Log:Once Upon a Time, Scene 8

Once Upon a Time 2010/04/29 	 Flux Jennifer Jessica Liandere Lorelei Riot Titan 8

When the characteristic *BOOM* of Riot'sreturn shakes the stones of the castle, Jennifer stays with the King and Jessica goes looking for the returnees.

Riot continues to jog for a moment after leaving a pretty little crater in the soft dirt, burning off momentum and playing a demented game of horsie with Titan. At last, he huffs out a breathe and pauses. "A'ight, guy, git off de back. Ya'll ain't nearly boobed 'nough fo' me."

Jessica accosts the first castle guard she sees, "Where are the other outlanders?" she asks.

Titan gets off of Riot's back, and stretches his shoulders. "Good job getting back this fast, Riot."

Jessica stops one of the castle guards who's rushing to inspect the source of the thunderous noise. "Not sure... but there's something going on outside!"

Flux takes the flower to cure the King and rushes it inside, her fiery wings carrying her quickly inside the castle.

Jessica nods and hurries in that direction. Riot's voice is guideline enough. But when she sees the group she stops and stares, "Oh, the swamp has changed you. Are you okay? Titan? Riot? Where's Lorelei?"

Titan nods slowly, "Still with her mother. The swamp wasn't having an effect on her. So, she stayed behind to try to help her mother."

Jessica nods, "Good thinking. You have the antidote? Probably best for you to stay out of the swamp for a while. Give me the compass and I'll go see how Lorelei is doing."

Riot pauses. "Err. Yeah. Compass. Big T, you got the compass, right?"

Titan nods. "Flux just took the antidote to the king." At the mention of the compass, he looks to Riot, and raises a brow. "Umm..."

Jessica waits impatiently... tapping her foot.

Riot considers for a moment later, before pointing a finger after Flux. "She probably got it."

Titan shakes his head. "Maybe...but I'm thinking that Lorelei might still have it."

Titan raises a brow. "Why? Because we might not have been thinking clearly while our bodies and minds were being altered?" He glances to the twins, and then back to Riot, "It's not like they haven't had moments of not thinking clearly in the recent past."

Jessica is swelling up, in a manner of speaking, to unlease a verbal blast at Titan and Riot. But Titan's words cut the ground out from under her feet. "Yeah. Okay, the middle of the swamp and partly transformed is a pretty good excuse. Let's go see the Regent. He might have a spare."

Jessica adds as an afterthought, Oh, that Palanir guy... He tried to assassinate the King. Didn't have a lot of luck there though."

Riot can take a lot of things. Getting hit by a tank? No problem. Catching swords upside the head? Cake. Being a human wrecking ball? Doesn't even blink. But he's already beginning to lean back when Jessica starts sucking air - until she stop. He blinks, and whews. And then blinks again.

Jessica moves up to Riot, grabs him by the shoulders and pulls him, if he is willing, into a smacker of a kiss full on his lips. "Just the one for now. I'm worried about Lorelei."

Titan nods, falling relatively quiet. "I'm...pretty sure Lorelei will pull it off. After all, she's probably the key to the swamp. It wasn't affecting her at all." He sounds a lot less confident than before, but still moderately so. "Let's...see if there's another compass. And why did Palanir try this assassination right then?"

A groundskeeper walks up to Riot and attempts to poke him with a hoe. "Do you mind?" he says, gesturing to the giant divet that Riot has carved into the landscape.

Jessica smiles at Titan, "Well I guess he got a bit worried about you coming back with the antidote. If the King recovers a lot of stuff might get shaken out of the trees."

Titan smirks a little bit, "Never played golf, eh? Gotta return your divet."

As the heroes head into the castle, the groundskeeper begins to move his hands and speak, casting a spell. Soon the lawn it back in the pristine shape it was before Riot wrecked it. He begins to go about the rest of this work, sighing, "Tourists..."

Jennifer is still in the King's chamber standing guard. Jessica heads to find the Regent and ask about another compass.

Titan stays near the king's chamber...mostly wanting to make sure the cure actually worked.

Riot is -not- near the King's chamber. Generally speaking, he's gone to making himself 'useful'. Ever seen flour ground by four hundred tons of force? Thats some fine flour! Plus, you know, people complain less when he leaves holes in the ground while playing ball. With a big rock.

