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Bang Up To The Elephant

✖ VICTORIA'S SECRET

Ⅰ. ARRIVAL
You can read all about your character's arrival in the game lore.
The fog that has blanketed the city for a month finally lifts a little - there are days with actual sunshine now! Not many, and the sky is still frequently thick with smog, but every so often light pours through the holes in the clouds. The river that flows from the sea into the city still smells foul, but maybe you’re starting to get used to it.

Walk the cobbled streets and you will find that the city is crowded and filthy, but full of merchants, pubs, and theatres. Vast wealth and extreme poverty exist side by side.

In the center of the sprawling city is a temple with towering gothic spires and huge stained glass windows depicting all manner of beings that might be gods or angels or monsters. You could look for hours and still be finding new figures plucked straight from books of myth and religion. Inside, the main chamber has a grand vaulted ceiling, and dozens of pews line the aisle up to the altar, which is oddly anticlimactic compared to the lavish surroundings: just a plain stone table with a lit oil lamp in the centre. Two hallways branch off on either side of the room: one leads to private baths and a communal kitchen, the other to monastic style chambers with thin beds. Not the most comfortable place to stay, but it’ll do in a pinch!

The High Temple has also reappeared at the edge of the city, with its considerably more comfortable lodgings.

Alternatively you can venture into the city and find yourself some other lodging - every Traveler has been supplied with some pocket money. Just be careful that it isn’t stolen by some street urchin. Travelers can also find an era-appropriate outfit that will fit them perfectly laid in the first sleeping chamber they visit.

Notes:
1. The High Temple and anything you may have stored there is available to all characters this month.

2. Please remember to mark threads appropriately with Content Warnings when necessary.

3. The city greatly resembles Victorian London, and the technology and general way of life is all of that era. Feel free to explore the city! These prompts are a jumping off point - how they affect your character and their development is up to you.

4. Most food is safe to eat, and is consumable by non-human entities. Most. Some of it’s going to be pretty gross or cooked improperly, so be careful.

5. The people in the city are normal humans unless otherwise indicated. Killing them is possible and will affect the colour grading of your Scrywatch depending on the situation.

6. Have fun!

Ⅱ. COME UNDONE
CW: dead bodies, archeological graverobbing.
Somehow, some way, you find yourself with an invitation card:

Lord Trewlaney at Home: the Unwrapping of
THE JEWEL OF THE SEVEN STARS!
Half-past Eight
Unwrapping? How saucy! Or perhaps you have an inkling of exactly what that means.

The invitation gets you entry to a well kept home on the more well-to-do side of the city. There are plenty of servants circulating with food and drink of which you are welcome to partake. Society’s elite chatter and mingle all around you; maybe you fit in, and maybe you don’t.

Regardless, you don’t have to wait very long for the main event. The host of this little soiree - presumably Lord Trewlaney himself, a little man with a weak chin and an impressive mustache - stands at the front of the room and holds his hands aloft.

“Ladies and gentleman,” he says in a clear voice. “BEHOLD! We shall now commence with the unwrapping of this, a fine example of Egyptian mummification, who was once called the Jewel of the Seven Stars!”

A wheeled table is brought forward, covered in a purple velvet cloth. Dramatically, Lord Trewlaney flings it back to reveal a body wrapped in ancient linen bandages. The crowd sighs, and Trewlaney’s eyes scan the crowd.

“Ah, you there!” he cries, pointing at you. Or maybe the person beside you.

“You folk there! Here, come up, my friends! You may have the honour of being a part of history!”

The crowd pushes you and your companion forward with excited murmurs. Soon enough the two of you are beside the mummy, and Trewlaney is handing you a pair of scissors. Up close the body smells of cinnamon and something else, something familiar.

“Reveal its face!” he urges you. And so, you cut.

Much to your surprise what is revealed is not a desiccated corpse, but your own likeness. Before you have time to react the mummy sits up and turns to face the audience, who oohs and ahhs.

The mummy’s lips part and it speaks. What does it say? Something extremely revealing; in plain terms, the mummy reveals something an aspect of yourself that you would rather have kept hidden.

Oh dear! You can shut yourself up, of course, but before you do maybe you ought to consider that interfering with a mummy was considered a surefire way to fall under a curse…

Notes:
1. What is revealed can of course be of any degree of seriousness. Murder? Or do you just secretly enjoy RomComs?

