+ Where Do Your Loyalties Lie? +

[vitaelamorte]

Who: Everyone
Where: The party
When: 7/21-7/23
Rating: PG-13 (warn if you go higher)
Summary:
The Story:
Orlais' current ruler, Lacie, has invited anyone of name, fame, and influence to The Winter Palace for three days of extravagant festivities surrounding the peace talks between her and Tillie, whose grasp for the throne has plunged beautiful Orlais into a dreadful civil war. Unbeknownst to both a third player, Elsie, has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to obtain her own share of power over the land.

Get ready for three days of fancy food, fine drink, good music, good entertainment, and just a little bit of murder, maybe? Your character has secured an invitation, and will join the illustrious crowd, become privy to the latest scandals and gossip, and observe as the struggle for Orlais' throne reaches its final chapter.

[OOC: This is an open mingle log for the Dragon Age event. The plotting post can be found here and event details can be found on the Bulletin Board.]

Comments

[powerofmabel]

[And Mabel, with wide eyes that do not befit a soldier of her (possible?) caliber says, reverently:]

....Did you just stuff an entire ham into your jacket? 'Cause mad respect, Grunkle Stan. You never know when you're gonna need emergency ham.

[She'd take more issue with the theft, but, like... it's an event. Let Stan Steal Ham.]

[charlastan]

[The two of them combined startle the heck out of Stan, and he yelps.]

I'VE NEVER SEEN A HAM IN MY LIFE!

[He whips around and-- oh. It's just a couple of kids he's never seen before. He frowns a bit, and holds his jacket closed.]

Uh. Aren't you kids kinda young to be in the Inquisition? [He laughs, and pries one hand away so he can gesture about a foot and a half above their heads.] I thought you had to be this tall to ride that wagon!

[The joke wasn't worth it. The ham is tragically not secure enough with just one hand holding his jacket closed and it falls right to the floor. Stan stares at it for a beat and then just. Casually kicks it backwards under the table behind him. No one saw that.]

[krmvgivv]

Yeah, no one consulted us on that. [Dipper is pretty used to Stan's terrible attempts at excuses, though he does raise an eyebrow at kicking the ham under the table. Does he think Mabel will be upset he's eating a pig or something?

Whatever. Doesn't really matter.]

Just for a few days, at least. Which is good cause these uniforms chafe. [He scowls down at the outfit and pulls it away from his body. It doesn't help much.]

[powerofmabel]

Yeah, and they're so not my aesthetic.

[She sighs and goes to retrieve the ham, picking dirt and lint off of it and handing it back.] I didn't see anything. You were never here. [Very obvious winking.]

[charlastan]

[When she hands the ham back to him, he looks at her like she's lost her mind.]

You're gonna let me?

[And then it clicks, or at least he thinks it does, and he laughs.]

Oh, I get it now. Do your parents know you're here impersonating Inquisition recruits? I'm pretty sure that's illegal, but what are they gonna do? Arrest a couple kids for playing dress-up at a fancy party?

[krmvgivv]

[Unfortunately, it does click now for Dipper. Mostly because, well, he's seen Stan playing around, and he's seen Stan really lose his memories, and he isn't, er, hamming it up nearly enough to be playing around. Also, it would be the least funny joke ever. Even Stan's sense of humor isn't that bad.

He glances at Mabel, then back up at Stan, looking unhappy.]

Do you... know who we are?

[powerofmabel]

[Mabel claps a hand over her mouth. Even if she knows it's an event, the horror of Stan coming out of that fight with Bill with no memories shook her to her core and when it happens randomly while they're aware of who they are and he isn't aware of them, it gets to her.]

I can't do this again. [She makes an aggrieved noise and puts her hands over her ears as she works on calming herself. If he doesn't, the event will go away. It's not forever. Get it together, Mabel.]

[charlastan]

Uh. ...No? Should I?

[For a second he worries that they're related to the actual Stanimir, but...they called him by his name earlier, didn't they? His real name, even if he doesn't know what the heck a Grunkle's supposed to be.

When the girl withdraws, he has no idea what to do. He knows this is his fault, because he didn't recognize them, but why would he recognize a couple of kids? He hasn't had kids in his life since he was a kid. And what did she mean again? The whole thing is too weird for him, but he can't help feeling horrible about it. He might be a crook but he's not a monster.]

Hey uh-- kiddo? You alright there? [Then, when that predictably doesn't work, to Dipper:] Is she gonna be alright?

[krmvgivv]

[Dipper puts a hand on Mabel's shoulder and gives Grunkle Stan a glare. Not that it's his fault, but there's no one else for him to glare at. Stan has to do.]

