T - Keys for a Door (Harps invite only)

[Nathalia]

A slow wind seems to seep from the attic of the Palace...and has been for a long time.
I wonder what's going on up there...

Nothing has come out of it, and there isn't anything up there that can easily be seen, except for the boxes and wreckage from the Queen's last visit up there.
But, that certainly doesn't mean it is empty of anything interesting.
The wind smells of old salt and damp leaves.
At night...and odd, rattling sound can be heard, if listened to in the right way.

Those keys Joel found seem to be tingling more than usually when touched.
Perhaps he should seek some help with them?


(Harps, if you could re-post the unused keys, please.)


~Nathalia

[Harpsdesire]

Joel found the time immediately after the strange events in Spades surprisingly trying. The first thing he had done when it was all over was to be sick into a corner of the palace hallway, the second was to hide behind a tapestry until the trembles and tears that shamed an adolescent male had run their course and he felt braver once again. He had gotten a killing strike on a powerful Joker, but Joel felt far from heroic. The days that followed, at least the first few, had not much improved from that point on.

The loss of family and friends had weighed on him at first heavily, but soon a duller ache set in, and his mind was as clouded by the helpless feelings of inaction as it was by grief. He had continued his experiments, listless even in the face of a few minor breakthroughs, as now it seemed to him that exoskeletons were trivial compared to the real questions of the day: What had really happened? How? Why? Was the Selkie curse reversible? Could the Lowland soil be healed?

More than once he had woken in the night only to be drawn to the pair of keys he had taken from Spades for some reason he couldn't verbalize. The tiny objects seemed to vibrate and shimmer with a stronger and more desperate pulse of magic with every passing day. They had something to tell him about what had happened. There was something still hiding in Spades, and a part of his mind that he could neither name nor ignore insisted that he would not find contentment until he had at least tried to learn what it might be.

This was what drove him to the Court of Spades once more, eager for answers and dreading what he might find. It seemed only right that on this second trip into the place that had held more nightmares and revelations than his previous life combined he would take with him those things which has sustained him before. Joel dug a certain satchel, stained with rusty blood, from his closet. There was still a long kitchen knife inside with a little wooden box beside it. Food and coins for the journey were easy enough to gather, and the strange little keys in a pouch. There was still something that he needed, that he knew he couldn't face that attic without...

She sighed, crumpled the letter in her paws, then repentantly smoothed it again. Was it because he was male that he thought this was a good idea, or because he was young? And she was actually considering going along with it. Her head drooped until her forehead hit the scrubbed plank table with a soft thunk. A young Selkie beaver with haunted eyes looked up from across the room and Dania forced herself to smile. "Heh, just tired." She murmured to the refugee. The Selkie blinked, shrugged, and returned to her contemplation of the cheerfully crackling fire.

She was one of several wounded visitors that had passed through the little home, part of the project that had ultimately given Dania's queendom some semblance of meaning. The rat had organized a sort of exchange program for those affected by recent disasters, encouraging her fellow Torquehelms to open their homes to the orphaned, homeless, and those wounded in body or spirit. Her realm might be dismal by nature, but the peaceful gloom and the quiet acceptance of those who understood the nature and meaning of pain was often healing to the wounded souls. Some of the families had even agreed to take in Lowlands war widows and those left without family, for Torquehelm sympathy for the broken-hearted now and then transcended realm prejudice. Dania did her best to nurture these feelings in others, even if the sight of rot sometimes turned her own stomach and her father wouldn't abide a rotter in his own house.

Even so, the "Torquehelm Safe Haven" program seemed to be working. It was quiet triumph to the rat who had lived most of her life believing herself incapable of greatness. She had done something good for others, and in soothing their pain, healed a little of her own. Caring for the Selkies who stayed with them seemed to do her mother good as well, giving her focus and purpose that made the foggy times come less and less. Even Dania's father had settled into the idea, and grudgingly accepted Faust as a semi-permanent resident of the house.

Now Joel asked her to leave the life she was building around her work and the lanky half-avian. Still, it would only be for a day or two, and her parents had things under control.

