bakerstreet | Royally Common

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Royally Common

♕ The Royally Common Romance Meme ♔

❝And I tell you truly, Daenerys, there is no man in all the world who will ever be half so true to you as me.❞

Inspired by an anon comment on rpanons ages ago about a PSL they'd like to play.

Heavy the head that wears the crown, they say, and little could be more true. Of course, there is glamor in the life: power, privilege, lavish feasts, fine clothes...if your monarchy is doing well, that is. But there are also struggles that few others would understand, such as life or death decisions that need to be made to protect your kingdom at best and being a mere puppet with no real power at worst. At the very least, you're lonely. Certainly there are people around you at all times to protect and serve you, yet they aren't truly companions. They're no one you can talk to.

Well, not no one. Not completely. There is one person who's allowed close to you. Perhaps they're even allowed to be alone with you. A trusted advisor, a handmaid, a knight, a court jester, whatever they are, their companionship and support may leave you wanting those peaceful moments and lingering glances to mean...more.

And what if you are the other side, someone without royal birth offering your service to your highness? You may have been born into this life, forced into it, or gave yourself to it willingly. It could be much, much worse - at least you and your charge have a good relationship, to the point that you might do anything for them. Have your feelings for them always been more inappropriate than they should, or is this a new feeling? And such feelings - they can't be returned, can they? Or you could see your charge as the human that they are rather than an ideal. Does that mean you can give them the best advice and service you can? And what of their duties to marry and continue their line? Will you step back and let them be bound to another?

Then there are the pressures of the throne. The most innocent could be corrupted by power, and you would be in no position to stop them, no matter how it pained you to see the one you cared for twisted and become a wholly different person.

To allow anything to blossom between the two of you is risky and perhaps even deadly. Not even royalty can put a stay to an execution of someone who's, for all intents and purposes, committed treason by becoming emotionally compromised. All the same, it may be worth it, in the end. Royalty, after all, has a short shelf life, and the head on the spike may be the one wearing the crown.

HOW TO PLAY

Comment with your character and preferences, any relevant info, and what role you'd like to play, royal or not. You might also want to include if you're open to smut.

Reply to others.

Let your imagination guide you! Stolen moments, keeping secrets, battle plans, discussions about ruling filled with double meaning, jealousy, learning about arranged marriages, just spending time together, or being able to do nothing as your love turns into an evil queen/king are just a few ideas.

My other possible picture for this meme was Eridan and Feferi before I settled on Dany and Jorah so there must be a theme.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Margo is the High Queen of Fillory, but could play the role of commoner in another kingdom if that's what you'd prefer! ]

[Happy to put her in either role]

[Why not? General idea is toying with the concept of Nat as the last descendant of the Imperial Romanovs. Though I can also see her as an assassin/spymaster in service to the right sort of royalty.

Feel free to hit me up for plotting. Canonmates are adored, but crosscanon is great, too.]

( happy with either role! )

[Noble lady.]

Edited 2017-03-16 14:08 (UTC)

[Prince.]

[ Canonly she's a princess and Oracle, but I would be more than happy to also play her as the commoner! No smut though, please. ]

[ maybe they find one another along the way on her journey? ]

[ That works for me! :> ]

[ ooc: let me know if you'd like any changes made! ]

[ He's wandered for some time time now, doing odd jobs for the locals of whatever dusty rest-stop town he happens to be in, never quite willing or able to stay in one place for reasons he knows but doesn't share. Most recently, he'd left a rather nice little seaside place where he'd been helping to bring in the crab traps and hauling around boating supplies; he would have stayed longer but there'd been enough questions about his scars that he'd felt the itch at the center of his back that said it was time to go. But as he pushes himself up from his makeshift little sleeping roll and brushes aside a stray cat or two (how do they find him? honestly?) he happens to see something he... well, he really wasn't expecting.