As evening draws on, Lorelei approaches the castle on horseback, seated behind the rider, and clinging on to him for dear life - she doesn't ride, and this horse is moving at a speed that suggests there's more to it than meets the eye. The rider's livery suggests he's something official: the colours match the royal banners.

Word passes through the castle quickly of the approaching messenger.

Titan heads down to greet Lorelei, after hearing about the rider, picking up speed as he moves through the halls, so that he's moving at a run by the time he gets out to the courtyard.

The Regent, Jessica can see, also heads out to the courtyard to meet the approaching messenger.

Lorelei thanks the rider. She's still trying to get down from the horse when she sees Titan approaching. "It's Palanir!" she gets out hurriedly. "He's behind everything - the poisoning, and what's happened to Mum!"

Titan moves over to hug Lorelei, assuming she'll let him. "We know. He tried to kill the king while we were gone. He was stopped in time."

Lorelei accepts the hug - and help down from the horse. She breathes a deep sigh of relief. "Thank goodness - I was afraid I might be too late!"

Titan nods. "So...what's the situation with your mother, then?"

Jessica follows the Regent, grumbling under her breath about the lose of time in creating a new compass until the point she sees it's Lorelei that has arrived. Then she sighs in relief and slows down.

The Regent says, "Slow down, Stephie. What do you mean by 'everything'."

Lorelei slows down, and takes a breath. "I've spoken to her - my mother. People have kept saying that it was like something was missing when she came back - down I know why! Palanir stole her heart, literally! I don't know how - by some black magic, from what Mum said - she says he keep it in a locked chest in his quarters. And that he poisoned the king because he found this out!"

Jennifer thinks. o O (I should have hit him a few more times when I had the chance.)

Titan raises a brow at that. "Should be easy enough to check, I should think."

The Regent nods to Titan. "Yes." He turns quickly and begins to march back towards the tower. "This way," he says, leading the way up to Palanir's quarters.

Riot arrives - from the air! But it's only a 'little' hop from somewhere else on over, so it doesn't even boom. Just flut, hopefully. "AY YO! What all dis, now?"

Lorelei hurries after the Regent - though it's evident she's more than a little sore and tired from the rapid ride!

Jessica heads to Riot, "Lorelei is back. Seems that Palanir is the big bad behind all the trouble. Including what happened to her mother. Huh. I should have hit him harder."

Titan follows after the group, "Huh...so...if her heart is here, do we need to carry it back to her in the swamp?"

Riot grins. "Oh. Hell yeah, Lei's back! So, that means you ain't so worried about her, right...?" He grins, but then the humor is gone. "Ya'll might jes' get ya'll chance. C'mon, baby, the party van's headin' -that way-." And he points after Lei, Titan, and the Regeant.

[To Titan] Lorelei says, "How do I know? I'm guessing just about everyone here knows more about magic than we do, though...."

There are a pair of guards watching the door to Palanir's suite. They stand aside when the Regent arrives with the heroes in tow. He pushes open the door and steps inside. He looks to Lorelei and asks her: "Now what?"

Jessica tells Riot, "He even had the cheek to swipe my swords from the castle armory and use them. He was planning on pinning the assassination on me."

Lorelei says, "I don't know. All she said is that it was in a locked chest - and that that crow of hers and the king has seen it"

Lorelei looks about for anything that could be called a chest.

"The King is regaining his consciousness, but he needs hie rest to regain his sleep," the Regent says. He begins to look around, after a shift in his glance to Riot.

Titan nods and looks around as well for this chest that should be around in the room someplace.

[To Riot] Lorelei says, "You don't usually call that a locked chest, Riot."

Jessica laughs and gives Rioyt a grin.

Riot grins at Lei. "Depends on how much ya'll read dat poetry, baby." And then he's laughing. Loudly. And winking at Jessica.

Lorelei thinks. o O (Oh, that was a joke? I can never tell with Riot.)

Titan moves over to the window, and pulls a small tapestry aside, revealing a small chest with some knick-knacks on top of it. "This it, maybe?"

Jessica says, "Careful. Might be boobytrapped."

Lorelei goes over to the window. "It's by the window where the bird could have seen it easily... Careful though..."

