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Cimorene, the Dragon's Princess (dragonsprincess) wrote in labyrinth_rpg,
@ 2009-03-15 04:23:00

Entry tags:

cathal, cimorene, complete, day three

Who: Cimorene and Cathal
When: Day 3, midday
Where: In the courtyard, outside the library
What: Cimorene punctures her own canon
Rating: PG
Status: Complete

Since her arrival, Cimorene had decided that the easiest way to get herself out of this mess was to learn as much as she possibly could about what she was facing. While she didn't expect the library to have step-by-step instructions on how to get back to the Enchanted Forest, she did sort of assume that one of these days, she was going to stumble upon something helpful. There were many different kinds of people here, and if Cimorene had all the information, it was far more likely that her knowledge and abilities, when combined with those around her, could be the difference between being stuck in this miserable little place, and being happy at home.

So, Cimorene scowered the library. Hardly proper behaviour for a princess, but then again, Cimorene had never been a normal one of those. She read books on every subject and every study, hardly sleeping, hardly eating, sure that in 'the next one' she'd find the answers she was looking for. But in 'the next one', she found something that she had no prepared herself for. A narrative account of her life. Every detail hashed out perfectly, from her life in Linderwall to her battle with the wizards and the saving of the Enchanted Forest. Odd, to be sure, but then again, histories weren't that far out of the realm of reality, right? But there were more books, three more, and by the time that Cimorene was done with the quartet, she was far from calm.

She had a husband. A son. She was a queen. The wizards had come back, and it had been up to her to save her home and her friends, time and again. And she wasn't there anymore to do it. Panic surged in her chest and Cimorene fled the library, tears streaking down her face, blocking her vision. Her own personal...pre-history aside, people were going to die because she couldn't get home. People she loved. And it was all her fault.

Dashing from the library with her arms full of the small books that had so betrayed her, Cimorene was definitely not watching where she was going, and slammed right into someone. Someone solid enough to knock the abnormally fit princess over, her head making a sickening crack on the flagstones of the courtyard when it connected. Groaning, Cimorene rolled to her side, a ball of skirts and rumpled pages, and moaned.

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illusional
2009-03-16 06:11 pm UTC (link)

There he was, minding his own business when a girl had run right into him. Again. It reminded him of the first time he and Clodagh had met and it made his belly burn with anger and longing. But that emotion easily gave way to irritation as he glanced down at the girl who'd not only run into him but then had fallen and hit her head on the ground. She was currently lying on her side, balled up like a child. With a sigh, he crouched and picked up the books she'd dropped, stacking them into a pile. At least this girl looked nothing like Clodagh, with her dark, unsightly hair and pale skin.

"I know you're hurt, so I'm not going to ask if you're alright. We do need to figure out if you need to see a healer, though." He'd seen her crack her head and knew that was what caused her to moan, but he didn't know if it was bleeding. Grabbing her by her upper arm, none too gently either, he hauled her into a sitting position and turned her head to examine the back of it through the long dark locks. He winced when he saw that it was already forming a nice sized goose egg, but it didn't appear to need stitching. "It looks like you're just going to have a nice headache."

He let go of her, uncomfortable with touching her any longer than was necessary. He half contemplated his magic and wondered if he should chance using it to make the swelling lump go down and ease the headache he knew was creeping up. He crossed his arms over his bent knees and watched her. It was probably a little unnerving, but he was looking for signs of a concussion. "Come on, get up." He stood up and held a hand down to help her. It was the least he could do. He had, unwittingly, knocked her over after all. When she was standing, he picked up her books and pushed them into her arms.

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dragonsprincess
2009-03-16 06:34 pm UTC (link)

There were a lot of things that Cimorene was prepared to deal with, but being hauled around by a man who seemed to have little care for her well-being or comfort was not one of them. She was dizzy, and the way she swayed slightly as he brought her to her feet was testament to that, but she straightened her skirts and caught her books as best as she could.

"I'm fine, thank you, sir," she said, his irritated look matched in her voice as she narrowed her eyes at him slightly, taking in his appearance quickly and trying to figure out whether or not he was a danger. Her books got tucked under one arm and her free hand rest on the hilt of her sword.

