The Palace of the Cursed discussion

Any hallway or corridor in the Old Palace/Prison of the Cursed

Walking down the hallway Aelin called over her shoulder. "The two of us are not allowed to be in the kitchen, nursery, training rooms, cellar, guard station or anywhere out side. We don't bother with the east wing since we don't live there and this here is the recreation room. I find it too loud here to enjoy myself so I never come here and I don't think my brother spends much time here either." She said as Rowan chuckled looking into the empty room since everyone was still at dinner.

"When would I spend time here?" He asked and Aelin shrugged.

"What you do in your free time is no business of mine." She responded.

"How did you know that this was the recreation room?"

"The floor it cracked and a couple of the stones grind in front of the door way."

"How did you hear that over the racket the others make."

"I may have gotten lost when you were in solitary and ended up here before Susan found me." Aelin shrugged and Rowan face palmed before realising that the snake was still there and he regained his composer resuming his bored expression.

Aelic couldn't help it, he giggled at the siblings conversation. It was like they forgot he was here and they loosened up a little. It was nice. 'Recreation room huh?' He said quietly, wondering exactly what one would do in this type of room as he poked his head inside. After a brief scan he came back out again, ignoring 'John's' once again cold, bored expression and looking silently and expectantly up at his two guides. As they began to walk, his mind jumped from thought to thought, he couldn't catch himself before the question slipped out. 'Why aren't you allowed?'

"The kitchen and cellar because we were caught stealing preserved foods, that had us in solitary for a month and taught the guards that solitary doesn't work on me. The nursery because they don't want the dangerous handling infants. The training room because it would actually teach us how to fight without our claws and they can't risk it with us." Aelin started before starting to walk off again.

"No one is allowed near the guard station unless you are human and we have tried to escape too many times and are now not allowed outside." Rowan finished. "They still plan to break us and keep us here but that is not what we want." He said as they walked further down the hallway and turned left before reaching two large oak wood doors. He opened them slowly to reveal the massive library. "This is the library if you can read you can read any book here and even take some to your room."

Aelic nodded sadly as the twins explained their situation. It all made sense, but he couldn't help but feel sorry for them. They were so limited already and that must be like rubbing salt into a open wound. As they walked, Aelic contemplated asking why solitary didn't work with 'Jane' (though he had a pretty good idea why). Just as he opened his mouth to speak, 'John' said they had reached the library and every other thought then went straight out of his mind. Aelic froze, his snake eyes opened as wide as they could go. Just as the twins looked over to him in confusion (after all, he was just standing there staring at the doors), Aelic let out a small gasp and he brushed past 'John', running into the library at full speed.
((To the library!))

Aelic followed Aelin out into the hallway, thinking through his options. 'Alright, library.' He said, coming around to her side and discreetly lending her a hand up the stairs. He wanted to leave the books upstairs for tonight and since he had the option, wanted to get out of the room for a bit (he wouldn't admit to himself that he was curious to see how she has deceived people for so long). He enjoyed reading and spending time with Aelin, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity to do both.

"Snake stop pulling us you'll make Aelin trip." Rowan hissed as Aelin tried to stay upright but accidentally stepped on her tail making her yelp in pain and ended up face first on floor.

"Too late Rowan." She groaned before sitting up and rubbing her forehead.

Max walked down the hallway looking around at everything, she wanted to get her bearings so she knew how to move through the prison later on when she had to after she'd pissed off the guards, she spotted a few more blessed children and walked over to them, her ears flat to her head, not in anger, but just to hide them a bit. Her long thick tail twitching behind her.

Aelic winced and let go of their hands. 'Sorry!' He exclaimed, bending down to check Aelin was alright. Once he was sure she wasn't injured he stood up, Aelin following his movement herself. He caught Rowans and Aelin's ears flicking around and knew they could hear something. Paying attention to their surroundings, Aelic realised that he had sensed the heat signature of the Cursed at the other side of the corridor when they came out and just hadn't payed attention. Aelic stayed silent, waiting for the twins judgment on what to do now (he wasn't sure is the twins wanted to go somewhere different or if Rowan still wanted to read).
((Hey Amanda! Sorry, wasn't sure what to write here. I wasn't sure if we were sticking to the plan or interacting with Max, so I'm leaving that up to you.))

Delilah was wondering. She's just been captured by the guards(Snatchers/whichever) and tossed in this place. She'd stopped moving at the door where she stood, hat moving strangely as her ears twitched under it. She didn't like this place. It smelled..funny. Like animals and yet not. She wasn't used to it. After her time outside, she'd finally been caught after a few years fleeing those responsible for killing her family when she was a child. Just because she was...different. Yes, different, why were people so afraid of people like her? Of course once she found the ones responsible she'd show them the true meaning of fear.

Delilah stared walking, her shoes making little noise on the floor.