It's nothing you can help with. [Not while he's like this. Not while he's forgotten them again.] Go eat your ham.

[powerofmabel]

[Mabel's kneejerk despair takes a backseat to her determination as she begins to rifle through her satchel of what can only be "Inquisitor stuff."] No, wait. We can totally fix this if the event gave me my scrapbook.

[That has not worked YET on anyone, but darn it, she's gonna try... and mention events while she's at it like she's not supposed to do.]

[charlastan]

[That stings a lot more than he expected it to, and he actually winces a little. Suddenly that ham doesn't sound so great anymore.]

Look, if you're gonna be ticked off at me, at least tell me what I did!

[He's pretty sure that's the problem here though - he has no idea where these kids know him from and they seem pretty upset about that. He kind of tilts his head at the mention of the event giving out scrapbooks, but he assumes she means some sort of...really unusual party favor.]

[krmvgivv]

[Sorry, Grunkle Stamnesia, right now Dipper's saving his sympathy for the one who actually knows what's going on. It's probably not fair to Grunkle Stan. This isn't his fault. But there's only so much Dipper can do, and right now, that means ignoring Stan's questions.]

That's a big if, Mabel. [And even if they do have it, he isn't sure it'll help.]

[powerofmabel]

I'm not mad! [That was necessary to shout at Stan, like anger will make him sink deeper into the event and become even more one with it. Unfortunately, she turns her bag upside down and finds nothing but quill, ink, and a selection of smashed and lint-covered sweets that she also stole from the dessert table. She gives a quick, anxious glance around.]

...I was invited. I's totally within my legal right to save dessert for later. [That said, she gives the bag one more shake, and slumps her shoulders when nothing else comes out. Looks like Stamnesia continues.] Ugh. You win again, Wonderland.

[charlastan]

Heh. Looks like I'm not the only crook around here.

[The teasing comes a little more naturally than he would have expected for someone he doesn't know at all, but he's hesitant about it, like he's not sure if that would cheer her up or make things worse.]

Look, is one of you gonna tell me what's going on here? Or even just-- I dunno, who you are? Obviously I'm supposed to know and this ain't really helping me figure it out.

[krmvgivv]

I'm Dipper, she's Mabel.

[It's said with all the shortness he can muster. He has to get Mabel out of here. If he can convince her to go.

A beat. He shouldn't even be trying, but he can't help himself.]

Dipper and Mabel Pines.

[powerofmabel]

Don't you see the family resemblance? [She pokes her cheek and then reaches over and pokes Dipper's too.]

[charlastan]

[He does actually, now that they've said it. He goes from squinting at the two of them to a look of horror as he completely misunderstands the situation.]

...Oh no. Oh no, Marilyn never told me we had any kids! How the hell am I supposed to take care of a couple of kids?! I can't feed two kids on a leg of stolen ham!

[WHAT IS HE GOING TO DO? HE CAN BARELY TAKE CARE OF HIMSELF!]

[krmvgivv]

[.....close, sort of, but.... not quite there. Dipper facepalms.]

You're our great uncle, not our dad.

[powerofmabel]

Yeah, you're too old to be our dad.

[On the other hand... way better than Stamnesia. She breathes a sigh of relief.] Thank Wonderland, this could've been really bad.

[charlastan]

[Stan sighs with relief.]

Oh. Phew! 'Cause I am not ready to be anyone's parent, but Great Uncle I could probably handle. Guess that means you've gotta be either Ford or Shermie's grandkids, huh...

[He squints at them for a second, but then he realizes something and just laughs a little too hard.]

Wait, who am I kidding? Obviously you've gotta be Shermie's.

[krmvgivv]

[Dipper glances over at Mabel.] I mean, we are Shermie's grandkids, but I'm sure Ford could have had grandkids if he wasn't, uh... where is he?

[Sucked into another dimension does not seem that likely considering everything is all medieval.]

[powerofmabel]

[Mabel is less than subtle:] Yeah, what's Ford like in this crazy fantasy land? Does he do magic? Does he do science? Does he do magiscience?

[charlastan]

[Stan looks kind of sheepish about that, despite the fact that he brought Ford up first.]

I, uh. ....I don't really know. I kinda figured you would, being more in touch with the rest of the family and all that. I haven't seen any of 'em in...

[He rubs the back of his neck and actually has to think about it.]

...Decades, probably.

[krmvgivv]

So he never sent you a mysterious message asking for you to come help him?

[powerofmabel]

With magiscience? [Honestly, Mabel is super invested in the idea of magiscience right now and someone is going to have to knock her back on track.]