The girl. She's dressed... well, she'd definitely dressed like she has no business being in the middle of the desert, anyway. And no business being around people like him for that matter. But a second look shows that her dress is tattered and her shoes definitely look like they've seen better days. It has him pushing up from the ground, unfolding himself as he dusts off his coat to make a slightly better impression. ~~Canonsmush time!~~ The coat is an old style Lucis military affair, though the insignia and the details appear a little off. Though more distinctive, perhaps, is the fact that he's over seven feet tall. That's why he makes a point of approaching her very very obviously and very very cautiously. ]

Um... ma'am?

[ Lunafreya is exhausted. It's been a few days since Insomnia's fall -- she knows she must look like a mess right now. She's got old injuries from her daring escape thanks to one Nyx Ulric, she's dirty, a little sunburned, and her dress has most certainly seen better days. But she's managed to stay under the Empire's radar, and that's all that is really all she cares about right now. She's got Astrals to awaken, after all, and it is quite literally go time. Her luck will soon run out once the Imperial Army realizes that she was not, in fact, killed in Insomnia, and time is of the essence.

She's also extremely fortunate that no one has seemed to realize just who she is yet, either, save for a few people who have helped her out by giving her water and a place to stay every now and then. But being the Oracle, most everyone has seen her on television or heard her voice through the radio at least once, and so she's thanking her lucky stars that no one has said anything even if they do realize who she is. Perhaps they realize that she's on an important mission -- either way, it's a blessing.

This little town is no different, fortunately. She's made good time so far -- granted, she still needs to stop by Tenebrae, and that's a huge risk, but her Trident is there and she has other things that she needs to pick up. Those thoughts are shoved out of her mind, though, when she hears someone speaking, and she actually pauses mid-step, freezing for a split second before turning to face the person speaking with her. She recognizes that coat for sure, and she briefly wonders if he, too, was in Insomnia during all of the chaos.

She's also realizing that compared to this gentleman, she's absolutely tiny. Either way, she offers him a weary smile, hoping that her luck hasn't run out just yet, that he's got no clue that she's the Oracle... and if he does know, that he's not going to flag down the Empire. ]

Hello. Ah... forgive me, am I disturbing you?

[ Despite the fact that he's very large and tends to look a little dopey at times, he grew up in the most dangerous and lawless areas of the kingdom; he knows what fear and nervousness looks like and that's why he continues to approach with his hands up and spread out in front of him. ]

Not disturbing me, no. But you look like you could use some help.

[ He holds up a finger before scrambling back to where he'd been resting, pulling up the massive tattered cloak that he'd been using bunched up as a pillow. He shakes it out, patting the sand and dust out of it as best he can, before approaching her with it held out. ]

Here. You could use some cover. The sun out here is pretty bad.

Oh, please don't worry about me. It has just been a long few days.

[ She offers him another small, tired smile, but then he's off and running for something. She blinks a few times, tipping her head slightly in question until he returns and offers a beaten up cloak to her. Gently, she takes it and peers up at the poor young man in question -- it looks like he needs it more than she does. ]

Thank you so much... but are you certain? I would not wish to take something that you truly need. Really, I've been alright thus far.

[ Still, that uniform... she shifts a little, before finally deciding to just ask what she's wanted to ask for the last few moments. ]

You are a soldier of Lucis... you were loyal to King Regis, then?

[ He keeps holding out the cloak until she takes it, nodding and smiling once it's in her hand. He's genuinely glad she took it; he'll be all right, after all. Hardly anyone bothers him even if they DO notice him, but she sticks out like a sore thumb. Emphasis on sore. The question brings him up a little short as he tilts his head, frowns, and nods firmly to her. ]

Of course, ma'am.

[ He ducks his head a little before glancing down at his arm, at the insignia there, and he nods again. ]

My unit was disbanded a couple of years ago, but I served faithfully.

[ It's just as clear that the idea of not doing those things is utterly alien to him. Not being loyal? Not serving faithfully? How? Why? What?

But his focus goes back to her soon enough, looking her up and down at her insistence that she's been 'alright'. She's definitely not all right, even if he can just as clearly see her determination. ]

Are you... that is, ma'am... are you-

Perhaps in need of a loyal soldier's assistance, ma'am?