Titan tilts his head, "It's in the right place for a bird to spot it, too." He backs up, to let the move magically-inclined people take a look.

Lorelei nods. "I'm guessing this isn't something he'll have left totally unguarded."

Lorelei says, "Riot - NO! Nothing violent. Mum's HEART's in there."

Riot t'chs. "Hell, baby, I was jes' gonna pull de lid off."

Lorelei says, "Or... maybe..."

Jessica nods to Riot, "Lorelei's right."

Lorelei says, "And what it it's rigged to explode when you do that?"

It's padlocked shut, with a heavy-duty looking lock.

Lorelei says to the Regent, "We don't know this world. Do you know the sort of protection there might be?"

Lorelei frowns. "I don't see anything magical, though...."

The Regent studies the chest, and rubs his beard. "A magical ward might be expected, but I'm not seeing any signs of one."

Lorelei says, "I just had a thought! Palanir's been to Earth right?"

Riot crosses his big, thick arms, and grunts. "I -still- say jes' bust it open. Probably ain't a damn thing onnit but our paranoa."

Jessica says, "Palanir was on Earth for a while, right? He might be using a Earth boobytrap. Something low-tect that will work but won't be magical or known to the people here."

Lorelei nods to Jessica. "Just what I was thinking!"

"Yes," the Regent answers. "He's been to Earth."

Jessica says, "I'll take a look if you like, Lorelei."

Lorelei says, "Please Jess - I think you're best-qualified?"

Titan nods quietly, and just keeps holding the tapestry out of the way so the others can look at the chest unobstructed.

Lorelei keeps a careful watch for any sign of any surprise magic or such as Jesssica does this.

Lorelei says, "I hope this isn't a red herring - he could have moved it when his plans went awry..."

Jessica grins, "Probably. Do you want to clear the room first? Just in case. I know gunpower works here. Palanir used a burning fuse grenade in the King's chamber. And added cold iron fragmentation.

Riot tsks. "Hell wit' dat. Something goes boom, Twin, Ya'll -know- I'm 'tween it and yo' skin."

Lorelei nods to Jessica. "Gunpowder, wonderful. That makes a mundane trap all the more likely....."

Eventually Flux finds her way to the room, though not without first getting lost a couple of times and having to retrace her steps and best of all, not listening fully to directions that she is given. Not her fault, of course. It's the directions that are hard to follow. "Did someone say grenade?"

Lorelei heads from the room, and advises the Regent to do the same.

Titan shakes his head. "I'm pretty sure I'll be fine, too."

Jennifer says, "I'm not bothered for myself. If I mess up a disarm I deserve to get hurt. But cold iron is deadly to the people here."

The Regent seems a little lost in this conversation. He looks to Lorelei for confirmation, and upon seeing it, he leaves the room with her.

Jessica pokes her head out the door, "Yep. Trapped. Riot, can I borrow a helping hand?"

Riot grins. "Sho' nuff.. Whatcha need, baby?"

Jessica says, "There's a secret button hidden in the scrollwork around this hinge bolt. That needs to be depressed while I pick the lock. And I already have two hands busy gaurding the King. Can you keep the button pressed in while I work on the lock?""

The Regent asks Lorelei, "What is gunpowder?"

Riot glances aside at the Regent, and laughs. "Blows yo' *** up, dat what." And then he nods to Jessica, heading inside. And taking a knee, so he can put his fingers where yon Twin desires. "Here?" he asks, pointing at entirely the wrong spot.

Lorelei says, "It's a substance that explodes when fire is set to it."

Jessica moves Riot's finger over to the button. "Here." She grins, "Other girls get romantic dates and dinners. I get defusing a boobytrap in a Fae Castle. Hell, they don't know what they

Jessica moves Riot's finger over to the button. "Here." She grins, "Other girls get romantic dates and dinners. I get defusing a boobytrap in a Fae Castle. Hell, they don't know what they're missing."

Flux nods. "So don't let me get near anything named gunpowder," she smiles wanely.

Titan just keeps quiet. He does smile in Flux's direction when he sees her, but otherwise, he doesn't want to distract those defusing the device.

The Regent nods to Lorelei, understanding.

Jessica checks the button is being held pressed in and then starts working on the lock.

