Tavern Mingle (INSIDE) | OPEN

[vitaelamorte]

Who: EVERYONE
Where: The Dark Lantern Tavern!
When: 1/15/16 -1/18/16 - The duration of the event!
Rating: Probably PG-13, will vary by thread.
Summary: Let's go to this creepy tavern and ask for some directions! A log for staying nice and dry inside.
The Story:




For the duration of the event, the mansion has become a dingy tavern. It has two floors, the bottom being the main tavern and the upper floor has six bedrooms with one bed and one magic closet in each room for everyone to fight over, unless they don't mind sleeping on the floor or in the tavern somewhere. With the amount of people in Wonderland, everyone is cramped together and it will be very crowded. The closets will work, however they will only provide clothing and items from time periods long gone (though they do not seem to be bound to any particular time period). There are no employees to be found in the Tavern, but there's a working kitchen with a wood fire stove and enough food and drink for everyone to last the entire event comfortably. There's even a stage with musical instruments to entertain yourselves with! There's no electricity, but plenty of candles and lanterns around.

For the entire length of the event, it will be dark outside. In addition to the never-ending night, it will pour for four days straight, and it will all seem rather ominous once it becomes apparent the sun isn't coming out. Pretty much all signs will suggest that everyone should stay in the tavern and eat, drink, and be merry with their stupid new names. But it really is tight quarters, and some might be curious to see what else is out there. Maybe there's another place to stay out there, or something. Maybe the Beast Alice spoke of is out there.

(Lost? Perhaps you're looking for the outside log or the event information.)

Comments

The Dark Knight | ota

[oversight]

[ For hours — as many as possible — the Dark Knight lurks in the shadows outside the Dark Lantern Tavern and simply watches the edge of darkness stretching out beneath the heavy thunderclouds. Compelled by an unspoken directive, feeling beholden to a title he can't escape, he spends his time dreaming of privacy and isolation while attempting to be true to the moral directive his title suggests of him.

At this point, heeding Alice's words as a warning feels imperative; there's little chance that she was speaking metaphorically when she talked about the beast. He wants to stop people from going out there, from visiting the woods, from tempting an unseen beast that, for all he knows, lives only in Alice's mind.

Nevertheless, even the Dark Knight can't spend all of his time out in the driving rain — not with the very normal, human part of him demanding he eventually eat and sleep and rest. Returning to the tavern's kitchen, he finds his his period attire has done little to keep him dry. He settles close to the wood burning stove, silently watching the flicker of the flames through the grated door.

He does all he can to remain unobtrusive, not welcoming of questions. He's used to one name — practically just one name — and finding that he's not able to use that name here unsettles him. If he could melt between the floorboards he would, for that matter. But even in this place, where he can't escape the fact that he is the Dark Knight, he struggles to think of much more than his duty to help those other people no matter what.

By the crackling fire, the young man — not aged a day in years — looks particularly old and tired. Fitting, perhaps, as the auspicious defender finds himself drifting on the edge of sleep, nodding off in front of the stove. ]

[a_chipped_cup]

[Dressed in a gold peasant dress and a green cloak, it was hardly appropriate exploring attire, but her eagerness to see what was outside the tavern got the better of her.

Stepping out into the rain, The Beauty pulled down her cloak tighter around herself, trying to chase away any chill that might be hoping for a chance to intrude. She noticed a figure near the tavern, lingering towards the shadows. While instinct told her to be nervous and apprehensive, her kinder side emerged to the surface.]

Hello? Are you all right?

[oversight]

Yes.

[ A quick response. He doesn't want to appear menacing, even if the shadows don't do much to help. The Dark Knight is there to protect, not plague. ]

Are you?

[ Noting the cloak and dress, it appears to him that she's on her way out. ]

[a_chipped_cup]

[She nodded. It wouldn't be long before the cold rain soaked through her, but for now, she was okay.]

Have you just been waiting out here?

[There was a level of concern in her for him.]

[oversight]

I have.

[ He might as well be honest. The Dark Knight's been attempting to keep an eye out for anyone that might be leading themselves astray. ]

I prefer it.

[a_chipped_cup]

It's a bit noisy in there, isn't it?

[It wasn't for everyone. She only preferred it because she didn't want to be alone. There were usually too many shady people gathered inside, in her experience.]

Are you exploring?