Dania wrinkled her nose at the pleading tone of the letter. Joel was no fool when it came to getting her to do what he wanted... Which was not to say that his transparency made his tactics ineffective. The queen told herself that she was doing this because she wanted to, because it would be useful, and not because a teen with a disarming smiled had saved her life, and Faust's, and practically stolen away her heart with his easy offer of friendship.

A trip to the court of Spades, she rationalized, would give her a chance to make connections with the nobles there. They were in a position to help her help even more cards, they owed her a considerable favor after all that had happened. Colin was there, and for all his pomp, she rather liked him.

Dania stood abruptly and went up the home's narrow stair toward the little bedroom that for most of her life had held a pair of baby cradles. She knocked lightly on the door and called, "Faust, fancy a trip to Spades?"


Joel has:
Tingly Keys:
3. Bone, blocky and small.
5. Amber, opaque and with a dead fly suspended inside.

[Nathalia]

Faust was managing well.

Honestly, he thought he was.
Dania's family, her Father as an after-thought, but still, were very welcoming and he'd been recovering from his head would and other minor injuries with ease.
Granted, his memory still had a good number of holes in it...ones that couldn't easily be filled in.
The return to Torquehelm had given him a few facts.
1. He was a Police officer.
2. His name was, in fact, Faust.
3. He'd had an apartment on the edges of Torquehelm.
Sadly, in regards to the last point; someone had broken in while he'd been gone and cleared the place out.
He didn't appear to have any family around the area, and he was starting to suspect the rest of his family might have comprised of other Realms.

Still, it was good to be back at work, at least part-time, and helping Dania with her projects in the meantime was...it was uplifting.
He'd been categorizing a few cases his Captain had been running through; getting them in a better semblance of order so that the rest o the Force could split it all up, when there was a knock at his door.
Stretching his legs and hearing his back crack a bit, he stood and moved to open it.

"Dania." A smile moved over his face before he'd even realized it.
The Rat had...grown on him, in more than a trial-by-fire kind of way.
She was a good soul, very kind, very shy, very pretty...in his opinion.
Her question startled him and a flash of confusion and...something odd crossed his face.
"The Courts, Dania? I-"
He paused to read the determination on her face, sighed, and gave her a half smile.
"I...well, I'll talk to Captain Rodger about getting us a free carriage, shall I?'

[Lucca]

((ugh, sorry I didn't get to this last night, Harps. Thanks for inviting me. <3))



Things at Court had been an absolute nightmare for Colin. They had so many fewer nobles now, as even some of those who hadn't died had decided to step down from their Court positions and leave him weary and busy with all the extra work. At least the remaining nobles had, thank the Suits, accepted his leadership mostly without question, though he gave the full story to anyone who asked. He didn't want any confusion about what had happened, other than the inevitable.

Sleep had been practically impossible to come by lately, given the stress, the nightmares...and, oh yeah, his curse. He got to have a visit from really creepy spirits every few nights. He barely had time for his music anymore, which was a further stress, and part of him, deep down, felt like he always had something to prove to everyone. He needed to show that his promotion to Queendom was a good idea for all involved, and it felt like a heavy burden. Some of the staff would whisper, would spread nasty rumors, would say he was touched in the head.

Colin sighed, looking at a letter on his desk. Maybe they were right. It was insane, what Joel wanted, what he had sent this letter about. He would be a fool to agree, and an even bigger fool to insist on going along. But if he didn't...if he didn't, he'd keep having nightmares--the garden variety ones, that is--and he'd keep worrying that it could happen again. Sighing, he picked up the quill in his beak, dipped it in the ink, and started on a reply to the child who had proven himself in that desperate time.

[Harpsdesire]

((Moving right along, hehe))

"You're the best." Dania nudged Faust's arm with her nose affectionately, although there was as always a little hesitation before the touch, as if she could not quite accept the idea of casual physical contact. Smiling slightly, she murmured before she headed off to her bedroom to pack, "Thank you. I'm glad not be going alone."

Really, the thought of returning to Spades gave Dania a most uneasy feeling, and she hardly expected Faust to be much more comfortable with it. He was probably going only to please her, which made her feel a little happy and a little guilty in a familiar mix.