"I apologize for knocking into you," she said, blinking away the last traces of her tears, though her face was still streaked with the dried trails. "Princess Cimorene of the Kingdom of Linderwall, now princess of the King of Dragons, Kazul," she offered with a small dip, and then frowned. "Well, I was. I'm...not certain what I am now."

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illusional
2009-03-16 07:58 pm UTC (link)

Cheeky. That's the word that came to mind as soon as she opened her mouth. Sure he hadn't been all that kind, but she had run into him! He was solidly built, true enough, but that didn't mean that the corners of her books or her elbows hadn't hurt when she'd slammed into him. He watched her sway and was ready to catch her if she fell, but she didn't. He admired her for that. At least she was strong.

"Good." He crossed his arms over his chest. Whether he was dangerous looking or not was in the eye of the beholder. Obviously the other women he'd come in contact with here had no qualms about being snarky with him and he expected nothing less from this woman, either. He wore a plain cream colored poet's shirt, brown leather trousers, heavy boots and a moss green cloak. The hood was up because the day was cold and it partially concealed the tattoos he had on his face and head, but the ones around his eyes, in the imitation of a fox's face, could be seen more clearly. And only when he moved could small trinkets sewn into the lining of his cloak be seen. He, too, had a sword belted at his waist, though it was concealed by his cloak as well.

"Apology accepted." It was then that he looked at her. Really looked at her. Enough to notice the tear tracks. Dammit. He clenched his jaw. He really hated it when girls cried. But she seemed to be mostly over the emotion and he was grateful. "Cathal." His own introduction could have been just as long as hers. Warrior of Inis Eala, Prince of the Otherworld, Son to the Lord of the Oak. But his was just a reminder of the world he'd escaped and he wouldn't use it here. A dark brow rose high on his forehead when she spoke of not knowing what she was now. "What do you mean? Have you changed somehow?"

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dragonsprincess
2009-03-16 09:46 pm UTC (link)

She was strong. Cimorene was very strong, and very clever, to survive through what she had, to bring about the downfall of the plan to take over her home. A blow to the head wasn't going to be the end of her, no matter how many echos she saw of the man in front of her. Her pride was a hell of a lot stronger than double vision. But still, now that she was fairly certain that he wasn't a real danger - odd, sure, but if he'd been planning on attacking, he would have by now - she was alright with backing up a couple of paces and leaning against the side of the library. "Nice to meet you, Cathal," Cimorene said politely. She could be a right pain in the ass when the occasion called for it, but still, she was brought up to be a proper princess. Just because it didn't take didn't mean that she didn't have manners.

"Well, I'm here, aren't I?" she retorted, and the slight rise in the volume of her voice had her hand going up to press hard against her temple. She let out a breath of air, reopened her eyes and then tried to figure out how to explain what had her running out of the library without looking where she was going. How to explain that she didn't know who she was anymore. She plucked a book from the pile under her arm and held it out. "That's me," she said, pointing to the illustration on the cover. "It's a narrative history, as near as I can figure. It certainly isn't fiction. But these..." she said, pointing to the other books, her lips tightening against emotion for a moment. "They're the same. Except...what's in here, it hasn't happened yet. And because I'm stuck here, it won't all turn out right in the end. Everyone I love...a husband and a son I don't even have...they're all going to die. What does that make me?"

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illusional
2009-03-18 11:16 pm UTC (link)

Cathal only grunted and nodded his head. He wasn't a complete neanderthal but he appeared to be. He didn't want to share too much of himself, be too kind, or get too close to someone. Who knew when his father would show up and ruin things all over again, and hurt everyone he got close to in the process.

A dark brow rose when she appeared to be getting testy. A smirk slid over his lips like honey and he did his best not to laugh. It always amused him when girls got uppity. It was a bit of vindication that she'd given herself a little pain with the rise of her voice, too. The smirk remained in place and his arms folded over his chest.

When she pulled a book out of the stack she held in her arms and showed the cover to him, he took it to examine it more closely. He looked from the illustration back to her and then down again. It was a close likeness, but it could have been anyone, really. He turned the book over in his hands and flipped through it. He read the back and looked down to see a barcode and other numbers. It was all very strange for him, but a single word caught his eye. Fiction. It was right there in black lettering. As she's so vehemently denied it to be fiction, he wasn't going to start an argument. He simply handed it back to her and crossed his arms once more.