Riot grins up at 'his' woman. "Hell, we'd get bored if we weren't busy getting blown up, Twins." And he begins pushing the button as instructed, not at all concerned by explosive possibilities. "But, uh, speaking of dates.."

Jessica doesn't take her eyes off the lockpicks as she nods, "Riot. Yes."

Titan does get slightly distracted by the state of his clothing, though. The swamp wasn't kind to his shirt. He puts a finger through a couple of holes in it. "Bah."

Riot grins like a maniac. "Sweet. Keep some o' dat blasting powder for an after-date party."

With a few seconds manipulating the lockpicks in the lock she is rewarded by a click. "Keep the button pressed in until I've disconnected the device." she warns Riot, and opening the chest's lid quickly renders the device safe.

Lorelei just stands outside anxious. She trusts Jessica. But then, if the trap does go off - will it kill her mother? She tries not to think about it. But she's hardly breathing.

The first thing that one might notice staring at the chest, is that half of it is taken up by a keg of gunpowder. The other side is occupied by other odds and ends, neatly arranged on hooks and in racks.

Riot nods, once. "Sure, sure. Just push the button. Got it."

Jessica lifts out the disarmed keg and nods, "Gunpower. Enough to take out the room. One thing about living in a castle, two foot thick stone walls sock up an explosion and do a nice job of containing it. Okay, Lorelei, all safe as far as I can see, but perhaps you can cast an eye over it in case there's some magic glamour spell hiding something from me?"

Also, in the chest: a flintlock pistol, a few bricks of gold... A glowing vial draws the eye. It's a crystal vial small enough to fit in the palm of a hand. It's stoppered with a cork. Inside, is a glowing red light. It grows brighter and darker with a regular rhythm, pulsing with energy.

Jessica says, "Oh, and a good selection of cold iron fragments. He really meant business."

Lorelei comes back in to look at the chest's contents, on Jessica's instructions.

Riot glances up, and grins. "Damn. No skirts. I gotta keep holding this button down?"

Jessica is tempted for a moment. But laughs and shakes her head, "No. You can let go now."

Lorelei says, with a waver to her voice, "That's it. Mum's heart..." She bends down to pick up the pulsating vial.

Titan tilts his head, "It's the vial, huh? Perhaps if you open it, that will free it?"

It's warm to the touch, and it thrums with a pulse.

Lorelei nods. "That's.... I'm sure that's right, somehow. Pretty sure, anyway...."

Flux hms. "So it wasn't so much lost as taken away and locked in an exploding thing. Um.. wouldn't that kind of free it if someone decided to open it and let it explode though?"

Jessica smiles as Lorelei holds the answer to her mother's problem in her hands. Without thinking she moves closer to Riot and draws his arm around her waist he he premits.

Lorelei goes to the window - to make sure the heart has a clear path back to her mother - and unstoppers the vial. Praying that, for once, she *does* understand something about magic.

The energy that was contained inside the vial floats out of the vial and disappears.

Titan smiles slightly, hoping his guess was actually right. "Just have to wait a bit and see, I guess."

Lorelei thinks. o O (Not her physical heart then, thank goodness. One never knows with magic.)

Flux goes silent, finding a nice piece of furniture to park herself on.

The ground begins to shake and a few shouts come from the courtyard.

Jessica turns to look at Riot, "You can come to England and meet my adopted father over dinner."

Lorelei watches the energy seemingly dissipate - and hopes that was the right thing...

Lorelei says, "What's going on?!"

Himhael shakes his head as if to says '/now/ what is it...' He begins to head back outside.

Lorelei hurries aftet Himhael.

Jessica says, "I've absolutely no idea, Riot. I don't understand magic. Not one little bit."

Flux moves to the window, flying outside and upward to see what's going on. "So nice to see you, Flux, yes, I said Grenade, Flux, no Flux that's not how it works - you have to open the vial, not make it explode..." she mutters half-audibly.

Titan smiles. "That...is probably the swamp receding, I'm going to guess." He follows the others.

In the middle of the courtyard, swamp trees and vines begin to sprout from the ground, grow, and merge together. They form a giant mound, about ten feet tall at its highest point and just about as wide. It looks like a head, partly risen out of the earth. Two recessed areas, nearly six feet tall form the eyes. The criss-crossing vines look like the veins of a persons face, with the skin peeled away.