2. Shut the mummy up before it has its say and you will suffer the Mummy’s Curse: bad luck that will plague you for the rest of the month!

Ⅲ. IMAGINARIUM
The sign above the door simply reads Cabinet of Curiosities. How intriguing! And at the very least you can get out of the chill.

Inside there are dozens of wooden cases with glass fronts, each filled with shelves of all manner of objects. Some look expensive and exotic, while others are almost painfully mundane. There are taxidermied animals, wet specimens, fossils, glass eyes, rocks and crystals, pottery, statuettes… There’s a little of everything.

As you peer amongst the stuffed ducks and fossilized plants, you’ll spot something familiar. It’s an object that you recognise as personally significant whether because it’s from your life back home, or because it’s symbolic. It represents a dream or a hope you have for the future.

If you take the object out of the cabinet for a closer look, you and whoever happens to be standing nearby will instantly be transported to a hazy vision of what that lovely dream is. It won’t last forever - indeed, maybe only a moment. Depending on what that hoped for future is, you might have some explaining to do.

Notes:
1. All futures are something hoped for. They may be completely unrealistic and bittersweet, but they are something wanted and not feared.

Ⅳ. GARDENS
CW: mind altering substances.
If there’s one spot within the city where you might be able to find some refuge from the dank scent of ocean rot and the sour smell of body odour, then it’s going to be the Gardens. A jewel toward the west side of the city, you will find a greenhouse containing all manner of tropical plants, and a rose garden with over a 100 different types available for you to enjoy.

But why stop there? There are also areas where you can stop and have tea with a friend. They even have those little sandwiches with the crust cut off! They have cucumber, egg, and cream cheese. Each of these has a different effect: cucumber sandwiches will provide a mild sense of euphoria, while the egg will give you a lot of energy (and maybe some gas). Cream cheese will make you very relaxed and prone to oversharing. There are also perfectly regular cakes and biscuits available, as well.

Maybe you’re feeling a bit more somber. In the northeast end of the park there is a secret pet cemetery with over 300 tiny tombstones paying tribute to the tragic losses of many much-loved pets. The area is disused, overgrown with ivy and ferns. Sitting there evokes a sense of peace.

Prefer to see some living wildlife? Fear not, the park seems to attract several different types of songbirds which makes it a hotspot for birdwatching. There are binoculars available to use for that purpose. Or you could use them to peer into the city’s seamy underbelly. Just don’t get isolated and weird about it.

Sometimes I can still hear his voice...

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[She folds her arms.]

I heard what the ferryman said. But I didn't want to assume anything about you. I hadn't seen where you came from, and wasn't about to start talking to you about a ride you had never taken!

[And then she starts tilting her head — no, her whole torso, really — blatantly trying to get a better look under that hood.]

And you certainly haven't made it easy to recognize you from the ferry...

Yeah. Maybe that's because I don't want to be recognized? The last thing I need is someone nosing into my business.

[Darin pulls his hood a little tighter, purposefully tucking his bangs back.]

Do you need something? Or are you just looking to bother someone? Because there's a whole mess of other people here.

[She pulls back, letting her eyes roll skyward.]

I'm not trying to pry, or to pester you! I just...

[Huff.] Look, both of us just arrived, didn't we? There's bound to be more things to know about this universe than a long talk on a boat ride could cover. I thought it might be easier to investigate together, rather than alone.

[There's a slight pang of guilt. For multiple reasons. For one, she isn't wrong. But he'd also just lost a companion by virtue of being here. One who, likely, would have left of her own volition considering the events that transpired before waking up on that damned ferry.]

[He turns and starts descending the steps, walking by her.]

I don't do well with companionship. You're likely better off finding someone else from the ferry to follow around.

[Harsh words but they aren't exactly a 'no.']

[Despite the indirect dismissal, Allura turns to watch him pass. And then, she even starts to follow down the steps.]

Who, exactly? In case you haven't noticed, most of them have already dispersed. And even if I went running around looking for others... I can't be sure if I would recognize any of them.

[She doesn't have too much trouble telling humans apart, but it's not as if there was much time to get to know them all. The only details that stuck were the most obvious ones, such as the vibrant blue hair that he could hardly hide.]