[ She holds the cloak tightly against her chest -- really, the kindness of strangers is something she's not sure she'll ever get used to, especially after the incident in Insomnia. She's not sure who can or can't be trusted at this point, considering how badly they'd been betrayed, but this young man certainly seems trustworthy. A disbanded unit... it almost makes her stomach go into knots. She can only imagine that wasn't the decision of the King, but Drautos.

Anything to weaken the Lucian army...

She pushes that thought aside, shifting again, before finally sighing and forcing her posture to straighten, peering up at him with a gentle but somewhat somber expression. Doing everything alone isn't going to be easy, but if this man truly was loyal to Regis... ]

...I am, indeed. My name is Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, and I find myself on a somewhat dire mission to aide and protect Prince Noctis. Time is of the essence, and this journey will not be an easy one. I... would understand if you would not wish to join me. The Empire will surely go to great lengths to stop me, but for the sake of the entire world... I would surely appreciate your assistance.

[ His eyes widen a little, because even growing up in the depths of the slums in the capitol, he knew that name. He drops to one knee immediately, bowing his head to her almost anxiously. ]

Princess.

[ Like he's offended her by talking to her like anyone else. He has to scramble his own brain a few times before he can find the words, the answer he wants to give, but when he gives it, he looks up at her and there is no doubting his loyalty. His heart is right there on his sleeve and he might as well be offering himself up on a plate to her. ]

If I can do anything to help you, then I will. To my last breath, ma'am.

[ A breath in and then one out before he adds- ]

Corpoarl Randel Oland, ma'am. At your service.

[ This poor man -- even after she's asked him to join her, to drag him along with her on such a tedious journey, he's so fast to drop down onto a knee that now she knows without a shadow of a doubt, that he is for real and she is safe in his presence. It's enough to make her nearly slump, a small weight at the very least has been taken from her shoulders, and she flashes him a bright, grateful smile, quickly shaking her head. ]

It is a pleasure to meet you, Corporal. Please, there is no need for formality. Please stand... I owe you a great debt for your assistance. This will not be easy, but I can assure you, it is a necessary evil.

[ She takes another glance around -- they're alone for the most part, and she's glad for that. It means she can speak freely without worry of anyone spying on them. ]

I have a duty to fulfill, and that is to see Prince Noctis take his rightful place as King. But there are certain tasks which must be done before his destiny can come full circle, tasks which will be daunting for us... but even more so for the prince. I ask your forgiveness for dragging you along on this mission, Corporal.

[ He saw that near slump, which is why he makes a point to rise slowly; clearly, she has a lot on her shoulders and he doesn't want to startle her unnecessarily. But when she asks his forgiveness, he shakes his head. ]

Restoring the king and helping the Oracle...

[ If anything, he looks as thankful as she did. ]

A man couldn't ask for a better mission.

[ Save the king. Help the Oracle on her mission. He's already working on logistics, impossible given how little he knows of her intended route and necessary objectives, but there are a few basic things. Especially- ]

Have you eaten lately, Princess?

[ It takes a moment of shuffling through his jacket, but soon enough, he produces both a canteen of water and a container of canned bread, portable rations that he picks up when he's in town. She hasn't offered a response yet, but he holds the out regardless because he has a feeling he knows the answer.

Somewhat curiously, as his coat moves, she might notice two holsters at either side of his hips: a massive flat leather casing that seems to hold something with two handles and what would be a simple handgun holster if it wasn't large enough to hold a sawed off shotgun. ]

Here. You have to keep your energy up if we're going to do all this traveling. I'm going to assume you haven't done much traveling by yourself before, ma'am?

(As the daughter of a Pope, she is most likely the royalty.)

( either. )

When Alairr steps through the doors of the study, he's looking tired. Following along at his shoulder is a mechanical beetle-shaped device, the wings beating so fast it creates a soft hum.