Lorelei says, "Mum!"

Lorelei thinks. o O (But is she ok now? Did that work?!)

Jessica says, "Your Mum?" She looks at the giant swampy face like mound, "Not much of a family resemblance there, Lorelei."

Titan stops short, seeing the trees and the like forming. "Huh." He scratches his head.

Lorelei says, "It's the way to her home - or was last time...."

The branches of the mound begin to dry out and shrivel. They crack and crumble into dust that begins to blow away under the gentle breeze here. Sound, the entire mound is blown away, leaving just the four people who were standing inside it alone and on the grass.

The lead figure is a Liandere. She's a slender woman dressed in a hooded robe, with a belt that dangles almost to the ground. The hood hides most of her face, except for her pale skin, dark colored lips, and bit of white and gray hair.

Flux lands near the lead figure, "Uh. Hi."

Another of the group is a sandy-haired young man with good looks and sparkling eyes. He's dressed in rags as are the two other men with him.

Titan smiles and sighs a bit. "And...happily ever after. Cue the music."

Lorelei grins. "MUM!" She runs to hug her, not waiting to see if this time it's welcome.

"Canador..." the Regent says, amazed, as she sees the young man and his companions.

Riot gives Jessica a little squeeze. "Well, there you go. Guess it's a happy day after all. SO, uh, now that Lei's all safe and sound..."

Jessica tries to conceal a slight sniffle and rubs at her eyes, as if some of that dust blew into them, as Lorelei runs forward to hug her mother.

Liandere, the robed woman, welcomes Lorelei with open arms and hugs her tightly. There was a crow perched on the womans shoulder, but flaps away from Liandere and onto the grass as her body shifts.

Riot chuckles at the tears, and just goes back to watching the family reunion. "Yep. Happy day." A pause. "Damn. Now I gotta find me another mask. Hey, you suppose they give us all royal titles? Hell yeah. Can't ya'll see it? 'Sir Kaos'." A pause. "Jones. Sir Jones."

Lorelei cries, the tears of joy flowing uncontrollably, the more so for the strainedness of the last meeting.

The bottom fringe of Liandere's robe takes on the color of the grass beneath her feet and the colors flow upward from there. Rosiness flows into her cheeks, and her hair shifts from white-gray to blonde. "Stephie, my Stephie... I've missed you so much more than I can say..." She collapses to her knees.

Jessica gives up on hiding her tears and crying in shared happiness for Lorelei's reunion rests her head on Riot's shoulder dabbing at her eyes with a hanky.

Lorelei follows her mother to the ground, still embracing her. "You're back - really back!" she say.

Riot is not your most empathatic of people. Which is why he rubs folks the wrong way. But when Jessica starts sobbing on him, he just wraps arms around her and grunts his assent. He can be a shoulder too, in addition to a bone-head!

"I'm sorry," Liandere says, through tears, "... for what I've put you and Quentin through... for what I've made everyone suffer through..."

Titan sniffles a little bit and smiles. He just...keeps quiet, and out of the way for the time being.

Lorelei shakes her head. "It's ok - you did what you had to do, to keep us safe.... I understand... You're not to blame!"

Flux heads to Titan's location. "So should we do like everyone else or are we going to be all like above this and stuff?"

Aside, the Regent directs people to make quarters ready for Princess Liandere.

Titan coughs a little bit, surprised as Flux speaks to him. He turns to look at her and smiles. "Umm...well...it IS pretty moving, right?"

Also, Merilwen and Delanu rush outside for an emotion reunion with their son.

"I've already missed so much..." Liandere says. "Look at you!... I promise you that I will never leave you again..."

Abruptly, Flux throws her arms around Titan, at about waist height, eyes closing with a small smile showing. "It's nice not to be invisible," she says after a moment.

Riot clears his throat after a little while, and grins. "Ya'll wanna go say hello to the mama and the baby girl, or you happy 'enough up here with big ol' me?"

Titan chuckles, and puts an arm around Flux. "Invisible?" He then smirks, "Who said that?"

Lorelei smiles, and helps her mother to her feet. "Come on - I'm sure I'm not the only one who's missed you!"

Jessica smiles to Riot, wiping away a last tear. "They have a lot of catching up to do. Anyway, I'm feeling very comfortable right here."

