WEEK 5: CYOA (CLEMENTINE, LUP, JEANNE, ALPHINAUD)

[retellers]

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[retellers]

[ The chef grumbles. ]

It better not be those fools from the kingdom to the west... remember what happened the last time they showed up.

[ There are a few nervous and agitated murmurs from the other staff. ]

[evocationary]

[ oh, that gets a slightly concerned look. ]

Hm. Maybe, uh. Maybe we should get to finding that out. Make sure we know who it is. Food allergies or whatever.

Remind me what happened again?

[arcsplainist]

Ah, that faulty memory, at times!

[ Sorry not sorry, Lup. ]

A rather unfortunate eve, that was...

[ Alphinaud shakes his head, as if expecting the cook to both agree and elaborate. ]

[retellers]

How could you have forgotten that?

[ The cook just shares a look with Alphi in a can you believe her? way. Damn, just anyone can become handmaidens these days! ]

Remember? It was all that jester's fault. That princess wouldn't leave her alone, and the jester ignored the king calling for her. And you know how jealous they get...

[ Everyone in the kitchen collectively shudder. ]

That was a terrible reset.

[evocationary]

[ lup just makes a vaugely annoyed sound at the how could you have forgotten that ]

Uh... for sure. Terrible reset. [ what ] I forgot because it was so terrible.

[arcsplainist]

[ Alphinaud chuckles. ]

Mayhap for the best, my friend. 'Tis my hope our upcoming feast will do more than make up for our past mistakes. Already is it shaping up to be a wondrous eve, indeed!

[ He does not actually know this. ]

[retellers]

Aye... as long as we don't have any mishaps. [ He glares at Lup. ] But that jester better be careful this time. Who knows why she's the favorite...

[ Another work walks by and sets down two covered trays. ]

Since the two of you are here, I need you to bring these to some of the guests who were feeling too ill to eat earlier. They're on the third floor. You know the ones.

[evocationary]

Because the jester is the best. Don't trash talk her, or we're going to have a problem.

[ not that she's biased or anything. also, the idea of having to do work just makes lup look extremely put out. ]

What do I look like, some sort of -- [ ... well, actually. ] I hope you can carry two trays at once, Mr. Librarian. I need both hands to navigate.

[ what

just tell her to pick up the tray and she'll do it ]

[arcsplainist]

Ruby.

[ Alphinaud is starting to sound a lot like Lup's disappointed mother. He shakes his head, casting a sidelong glance at the cook. ]

Pray mind her not, she is rather fond of the girl, herself... I do say there are good qualities to her, but—hm, we all do make mistakes.

[ And then, with a personable smile, Alphinaud gives a short, polite bow. ]

If you will excuse us, then, we shall deliver these with haste. Emphasis on we.

[ PICK ONE UP!!!!!! ]

[retellers]

[ Pick one up!

But assuming Lup does or that Alphinaud is forced to do both, when they step out of the kitchen, they'll see that the room they were in previously with the two doors now looks different. It's a long hallway still, but connected to others, with many people bustling around. There's a winding stairway at the end of it.

Again, no one pays them no mind, although a few glance at them quickly then looks away. ]

[evocationary]

[ she makes this like, vaguely annoyed face, but then does, in fact, pick one up. with one hand, she points to her eyes and points to the chef, and then gestures at the kitchen. get to work!!

if she could cook, we would not have left the kitchen, so it's a good thing that's in play...

anyway she leaves the room, glancing around the hallway. ]

I have no idea where we're going. [ she tells alphinaud, with a sniff. also what is on the tray, i'm curious. ]

[arcsplainist]

[ At least Alphinaud manages to walk down the hallway with a more purposeful stride, though he glances around, a slight frown on his face. He even catches the eyes of a few as they go down, but they quickly avert their eyes. Hm. ]

Nor do I. [ He confesses, quietly. ] ... It is fine. We will find them. Come, to the third floor.

[retellers]

[ The tray is a light meal! Mostly salads, some fruit, soup. The kind of thing you'd give to someone without much of an appetite but they still need to eat anyway.

The third floor isn't quite as busy as the ground one, probably because it's not where the feast is going to be held. There's some staff wandering around, mostly cleaning. A few pause when they see the two pass. One of the maids walks forward. ]

Handmaiden! Have you seen the king? They disappeared from our sights after they declined to go on a ride with some of the guests.

[evocationary]

[ she follows after him, not super interested in leading the way now that they're not dealing with the kitchen. she steals a piece of fruit off the tray.

when she's addressed, though, she blinks. ]

What? No, all they do is order me around. [ presumably ] ... Do we need to look for them?

[arcsplainist]

[ Alphinaud suddenly looks tired already. Whoever this king is, they sound like—coughs—a royal pain in the ass. ]

Are you able to recall where the king was last seen?

[retellers]

[ They look at the trays then back at them. ]

No, you should finish whatever you're doing now first. [ If they're on this floor then these two must be doing something important, so they don't want to interrupt... but they look at Alphi. ] They were in your library.

[evocationary]

[ lordt

okay. lup sighs. ]

We'll, uh - we'll go check after this, then. You wanna direct us to the room with the sick guests?

[arcsplainist]

[ whoooooboy. ]

Then we shall deliver these quickly—if you may tell us where we should.

[retellers]

How do you not know...

[ They all sound annoyed? Whatever. The maid points down the hallway to some of the last rooms. ]

Anyway, watch yourself. They just had their morning leeching.

[evocationary]

[ i'm sorry their morning what ]

Uh. [ she gives alphinaud a vaguely alarmed look ] Right.

[ she is now hesitant to bring food to a place where there are leeches ]

[arcsplainist]

[ ... Just how sick were these guests? Alphinaud manages to look largely unbothered, giving the servant a polite nod. ]

Pray excuse our forgetfulness—'tis been a frenetic day, you understand. We shall be off.

[ Canting his head toward Lup, Alphinaud walks past the maid and down the hall. ]

[retellers]

[ Sometimes leeches are there.

But off they go! And thanks to the directions, they can find the right rooms easily enough! There's two, so they can pick which they go into first! ]

[evocationary]

[ she just picks the closest one. the first one she comes up to.

also she's wearing this but with a corset that shows off her none cleavage, to make it more appropriate for the time period. this is important because she hates this dress. ]

Uh, knock knock? [ she calls, through the door. ]

[arcsplainist]

[ From behind Lup, Alphinaud peeks in. ]

We are come to deliver your meal.

[retellers]

[ In a weak, sickly voice. Cough cough. ]

Come in... I have finished my leeching.

[ Cough. ]