When she posed her question, he wasn't rightly sure if it was rhetorical or not. But she'd paused and the stretch of silence continued so he answered. "It makes you helpless and out of control, but it doesn't mean that it's your fault. The person you really ought to be angry with is the guy who brought us here. That Jareth." Cathal refused to call him King, he wasn't his King afterall.

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dragonsprincess
2009-03-19 08:59 am UTC (link)

She could see the disbelief on his face and grumbled slightly on her end. It wasn't fiction, and she'd fight that till the day she died. She was here, living and breathing, wasn't she? Then how could it be a flight of fancy? None of the old stories were fiction, at any rate. At least, as far as Cimorene was concerned. She was related to the supposed "Sleeping Beauty" after all.

Helpless and out of control. Two phrases that Cimorene never appreciated, and it was clear from the look on her face as she glared at the labyrinth off in the distance. "I'm sure that I'll have quite a few words for him when next we meet," she muttered, her jaw tight. "It's just a matter of getting through the labyrinth," she said with a decided nod. "I'm sure one such as yourself will be making the attempt?"

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illusional
2009-03-23 08:38 pm UTC (link)

In speaking of the King, Cathal withdrew the invitation that had been dropped off at his door that morning. "Did you get one of these?" He waved it a little, then stopped and stared at it. His name was neatly scrawled across the front of the envelope. It said that they were required to attend the masquerade ball that King Jareth was holding and they had no say so about it. He was perturbed, but imagined that he might get the chance to question the man. If it was his party, afterall, he should be there. "You might get your chance." He shoved the envelope back into the abyss of his cloak and crossed his arms over his chest once more.

He looked toward the Labyrinth and scrutinized it with a tracker's mind. Of course he was going to attempt it. And more than likely, he'd get through it just fine. There were skills involved, skills that he had. He had magic on his side as well as the determination. He would get through it if it killed him. "I plan on it, yes. And you? Do you plan on going through on your own?" Oh he knew she was strong willed, he could see it in the set of her face, but will couldn't accomplish everything.

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dragonsprincess
2009-03-23 08:43 pm UTC (link)

Cimorene looked at the invitation and nodded. "I did," she admitted, not pleased with it either, but likely for entirely different reasons. "Seems to be rather obnoxious, to expect the lot of us to be ball-ready when we've been yanked from our homes so unceremoniously." Clearly she was in no mood to party.

"If that's what's necessary," she said with a small shrug. Cimorene was tougher than she looked, knew how to handle a sword, and knew some useful magic as well. Not to mention was was as stubborn as a pig. She'd make it through. "I wonder at it though," she admitted. "I'm hoping to gain a bit more information before making the attempt."

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illusional
2009-03-23 08:57 pm UTC (link)

"I get the feeling this so called King hasn't been King of anything but goblins for a long time now. Otherwise I should think he would have better judgment. Although it wouldn't surprise me if he was doing it merely for his own amusement. He seemed the sort to me." Cathal was just as disturbed by it as Cimorene, but he was hoping it would turn into an opportunity to get his hands on the man who'd brought them all here. He certainly wasn't looking forward to a party. He wasn't exactly the party going type. Even back home he lurked in corners, ever the watchful warrior. Never dancing, never singing or partaking in the storytelling.

He nodded. It seemed to him that she would prefer to have someone accompany her but she wasn't afraid to go it alone, either. It made one corner of his mouth quirk up, but it was gone almost as soon as it was there. His gaze flickered toward the library and then back to her. He wasn't sure where she would find out this additional information she sought unless it came from the goblins. He didn't exactly think that a map was lying around anywhere. Although, it very well could be. It would be just the thing the mad King would do, very likely.

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dragonsprincess
2009-03-23 09:05 pm UTC (link)

"Whatever his motivation, I have every intention of insisting that he return us all to our rightful places. I have things that I need to do, clearly," she said, lifting the stack of books in her arms slightly.

And speaking of that. "Thank you for the assistance, but I must take my leave," she said with a bit of a curtsy and a small smile. "If I run across anything useful, I'll be sure to pass along the information," she offered politely, and then headed off toward her room.

There was much to think over.

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