana perked up, eager to hear the story.


The elf nodded, suppressing a bread-full smirk.


She tried desperately to ignore the way the word "traitor" echoed in her own mind.


@L1d1ja
 
"Okay so I met Dorian when he was six and I was 12. Found him sobbing his lungs out and hiding behind one of my clan's caravans. Still have no clue what he was doing there." Kacel'la poked Dorian, so that he knew he had to tell her sooner or later. "So it wasn't that hard to drag him to the guards so that they can figure out what was going on. But, what's important, was that at that time, we had heard tales of some malevolent trickster spirit, a mimic and shapeshifter, hauting the woods where we camped, and most were stupid enough to believe those tales. And what happens when I drag Dorian to the guards and he gets even more spooked? He suddenly changes appearance, then vanishes. Everyone threw a fit, believing the spirit had snuck into our camp to mess with us. And the little shit kept reapearing, getting caught, then dissapearing again. It was complete chaos until someone knocked the poor kid out and realized he was just that, a kid." She chuckled.


"I was just trying to sneak out and escape. My magic used to be completely wild and untamed so any invisibility or teleportation spells either lasted mere seconds or were wildly inaccurate." Dorian groaned. "It's the most embarrassing situation I have ever gotten myself into. Plus I was traumatized to begin with, I did not need to be knocked out and wake up being stared at by a clan of confused elves."


@OlKaJa77
 
Bo smiled as widely as he could - what with having food in his mouth - at Phaedra, Nameen, and Foxrun before he returned to the art of stuffing his face. He hated to admit it, but no matter what, he was always a fast eater, and he only sped up the more hungry he was. It seemed to be alright though, since most everyone else had the same idea of eating as much as they could. Even without Svetlana's reminder, he was pretty sure that everyone understood that moments like this would be rare. In fact, he wasn't sure if there would be any guarantees that this wouldn't be their last feast. There was no way of telling. So he might as well enjoy it.


The only downside to eating at the speed of a racing jackrabbit was that his food was gone in a matter of minutes, and his stomach had to play catch-up. He found that his stomach very quickly went from famished to bursting with food, and he found himself very abruptly putting down the half-eaten roll of bread (the last thing left of his plate, amazingly) back down, and swallowing a burp. It was too late to slow down, but maybe if he waited a few more minutes he could begin eating again. Of course, now that he was actually looking up from his food and at the people around him, he noticed that most people were still finishing their food. He looked at Phaedra's plate though, and it looked like she had just as big an appetite as he did (although more in proportion to her size... she was considerably smaller... as were most people in comparison to himself). She did eat... much more politely though. In noticing this, he suddenly became acutely aware of what he probably looked like eating with his hands (licking his fingers occasionally), and getting food probably all over his face, and in his beard.


Where are the NAPkINS? He began to nervously question as he became increasingly self aware. He really didn't want to make a fool of himself, but it seemed he did that anyway even when he wasn't trying, most of the time. As he looked around the table, he finally spotted some and reached over a few plates to grab one. He wiped at his mouth but there was no way to be sure if he got everything, since he couldn't see. He leaned in a little to Phaedra, asking quietly. "Is there any food on my face?" And it was good he asked too, because there was some sauce on his nose, and quite a few crumbs in his beard still. Such were the consequences of literally 'digging in' with his face.



@TeeKay (it's funny,, he's a really neat cook but a really messy eater) also @Rydellius @GalacticRam @Lo Alyssa I guess, but idk
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Phaedra was caught completely off guard by Bo's question, caught mid chew after a rather large bite into a crispy leg of some creature she couldn't identify. Quickly, she swallowed the meat and giggled. She kept her voice low as well, not aiming to embarrass Bo as he seemed quite self conscious, but she couldn't whisper because of the raucous crowd they were surrounded by. Yaroslav wasn't kidding when he said how loud dwarves were. How did such a short people carry such a large set of lungs?

"On your nose, Bo. And in your beard."

Phaedra couldn't contain her amusement. Where she was previously unwilling to speak a word to anyone else, Bo managed to squirrel some words out of her anyway. It wasn't just because she considered him a friend at this point, but rather just because the man had a very disarming personality.

She had to admit that seeing the mess Bo made had only made her further aware of how quickly she ate. Though she was very careful not to use her hands (she wasn't always conscious of her actions, especially when she was hungry), she still managed to make a sizable mess within her surrounding area. Somewhat embarrassed herself, she decided to take a swig of the mug infront of her and gasped as one - she discovered it was dwarven ale - and two - the shock caused her to jolt slightly and spill a fair portion of the drink down her shirt, soaking it in the strong smelling (and tasting) alcohol. Phaedra was surprisingly graceful with her reaction afterwards. She gently set down the mug and started patting away the liquid without a peep. Honestly, she was hoping that the quieter she was, the less that anybody else in the group would notice. It couldn't be helped that Bo would see, but she couldn't help but try to take a stab at damage control for her ego's sake.

@Rydellius @GalacticRam @Lo Alyssa @soundofmind @basically anybody who decides to see and point and laugh like probably @Danika
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