By the time they picked up Joel along the way, Dania had relaxed into the idea somewhat. She was able to return Joel's smile quite genuinely, and accepted his slightly awkward half-hug. He settled across from Faust and Dania, and it seemed to her that he had grown even in the few months since she had seem him and delivered the rare book that had originally drawn them together.

It wasn't just in size, either. There was something about the planes of his face, or perhaps the more-knowing depths of his eyes that told her that adulthood was right around the corner for Joel. Could he really have grown so much in such a brief time? Loss could do that to a Card.

Still, his smile was as engaging as ever, and there was no caution or fear in his voice. It seemed like it would take more than animated corpses, hostile Jokers or the extermination of two realms to really damage Joel's optimism. Dania couldn't help but admire that kind of spirit, even if it was inspired by youthful overconfidence. "Heeey, good to see ya!" Joel shook Faust's hand with a bulky paw. "Thanks for coming, you guys. Think Colin will come along?"

[Nathalia]

The best, was he?
Faust let his fingers run along the fur on her back after she nudged him, before she turned and hurried off.
"No, it would appear that 'alone' is not how I prefer you."
This...was probably far from being a good idea.
He knew this and yet...when confronted with a direct request from Dania, he found it dreadfully difficult to refuse those eyes.
It was a curse.
Though, considering the wide variety of curses he had seen, and the few he had remembered, this one seemed a little enough thing to be getting on with.
It would be good to see the others again...and really; irrational fear of a place, especially his own Suits's Palace, was probably somehting best overcome?
He sighed to himself as he headed into his room to pack a few belongings.
"Sure, Faust...any excuse you like."

The carriage ride was simple enough. Rodger had been happy enough to lend them a small carriage and an Ace charger. A pretty blue thing, probably Sorgaire and Morganberry.
Finally acquiring Joel led to a half-smile gracing the half-Avian's beak, his ears twitching as he slowly realized that the Feline mix's voice was deeper.
It had been a while.
"Joel! Good to see you again. You're looking well, how goes the research?" He asked, having his arm shaken by the large mix, or so it seemed, as opposed to his hand.
The ride was much happier after that, Dania seemed to have been worrying about the boy.
The addition of news was also welcome and it seemed no time at all until the Palace was visible outside of the windows.
Faust felt his nerves go taut, and tried to keep it out his expression or posture.
As much as he wanted to go along with Joel's bravado and Dania's desire for this adventure...he rather wished he were not back here.

[Lucca]

Two guards met the small group at the doors, and the left, a Canine mix of primarily Avington descent, greeted them with a nod. "The Queen is expecting you," he said, though he gave them a curious once over as he gestured them inside the palace. But it wasn't exactly his job to question further than he'd been told. And all he'd been told was to expect and escort these guests inside, directly to His Majesty Colin, and then tell his men to keep everyone out of the upper corridors for the rest of the day. It wouldn't be a hard thing to do, as not many of the staff ventured up there anyway.

Colin met them in the entryway, much to the guard's obvious surprise. Though the Cardinal seemed calm and perfectly poised, the fact that he was there at all, and some sort of heavy look behind his eyes would show clear enough how nervous he was. A subtle smile tipped his beak as he nodded in greeting. "Welcome to the Court of Spades again, old friends," he said with the easy air of formality. "I do trust that you'll find the place a bit more cozy than your last visit! Please let me know if there's anything that we can do to make your stay more comfortable. Shall any of you require refreshment, or should we get right to business?" He spread his wings wide in welcome and waited for them to answer.

[Harpsdesire]

Usually his work was Joel's favorite topic of conversation, but his time a shadow flickered briefly across his expression at the mention. It wasn't that his research was gong badly. If anything he was making more progress then ever now that he had acquired a certain book, the very same rare volume that had indirectly lead him to be in the palace that horrible night. It was just that something was missing. He had previously been consumed by his experiments, burned with the thirst for discovery to the exclusion of all other concerns, but no longer. Now other thoughts intruded, and he missed the days when all his childish troubles were left at the laboratory door. "It's going well," He said, unwilling to give substance to his troubling thoughts by voicing them aloud, "Making progress, a few setbacks, you know." He shrugged and let himself be drawn into smalltalk, news, Dania's surprisingly impassioned stories of the survivors now sheltered in Torquehelm homes.