Riot chuckles, and just keeps his arms around Jessica. "Dats my soljah grrl." He grunts, before grinning. "Not that I'm arguing." He pulls her in tight, and then just watches the scene down below.

"Real happy day."

"Felt like I was invisible," Flux replies. "I made talkings and stuff, everyone was kind of distracted. I mean, you hear about elephants in the room, but you never see them..."

Titan points to Riot and chuckles. "There's your elephant."

Riot lifts up an arm from Jessica, long enough to give Titan the middle finger. And a grin.

Liandere stands, with Lorelei's help. She nods and exchanges a glance with Merilwen, who returns her nod with a smile.

Lorelei grins at Liandere. "So, a princess, huh? Did you ever tell Dad that?"

"Quentin..." Liandere says, thinking. "Was he.. Did he move on?"

Lorelei shakes her head. "He never even dated until a couple of years back. And - well, those were just dates, you know?"

The gentlemen and the ladies are sequestered into different locations as they are made presentable for the party tonight.

Lorelei says, as she's helped into her dress, "I must admit, I'm pretty nervous about all this! I still don't have much of a sense of the customs around here.... Was that Riot? What's he shouting about now?"

Flux feels odd wearing such finery, but also kind of happy about it. Nervousness and the thrill of being so fancied up have her looking fairly excited.

The tailor rolls his eyes. "Stop fidgetting and stand still, and this will be over in a moment." He's standing back from Riot. He looks to Titan hoping to draw some empathy for his plight from him. nnifer and Jessica carefully describe the dresses they want made for the celebration. Two identical dresses of course.

Titan shrugs a bit. "Riot...just relax. It's not that big a deal."

Lothven is around as well with Titan and Riot. "It that how people dressed on Earth? With their names written on their clothing?"

Titan shakes his head. "Only some people. Usually if you're working for a business, and then it's a customer service kind of thing."

Lorelei has let herself be guide by the local styles. After all, she's supposed to be a princess, she guesses (do they still want the blood trial? nothing's been said), and it's probably a good thing not to look *too* foreign. Not to mention it's always fun to try a new style.

Titan snorts, "Or that he needs a reminder what his name is."

Riot flips a middle finger at Titan, and crosses his arms. Like a big, pouting kid.

Lothven says to Titan, "It's probably for himself -- it's not likely that anyone would forget his name after meeting him..."

The seamstress nods politely to Jennifer and Jessica. It's a bit strained though. "Ah, I'll see what I can do," she says non-commitally.

Titan chuckles. "Riot...you want to look more presentable, don't you?"

Lorelei asks her mother, "Is there anything I should know? Or do? Or shouldn't do?" She seems to have lost the confidence she's generally developed with posh dos.

Jessica smiles, "Lady, it might not be what's normal around here, but the objective of a party frock is to draw the attention of a male, right? Basic survival tactics 101. Use bait suitable for the creature you're hunting.

Titan shakes his head, and smirks, "You're not going it just for the other people here. You're doing it for Lorelei. Now shut up, and get with the program. She's going to be the one you answer to about it...because we represent the earth side of her heritage."

Titan nods, "Which means...don't embarrass her."

Liandere says to Lorelei. "Relax and be yourself, Stephie. If anyone takes offense at some small mistake, then they will have to deal with me." There's a passion to her voice that was absent before, and it carries the edge of a lioness ready to protect her cub.

The tailor asks Riot, "Are we ready, sir?"

The seamstress asks Jennifer, "If you really want to catch his gaze, then please trust me. I've been doing this for hundreds of years."

Titan chuckles quietly.

Jennifer thinks, and then nods, "Okay. I hope I don't regret this."

Lorelei grins to her mother. "Having you here certainly makes it easier - the first time they doubted who I was. Of course, it didn't help that I didn't know who I was - as it were. Sorry, I guess I'm just excited - this is all so new to me and I don't want to mess it up!"

The tailor begins to wave his hands at Riot and speak magic words. Sparkles float over towards Riot and lands on his shoulders, his arms, his chest, descending and clinging to his entire frame. The sparkling light dims and becomes a full outfit, perfectly tailored. A red tunic, with a black coat with matching red at the cuffs, and black tight-fighting pants. The clothing has a military feel to it. The outfit comes with a belt and a ceremonial sword hanging from it.