Then, voices from afar and strange smells. Her lips curled. Was it her enemy? She began clenching and unclenching her hands feeling the claws wanting to come out but she restrained it, even after the guards restrained her claws to keep her from getting a piece of them on capture. Of course she still wanted a piece of them.

She continued walking. The closer she got, the more she felt wary...

But she did the one thing she promised not to do, she called out, "Um hello? Is anything there?"

((Heather to the west wing.))

((If it's alright, I'll join Dionne.))

Kit heard someone call out. She called back. "Uh... Yeah." Absently, she fingered the skin that formed her wrist-to-ankle wings. Kit began to walk, and after rounding a corner, she saw someone.

Delilah scented someone shortly after they made their appearance and her own claws nearly came out in surprise. Her eyes went wide then narrow, "Um..." was all she could say to this person.

She hadn't really been expecting anyone to come on her call, but there they were and the sight and scent of them made her wary, almost like a doe but not quite. She knew this one wasn't a guard, one of those who'd dumped her in this place when she almost mauled one of their own but was that another Cursed?

Her thoughts went about her head, How many Cursed was even in this place?

She scented many all as a jumble. She decided to be polite instead.

"Hello? You live here? I kinda don't know my way around?"

What better way to find out other than wandering this place. She'd merely find someone who could answer questions, not that she was the asking type of late but it didn't hurt in this situation, didn't it?

Vyla followed Owl coming down the other way down the hall.

The former was an old woman wearing dark clothes and a wimple. Her shoulder had a patch of crimson liquid dried to it.

The latter resembled her name in a few ways.*

Vyla prepared to wave if she caught the new girl's eyes, but was feeling rather uncertain after her first encounter earlier.

((*I assume.))

The scent of Owl came to Delilah and another. Delilah turned her head from the first girl to the newcomer. The wave brought a fresh onslaught of something...was it wariness or something else?

She stared at the old woman with narrowed eyes, the hat atop her head moving strangely but with the motion of her ears up underneath the hat. She looked back at the first girl and pointed at the older one, to ask, "Who's that?" of the young female she'd just met.

Kit was surprised to see someone there. Yes, she knew there were many Cursed living there, but she didn't often come across people. At first, she was startled by the questions, but then she reconfigured and smiled. "Yeah, I live here. I sort of know my way around..." Kit studied the girl before her. "What's your name?"

Kit turned to the newcomers. She felt an instinct. 'Fly...', but she disregarded it. A fellow cursed wouldn't hurt her, right? Upon hearing Delilah's question, she answered, "I'm not sure."

((I can't answer for Owl with certainty.))

"I'm Vyla." She beamed, and cautiously offered her hand for shaking.

"Delilah," Delilah said. Her hat seemingly twitched in movement to her ears. "How long here? Can I leave here? Any guards around?" And the questions came pouring. Though the mention of guards, anyone could hear the hate threading through those words like venom from a snake.

Delilah's eyes focused on the newcomers, all three of them to see how they would answer and such.

Kit shook Vyla´s hand, offering a smile. ¨I´m Kit.¨ Then in reply to the flood of Delilah questions, ¨Uh, I don´t think we can ever leave here.... And there´s bound to be guards somewhere...¨

Delilah's eyes lit. the thought of the hunt searing her mind as if given flight though if the others looked in her eyes they would see the same.

"Really, I SO want to meet them," she said in a gushy tone of voice, anticipation lining her voice now. Perhaps the ones' who'd killed her family were here and she could 'deal' with them. "Not leave? Ever? Now that's just not right. Because we're 'different'? Delilah shook her head. "I'm not going to stay here forever even if I have to burn this place down to get out."

Kit looked at Delilah curiously. Escaping sounded awesome, but what would be next? Wouldn´t a new prison be built? Or could they live normal lives? She shook the thoughts out of her head. ¨The guards have many weapons. Most of us don´t stand a chance.¨

Vyla shook Kit's hand, grinning. "Its nice to meet you."

Her eyes widened at the talk of absconding.
"I escaped once... Apparently." Vyla said doubtfully.

She reached back with her other hand to feel the back of her neck through her wimple. The scar still stung.

"I wouldn't suggest trying it in a hurry. A rash plan is a doomed plan." She had a flash back of excruciating pain, the face of a pale eyed man her own age.

"Even then," She continued gravely. "You could always be caught again."

She glanced at Owl sadly, a little embarrassed to reveal that most of the tour would be redundant.

"Oh, I'll get out, but not right now," Delilah said and her voice had taken on a darker tone, almost of menace. Her eyes shaded in remembrance of her family's deaths at the hands of those guards. "And by then I'll have a plan and I won't EVER come back here. Guards won't be a problem in time." She grinned then she changed the subject, "So, can someone give me a tour of this place?"

Kit blinked. Delilah was menacing. She remembered to not get on her bad side. "I'll tag along if that's alright. I like knowing the nooks and crannies of places."