Literally anyone?

And if you don't know or recognize anyone then make some friends. Sure someone like you would have no trouble with people clamoring to get close to you.

[He's getting a very annoying sense of deja vu. This is exactly the way things went with Iris. Well, he's not planning on making the same mistakes twice.]

What's it going to take to get you to stop following me, huh?

I'll stop when I'm done talking to you. [And yes, she's going to pointedly ignore that he's trying to end the conversation.]

So, if you think people should be clamoring to get close to me — then why are you trying to put distance between us? You've undermined your whole argument.

If you need introductions that badly, we could try this again.

I'm not like everyone else, for better and for worse. And I prefer it that way.

[He stops abruptly, pinching the bridge of his nose.]

If we introduce ourselves to each other, will that get you to go away? Or are you doing this to spite me?

[She looks incredibly unimpressed by that 'not like everyone else' line. Even assuming he's not being melodramatic, doesn't that just prove he has no idea what he's talking about? Most people didn't try to get close to her. If anything, they treat her like an exhibit in an art gallery.]

If we introduce ourselves, and you don't give me a reason to feel spiteful? I'll consider it.

Fine, since you're so keen on it, you can be the one to start.

[He turns to her and crosses his arms over his broad chest, waiting.]

[She sighs, softly. Fine. If that's what it takes to show that there's no need for this animosity...]

I'm Allura. Princess of Altea, and Paladin of the Blue Lion of Voltron. It is my pleasure to meet your acquaintance.

[It might seem a little unenthused. Not because she's being sarcastic about it, but more because she's done these kinds of introductions so many times.]

A-A princess...?

[Darin's eyes go wide. For a moment, it almost looks like maybe he might be regretful for the things he said. Surely his shock will ebb and he'll realize he should have afforded her more courtesy, right?]

NNNNNNOPE.

[He heel turns and starts marching away.]

Not dealing with a stuck up noble! Nope! Not gonna happen! Later, princess! Good luck and happy trails!

Wait, hold on! Where do you think you're going?!

[She's in hot pursuit, catching up so that she can keep pace alongside him. That's the only way he can see that incredulous expression on her face, after all.]

And what, precisely, is your problem?! You didn't even introduce yourself back to me!

And I sure as hell don't plan on it! Nothing good's gonna come from a noble knowing anything about me!

Go find someone virtuous to babysit you, Princess, because it sure as hell isn't gonna be me!

[He tries to lose her in the small crowd, then ducks down the nearest alley he can, hoping he can get to the other side and slip into the general flow of traffic before she really manages to cling to him.]

'Babysit'?! I already told you that I wanted to cooperate!

[It's hard to tell if Allura's insisting on this to emphasize the fact that she would be helping him as well, or... if she thought he was being literal about her needing a babysitter.]

[Either way, she's quick to demonstrate that she's very capable on her own. Each time he tries to put people between them, she finds a way around and regains the ground. Her only disadvantage is the Victorian dress she's wearing — and even so, it's not enough to stop her from tailing him through the crowd and into the alleyway.]

What has gotten into you?! You don't even know which kingdom's nobility I'm part of!

Doesn't matter and I don't care!

[Of course she'd act like Iris. Why did he always get saddled with the stubborn women? You'd think being rude would be way more than enough to send her packing!]

[Dammit, fine. We do this the hard way.]

[He rushes out of the alley and sprints across the street, picking up speed but keeping it at what would be a normal 'human' threshold. Hopefully it's enough to put just a little distance between them.]

[Unfortunately, rushing through the foot traffic is causing a bit of a stir. Especially since a hooded man is running from what appears to be a proper Victorian gentlewoman. Kind of like how a robber or a pickpocket might. Regardless, it's turning eyes their way and Darin is not really happy about it.]

[Once he reaches the next alley, he skids by a dumpster and reaches out. He grips the side with one hand and whips it around with his incredible strength so it spans the width of the alley, blocking off pursuit. Hopefully if anyone caught that brief display of strength, they'll write it off with a more mundane explanation.]

Get back here!

[The more she runs in this dress, the more she resents it. Altean dresses may have also been long, but they flowed in a way that still allowed a free range of motion. This one had a far more cumbersome construction, as if it was meant for nothing more rigorous than a brisk walk. And while she's fighting against the constraint, she's not about to make a much bigger scene by tearing part of it off.]