As the walls of the palace seemed to rise from the ground before them, Dania scooted just a little closer to Faust. The sight hardly brought back pleasing memories, and for a moment she wished she could turn back. Although her companions looked outwardly relaxed, she expected that they might be feeling similar things, as she thought she felt Faust cringe just barely beside her, and Joel chattered in a slightly subdued volume.

It was fortunate that they arrived quickly, before she had time to seriously consider any possible excuses for escape. She was a queen now and would behave accordingly, no matter how unnatural it still felt to do so.

She nodded politely to the guard, but Joel gave the canine a a grin and practically bounded past him, any nerves apparently forgotten as Colin arrived. "Hello, Your Majesty." The greeting and bowed head were appropriately respectful, even if the young man's smile did not reflect the solemn occasion of greeting The Queen.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. It does look... Cozy. " Dania tried not sound as awkward as she suddenly felt. Colin seemed to wear his rank with easy grace, while queendom weighed on her mind, even without the responsibility of an actual title. She smiled a little bit uncomfortably and dipped in a bow. Even if they were friends, and she was high-ranking, she doubted that the Cardinal would be the sort to quickly dispense with the formalities of court life.

Joel, although usually excited by the prospect of food, shook his head slightly. He could feel, or at least imagined he felt, the frenzied buzzing tingle of the keys in his bag. They wanted to get back where they came from, Joel thought. They were going to show him something that he needed to see, even if he didn't know what that could be. The adventure drew him, of course, but he more urgently sought some sort of closure. Whatever this day was going to bring, he wanted it behind him. Maybe then he could concentrate on his work.

[Nathalia]

The guards were...intimidating, to say the least. Faust remained silent until they had vanished again, overtaken by the Queen himself, presenting his presence.
Faust followed the group up the Palace steps and was rather surprised to find himself and his friends being greeted by Colin almost instantly and directly.
For all that they had become "fire-forged accomplices", he still had not expected the queen himself to come to the door to get them.
Granted, his look, poise, and words were every bit as regal and puffed-up as Faust's sketchy memory would allow him to recollect...and even through the discomfort such formality brought, it lent a sense of familiarity.
He gave the Cardinal a bow at the waist and tried a smile, it sort of worked, though his expression was still uneasy.
"Your majesty, it is good to see you in good health. I'm sure we'll find ourselves more comfortable this time."
He stifled a chuckle at Dania's uneasy words of greeting. "Cozy" didn't seem to fit so much as a second of their previous tribulations in the Court...oddly funny, and he let one hand brush lightly along her back, a small means of support. He felt her awkwardness, and was increasingly unsure of how to express himself.
Still...here they were, what else could he do?
When neither of his companions answered the Queen's question, Faust turned and gave the man a guilty grin.
He ought to have responded sooner, but seeing the place again had given him pause.
The hall they were standing in, was the one where that little door in the wall had flown open, leading a Wolf to...
"My apologies, your Majesty. Perhaps if we skipped the formalities? Tea might be nice, but Joel has some...interesting artifacts he would like to share with you, if you please."

[Lucca]

Colin's smile widened, though he had to fake it, it was easy enough to do. Only the smile never reached his eyes, but other than that no one could tell. "Yes, it is very good to see you all again as well," Colin responded, nodding to each of the guests in turn. However, none of them seemed to want any refreshment...the Cardinal felt some of that familiar dread creep in, the feeling he always got right after a nightmare or right before he knew he was getting one his visits from the spirits that haunted him.

"Very well then. Right to business. Come along to my office where we can talk more freely," he said, and turned with a flourish to lead them up the stairs. What had happened in that hallway wasn't far from his mind, either, despite having been there so many more times than any of the other three. At least nothing had happened in this room, so it might put them all a bit more at ease. It was a grand place, much grander than his office while a Jack had been, and Colin felt more stable here. Leading them through the office's antechamber, he perched himself behind the large wooden desk and gestured with a wing to the rather impressive couch in front of it. "Please, take a seat." If they were there long enough, Colin knew someone would bring tea eventually. Despite his distaste for the drink, it had a sort of familiarity that he might need going into something like this. He turned to Joel, forcing his posture straight and his feet and wings still.

"Now, Joel...what would you like to show me?"