"Sure," Delilah said the menace seemingly vanishing from her demeanor. "So where to first?"

Now she was curious. If she knew her way around this place, the better to find her target and deal with them, but for now, she would play the waiting game - not that she wanted to, but she had to.

Kit shrugged. "Start here and move along? If we don't want to be bothered I can scout ahead." She moved her arm up, causing the wing to move.

Delilah looked at her with that huh sort of look, "Sure I can do that. Anything I have to look out for?"

She'd started moving though she would turn to make sure Kit was with her.

"I'm not sure scouting will be necessary... I'm sure the collective senses of us will be adequate."Owl said smiling.

Vyla sniffed and wondered at the sensory blessings of a blind animal without a face as Owl adjusted her glasses.

Owl gathered the attention of her fellow Cursed with a voice that held motherly charm and authority.
"The original palace of the Cursed, once considered Blessed was constructed in three-sixty-two, shortly after the edicts of queen Agawind. The garden and upper floors were appended fourteen years later in response to the birth of prince Arteke, who had been blessed by the Sable Hawk, and parts of the west wing were reconstructed after the storm of ninety-four during Arteke's reign. Despite this, the architecture has remained consistently extollic-"
She noticed the blank stare of Vyla, and possibly the others. "Who wants to see the music room?" She amended simply.

((I'll change any/all of Owl's dialogue upon request.))

Delilah listened though she had no idea what Owl was talking about. Though she did have some idea it was some history on this place, she could care less. From under her hat, her ears did prick at the mention of a music room.

"Where is this music room then?" she would ask glancing at Owl with head cocked as if listening to something else or even Owl, no one really knew, well, except for her that is.

((I'm fine with it. Don't know about the others though.))

((I'm fine with it.))

Kit shrugged. She had kind of enjoyed the way Owl explained it, but, she guessed, not everyone else did.

"Music's cool," she stated, and followed the others.

Owl led the group in the direction of the music room. As she did, she pointedly told Kit about the unique acoustic qualities of said area.

((To the Music Room! :D ))

Delilah merely followed though she did listen to Owl as she did. The music room sounded interesting to her and she was looking forward to seeing.

"So what's this music room like? Any instruments and such," she asked.

(Music room next, right?)

(Yeah, I posted, but there might be another rp going on. It's been a few days since they last posted though.)

(so we wait to post for Owl and then follow her here, right?)

(Sure. Unless you want to go first....?)

Owl stepped out into the hallway immediately beckoned Delilah and Kit towards the nearby stairway.

She still gripped the book in hand, but had decided return it later.
Smiling, she said. "Kit , did you want to check if the stairs are clear?"

Delilah merely shrugged as if waiting, the sleeping form of Vyla still slung over her shoulders., "So her room is over that way?" she asked Owl.

Kit nodded her head, and bounded forward silently. She peeked up at the stairs, and walked up them to where they turned. Kit then came back down. "I think it's clear."

"Thanks." She led the others up to Vyla's room, glancing constantly at Delilah and the snoring individual in her arms.

"This is it." Owl said and opened the first door they came to. It was marked 'Vyla Deferi'.

((Onwards, to the Eastwing! :D ))

Gareth walked through the hallways, not exactly sure where he was going, he assumed that if he went somewhere that he wasn't supposed to that someone would stop him. he still didn't know why he was here, was it something that he had done, was it something he said, he really didn't care, all that mattered was he was here, and he doubted that he would ever get out, he sighed as he walked

Isabel walked along the corridors, following the twists and curves silently. Her feet were gingerly stepping toe-heel, instead of the normal walk. She smiled to herself, lost in her thoughts, when she was suddenly pulled out of them. She had bumped into someone accidentally while walking. A boy. "Oh. Sorry. Are you alright? I wasn't watching where I was going."

Gareth fell backwards slightly, first stunned, then confused as to why he had stumbled, when the woman in front of him spoke, he looked up and said "i'm fine, a-are you ok?" he brushed himself off and looked down again feeling embarrassed, and slightly worried that he may have hurt the woman

((Sorry for the wait))

Isabel smiled politely. "No, no. I'm fine. No trouble."

((Tentatively...))

Owl glided ahead of the others towards the stairs. "The foods is quite nice."

Delilah's brow rose at that. She would have to see that for herself. "Um, okay, this let's go to this cafeteria then."

Kit skipped up to walk next to Owl and Delilah. "I am pretty hungry!" she sensed Delilah's doubts about the food. "It really is good Delilah. You'll see."

Even if the other two had said this, Delilah still had her doubts, mainly through trial and error, most like error. She'd tasted food that tasted like crap in her life and wasn't about to be fooled another time. She would find out for herself, but she didn't say this aloud though.

"If you say so," she said.

Kit rolled her eyes and smiled a bit.

Delilah caught the eye roll and the smile, she cocked her head to one side in question, "What? What I do?" she asked.