[oversight]

No. I'm preventing others from exploring.

[a_chipped_cup]

Why? There doesn't seem to be much around here, but the rain.

[oversight]

Looks can be deceiving. [ ... ] Alice warned us there was something out there.

[a_chipped_cup]

Perhaps there is...

...or maybe Alice is deceiving us. Can we really trust those in charge of Wonderland?

[oversight]

Alice isn't in charge. [ That much is obvious to The Dark Knight. ] I believe we can trust her about this.

[a_chipped_cup]

I've seen Alice, but are there any others who taunt us as well? Someone we shouldn't trust?

[oversight]

The queens. Bill the Lizard, perhaps. The Cheshire Cat.

[ He frowns. ]

Alice seems so... innocent.

[rosswood]

[The Puppet is restless. Again.

He intends to nip out once more, skirting the edges of the lantern-light, surveying the woods as one resolving to set out and confront the Beast would do, but the problem is that there's someone hanging around just outside by the door.]

Jesus! [He jumps. He hadn't been expecting someone to be right the fuck outside. He's jumpier than usual, admittedly, and a little wary of tall silhouettes at large, but that's no excuse to just be looming in the shadows like a well-dressed period-appropriate gargoyle.]

[oversight]

No.

[ I mean, he has to be honest, right? He's not Jesus. Or maybe he's trying to discourage the Puppet's departure. Either way, it comes out low, like a grumble, in the voice.

The Dark Knight knows the Puppet, of course. During their last meeting, he'd indulged the young man, listening to his drunken revelry. This time he won't be so gentle in his application of stewardship. ]

[rosswood]

Uhh, thanks man. I think I figured that out, but thanks.

[Is he...joking? He honestly doesn't know what to make of this whole shtick. Does he know this guy? He thinks he knows him. He peers closer, thus far unperturbed despite the alarm that perceived sudden appearance elicited.]

What is that voice? Are you gargling rocks?

[oversight]

[ Oh god, don't make him laugh, bro, that's only going to make things worse! ]

No. [ Firmer this time. More rocks. ]

It isn't safe out there. [ Hopefully the Puppet realizes that already, but somehow the Dark Knight doesn't thinking so. ] You should stay here.

[rosswood]

Yeah? Or what?

[The suddenness of his appearance might've spooked him, but Alex has yet to trust that there's anything to this guy that's really much of a threat.

So he's resorting to his basic instinct: hopeless snark. He waves a hand in the general direction of the guy's neck.]

You should get that checked out, buddy. Smoking's real bad for you, really messes up your voice.

[oversight]

There's something out there. A beast.

[ He'll just be ignoring the rest of that, thanks. The voice just happens, okay? It just happens. ]

It won't be as interested in warning you as I am.

[rosswood]

So I heard. But it's stuffy as fuck in there, and I want some breathing space.

[He jerks a thumb over his shoulder to indicate inside. That's not quite a lie. Sure, he's going out to check up on whether there's really a Beast out there and whether it's the Beast he thinks it is. But it's also, like. Really stuffy inside.]

That cool with you, Mr. Mysterioso? You need me to sign a form? Bring a doctor's note?

[oversight]

[ Why you little... The Dark Knight would not normally take sass like that, but scaring the Puppet didn't seem like it was all that sporting.

Inching forward, a small amount of overhead light helps to illuminate the edges of his form. If he had access to his suit, he'd probably appear a lot larger. ]

Who's pulling your strings?

[rosswood]

What?

[He goes rigid. How'd he - did he take a lucky guess? Is that a figure of speech?

Or, hang on. The Puppet's gotta know this guy. That's how it worked between him and the Subject. They just kinda knew each other's titles.

So he peers closer. The light limning his form helps a bit, and once he gets a read on who this guy is, the Puppet's eyes widen.]

The...Dark Knight?

[His tone lands somewhere between ohhhhh shit and really, dude? really?]

[oversight]

[ Don't remind him. ]

What ever happened to my jacket?

[rosswood]

Uhhhh.

[His hand goes to the back of his neck, sheepishly.]

I've, uh, still got it. Somewhere.

[Buried beneath a whole lot of paper and accumulated college-student-level mess.]

[oversight]

Mm.

[ A non-committal sound. He doesn't particularly want to go looking for it, but if he has to, he will. Later, obviously. ]

Did you talk to anyone else inside?