Liandere nods to Lorelei. "To be perfectly honest, I'm a little nervous too. It's been so long, with so much done. Maybe it's been a hundred years since it all happened."

Lorelei says, "A hundred? It's only been, what.... 13 for me."

Titan smiles, "Looks good on you, Riot."

Liandere explains, "Time passes different here than it does on Earth."

Meanwhle, the seamstress uses her magic to conjure a dress for the twins.

Lorelei nods. "I gathered that - just not the exact rate."

Flux does her best to stay still for her seam-making type person, and she is chattering away, her teenage vernacular in full force.

The twins look at themselves. Who needs a mirror? She glances at the seamstress, and then shrugs. "When in Rome be a roman candle I guess."

Lorelei grins. Big change from the first time of getting the twins into dresses.

The tailor reluctantly accepts the sword back from Riot before he conjures a similar suit for Titan, this time black, with a blue tunic underneath to match his eyes. The tailor makes parts of teh coat and pants shiny in strips, like Titan's ruined silk shirt was.

In the very least, the twins' attire it comfortable. It might be possible to even fight in.

Titan takes a look at himself in a mirror, and smiles. "Interesting. That'll work."

Lothven smirks at Riot. "Sure you don't want to keep the sword?"

Lorelei says, "Jenn - you've got to feel this dress - I don't know what it's made of but it feels just wonderful!"

The tailor attaches his palm to his forehead, seeing Riot make alterations to his work. Lothven says, "Suit yourself."

Jessica goes over and runs a hand along the flow of the material in Lorelei's dress.

Titan chuckles, and shrugs a bit.

Liandere adopts a dress that's similar in theme to Lorelei's but a bit more matronly in style.

Lorelei says, "See what I mean - it makes silk feel coarse! And that's real, too, not one of these illusions - glamour, I mean."

Liandere says, "I'll teach you how..."

Jennifer nods, "Like running a hand over solid sunlight. Uh, Lorelei, how do I look? I mean, it's not what I would have choosen for myself."

Flux's tattoos become a easy topic of discussion for the seamstress, and the inspiration for the dress that she makes. It covers much more skin than Flux does normally, but it compliment's her markings wonderfully.

Lorelei says, "It *really* suits you Jenn! You look great!"

Flux seems thrilled to have something to wear, her constant chatter a mere shadow of her excitement. Something about how everything she owns goes up in flames and that this is like, totally way so wow and you know? A lot comes out of her mouth, but she ends up saying very little.

The dress leaves the back and shoulders bare for Flux's fiery wings, and the seamstress guaranteed it to not go up in flames.

Jennifer says, "Flux, you want to go talk to Starguard. They have some fabric that is pretty flameproof. A few heroes I know make their costumes from that stuff."

In both rooms, a different messenger comes in to alert them to get ready to enter the party.

Jennifer grins, "After you of course, Princess Lorelei." She looks at Lorelei's mother, "Do I have that right? The daughter of a Princess is also a Princess?"

Lorelei's dress is quite something. In some ways, it seems quite modest and proper, with its long sleeves and full length, but the fine material - basically royal blue but with shimmering highlights as it catches the light - seems to follow and highlight her shape. It has a headdress, but one designed to let her hair fall free.

The boys and girls are eventually brought together in a hallway before entering the party. The music is already playing in the hall outside. The music... is that... rock and roll?

Titan smiles upon seeing the ladies. "You all look quite beautiful."

[To Jennifer] Lorelei says, "That's just the sort of thing I need to know - I might be able to work it out with British royalty, but here!"

Liandere says to Jennifer, "Yes, she's a princess as well." Then she asks Lorelei: "Lorelei?"

Lorelei says, "Oh uh - that's my stage name, as it were. And superhero name. Actually, more people call me that than Stephie now. Long story!"

Lorelei says, "Oh Mum - before we go through - just how big an entrance should I be making? I mean, am I trying to catch every eye in the place, or is that, hm, unseemly?"

Jennifer and Jessica smile and look over Riot. "Okay, I like it. Coming over to him she takes a position on each flank of Riot and offers arms.