[So when she does come up against the dumpster, and does a flipping jump right onto it — it looks ridiculous, a bit like a cupcake getting tossed into the air. But she still pulls it off, springing off the edge of the dumpster towards him, barely even slowed by the obstacle.]

We could just talk about this!

[Little did Allura know, that Darin had a hunch she'd probably try and climb the dumpster. These stubborn, crazy women just had a tendency to do that. So instead of running, he dropped flat behind the dumpster and out of site. Once he heard her hit the top of it, he rolled underneath. So when she came down on the other side, he was quickly heading back the way they'd come.]

Heh...and that's that.

[He dusts himself off and starts towards the entrance of the alley. Hopefully, he can slip into the crowd.]

[...Except it seemed their little chase sequence alarmed enough people that some seem to be talking to some kind of authorities. Some people are pointing to the alley and he quickly ducks back to avoid any pointed looks.]

...Dammit. Not good...not goooood...

[Meanwhile, on the other side of the dumpster...]

Quiznak. Where did he get to?

[He obviously did not keep running this way, since there wasn't enough distance between them to duck out of site. Besides, she knows a trick when she sees one.]

[There's hiding spaces ahead, but nothing that would completely block him from sight — as soon as she caught onto the ruse, it would be up. So, the only way to slip out of sight would be...]

... he slipped past when I jumped, didn't he?

[And sure enough, when she turns around with a huff — there he is, looking like he's landed in more trouble than he bargained for.]

[She pushes the dumpster aside — with some effort, but not nearly as much as the situation should call for — and approaches him, scowling.]

All right. Could you please explain to me what this is about, now?

[Her words are echoed almost verbatim by two unformed men that are approaching from Darin's other side. And for a very brief moment, Allura might catch a flash of genuine panic in his eyes beneath the hood. In fact, he hasn't really registered her approach.]

[He pulls the hood tighter as he takes a step back, towards Allura.]

Look, I know what this looks like...

[He's had more than his fair share of run ins with guards and other keepers of the peace, and he can tell immediately from the looks he's being given that judgment has already been passed here. He knows that look far too well.]

[What could he say here? That he was running from a princess? That doesn't sound suspicious or anything.]

We weren't looking to cause any trouble...it's just that...well, uh...

[Dammit, if this were his world he could make up something well enough. He knew the laws, knew how to play people. He was out of his element here.]

Excuse me... [... she says as she steps past Darin. However, it could be pointed at any one of the three men here, as she then pointedly asks the two lawmen,] Do you mind?

[Her unamused tone and expression quickly take the wind out of their sails.] Ah, well, beggin' your pardon — we saw that this bloke was causin' you some trouble, and...

And what, exactly? If I needed anyone's help, I would have asked! [The other man starts to protest, and she insists,] Look, he owes me something. Beyond that, it's not any of your business. You can go.

[And she even does a little shoo, shoo gesture with her hand.]

[Darin's expression is a little...well, unreadable. On the one hand, he hadn't expected her to step in like that. In fact, he wouldn't have been surprised if she'd prefer to watch him stew a bit.]

[...On the other hand, this talk of 'owing her something' made him outright grimace. He wasn't a fan of owing anyone anything but he also couldn't deny that she was helping him right now.]

[With a very pointed sigh, he straightens up.]

She's right, I'll be making sure she's given what's owed. There's no trouble here.

[One of the peacekeepers fixes a glare Darin's way]

Oi, see to it that y'do. We'll be keepin' an eye out.

[He nods to his partner and they give a little bow before dismissing themselves.]

[Once they're out of ear shot, Darin crosses his arms once more. He can practically hear the smug look on Allura's face right now.]

[Hey, she's not going to gloat about it. She's just going to be very proud of herself for resolving that so easily. What better way to demonstrate that they can help each other?]

Now then, if we're just about done with this nonsense...

[She turns to him, smiling sweetly. ... maybe a bit cheekily.]

I believe it's about time that you gave me your name.

...

[He sighs. There's no point keeping this up. She's not going to let this go and...as much as he hates to admit it, she did help him out.]

[He reaches up and pulls back his hood and shakes his blue hair free.]

Darin. Darin Altway.

...Thanks. I guess.

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