"The pack of Lights that fell back a few days ago have returned," he announces, "with reinforcements." His eyes glance at her, but linger only for a moment before turning toward the direction of the windows. "Your son has gone on ahead even against my warning and threats." He, at least, doesn't sound surprised.

"Ground ranks have been raised at the border of the city. I pulled in five Maligrae Wraiths in case the advancement is a distraction." Finally, he looks again at her. "But we're waiting on your orders."

The doors open and Lioriley stands, setting down the book in her hands and turning to face the approaching knight. Eyes-wide, she silently hopes he will tell her good news — any good news, in light of all that has happened.

Of course, he doesn't.

She frowns, almost immediately falling back into her chair with an audible sigh of frustration and distress. A hand curls delicately, fingers pressed to her lips in silent thought. She is no tactician, no warrior, she isn't suited for this. "Is there any way to retrieve him?" She asks, worry furrowing her brows as she imagines her hot-tempered child bounding stupidly into the fray. She already knows the answer.

"What am I to do?" She finally asks, desperation evident in her eyes. "What do you think should be done? You have seen the battle up close, and you know far better than I."

Edited 2017-03-17 18:53 (UTC)

Alairr opens his mouth and then immediately shuts it. The hopelessness bothers him, and he looks away. If he could take her out of this, he would, and perhaps that's what bothers him the most.

"It's not my place," he murmurs at first. Thinks on it. Meets her eyes once more. "You have some dwarven allies, and you have a dragon ally. If needed. I don't know what the Lights intend to want from us, but it's not wise for you to go down for democracy. We'd be idiots to let that happen, and I'm sure they know that.

"I need to find Vales and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. We'll--I'll ambassador. They could just be bringing a diplomatic envoy." Glancing down, he fists his hand and unfurls it a few times, as if testing the hand, brows pinched. The bones ache beneath the creak of leather and firm protective plating. He knows he isn't as young as he use to be, even elven. "If they press offensive, or if things go awry, you'll receive word before they can get inside." He looks up as he drops his arm.

She opens her mouth to object — because if it's anyone's place, it's his. He is the skilled tactician, he has seen the beginnings of war and know exactly how they start, and he has seen an end to the same wars. If there's anyone she trusts with guiding her in the right direction — it's most certainly Alairr. But words do not come, at least, not for that particular comment.

"No." She says simply, opposed to pretty much all of that. She stands again, frowning as she folds her arms over her chest and looks up to meet his gaze - for however long it remains on her. "I asked for guidance, not for you to take this task on alone. We have not tried diplomacy yet, and if ever there was a chance — it would be now." before anyone strikes. "I do not want blood on these lands, Alairr, and I cannot sit idly by ... I will come with you."

Why does she get the fire when he's trying to do his job? Why does she not have the fire when terribly intense decisions need to be made at the last minute? What is Lior actually? An alien. (He's fully aware this is why Vales is the way that he is... kinda.)

Alairr sort of just... stares at her, his mouth half open with a response that he lost half a minute prior. God dammit.

"I don't have time to corral you and your son when Light Elves are gathering at our gates." He sounds more worried than scolding, however. "Everything will crumble if you leave here and something happens to you." Like, uh, Alairr never being able to forgive himself. You know. Not much, it's fine. "Just because they claim diplomacy to our faces doesn't mean they aren't raising a dagger at our backs."

"Nothing will happen to me." She says quickly, staring pointedly at him to make sure he understands what she says next. "Not with you beside me." Because if it wasn't clear to the both of them and nearly everyone else in the city, Lioriley trusted Alairr with her life, and she fully believed that no harm could come to her with him there.

She's trying to be optimistic here, in the face of his realism, but it's hard; and she hesitates. "We must take the risk. I cannot bring myself to attack before we know their true motives. We will just have to be... wary, on guard, ready to defend ourselves if necessary." Either way, it doesn't sound like she's going to stay here unless he forces her to.

[ COMMONER, so common this one. ]

[A very devoted knight.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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it's perfect!

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how about Final Kilarria Fantasy???

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