Ahead in the hall, an attendent announces the various parties in attendance and the line shifts forward. Soon, he announces group of visitors from Earth: Flux, Riot, Titan, and the twins.

Lorelei grins to Titan, "And thank you!"

Riot takes an arm on either side of him, and 'escorts' the twins. Speaking as he goes. "Damn. I hadda dream like this once..."

Liandere asks aside of Lorelei, "Who is that?" referring to Titan.

Flux manages to act completely out of place, uneducated, uncultured, but able to sort of fake it after not too long. If nothing else, she is easy to get along with. She even shows off her ice-crafting abilities once or twice, adding to the refreshments with the results - little figurines.

Titan smiles and looks to Lorelei, "I just heard my name. Should I escort you in, or head in now?" He smiles a little more broadly when Liandere asks of him.

Lorelei says, "He's Johnathan - or Titan - he's a superhero! And we've been dating recently."

Lorelei says, "Good question - do I go in now or with you?"

Jennifer grins, "Should I ask if I was in that dream, Riot? Or would it be best not to inquire?"

Lorelei suspects protocol might call for a separate entrance, what with being a princess(!) and all.

Liandere says, "He can come in with us, if you'd like."

Riot busts up laughing! "Oh hell yeah you was in it." He pauses, and glances at the surroundings.

"But, uh, less of a crowd."

Titan bows to Liandere, "A pleasure to meet you officially."

[To Titan] Lorelei says, "That ok with you? Or would you rather go in first?"

The hall leads outside, where the party is occuring. Roughly a hundred of the nobility and senior craftsmen and women of Undermoon stand, dressed to the nines, and watching the entrances of the various VIPs.

Liandere says to Lorelei. "Don't try too hard.. these people already will have enough trouble with the notion."

Lorelei says, "Oh. Darn, I thought I might actually have an excuse to show off for a change. Oh well."

Flux grins, "Not to worry. I can show off enough for all of us."

Riot tilts his head a moment, looking at the various crowds all stacked up outside. All sorts of fancy folks. He huhs, and glances at one of the Twins -s ince that's as good as glancing at both. "Damn. Cracker house deluxe." He grins, and tilts his head, dreds slidding aside.

Next to be announced, is Liandere and Stephie.

Lorelei steps out into the hall together with her mother, not making an especial attempt to draw attention, and rather uncertain of the reception she'll get.

The applause continues, but the crowd does have a lot to talk about amongst themselves. However, the previous group of entrances also gave them a lot to discuss, so perhaps it's not as noticeable.

Jennifer lean in close and whispers, "We could the lot of them without breaking into a sweat." as they enter.

Jennifer lean in close and whispers, "We could *take* the lot of them without breaking into a sweat." as they enter.

Riot grins. "Ain't got no doubt, Soljah Grrl. Hell, I'll jes' kick back and letcha'll whoop 'em, huh?" And he's laughing again. Loudly. Likely the only person with -two women on his arm! Subtle? Thats a word, right?

After, Merilwen, Delanu, and Canador are announced.

Lorelei glances at her mothers face, attempting to get a sense of her assessment of the reaction/

Liandere scans the crowd with a skeptical eye. "I wonder, how many of them are applauding because they're still afraid of me," she comments aside to Lorelei.

Lorelei says, "I don't know. But many, surely, are happy to see you back to yourself? I can't imagine otherwise..."

Finally the King himself is announced. He appears on a balcony overlooking the party from the tower. He waves, and his appearance draws cheers from those assembled.

Lorelei joins the cheering - she might not know him, but it only seems polite!

The twins cheer too. From what she's seen the King is a good ruler and she's glad to have helped in keeping him alive.

Riot curls an arm upwards from where it was linked with Jessica's, and he whistles. Loudly. And piercingly. In celebration, of course.

"Thank you, my subjects. It is good to see all of you here. I am still recovering from the after effects of the poisoning that nearly ended my life so I shall keep this speech short..."

"Almost one month ago, our Kingdom was facing grim times. But good fortune came to us, in the form of strange visitors from a strange land. Not only have they returned your King to you, they have also returned your Princess and her daughter, and brought light to grave threat to the safety of this nation. I want you to open your hearts to them, for this country truly owes them a debt of thanks."

Lorelei applauds, smiling to her friends, to thank them for their help.