bakerstreet | Once upon a time...

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Once upon a time...

𝔬𝔫𝔠𝔢, further back in years than anyone alive could remember, there is a land that even time has forgotten, filled to the brim with magic and mystery both good and ill. This is where you make your home. Who you are in this kingdom - or many kingdoms - is as varied as the blades of grass that spread over this lush terrain. You could be a petulant princess, a delving dwarf, a highway man with more than a few secrets, a devoted knight, a mage of ancient spellcraft, or even an ageless elf. No matter your station, though, one thing is for certain: whatever life you lead, it's about to get a great deal more exciting. There is a war brewing, somehow, somewhere, and the peace of your homelands is at stake. You are the only one who can set things right and go on a quest to save everyone.

Still, what is an adventure without an adventure of the heart? You are not alone, and you'll find that trying times can forge ironclad emotions. Of course, you'll find that the path of love is no easier here than anywhere else, be the person you admire an arranged fiancé you're not too fond of at first, a forbidden object of desire, a traveling companion, an enemy, a lifelong friend, an ally...or another species from you entirely. Yet, in any case, this is no time for romance, is it? Only moments can be stolen, and you must set aside your feelings for the greater good.

In this time, in this place, will you get your happy ending, or will this story prove to be a much darker fantasy?

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[IW compliant if need be]

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[ooo this idea inspired me. Let me know if you'd like me to change anything. Also huge fan of the Hellboy movies and really happy to see a Nuala around]

Normally Stephen stayed out of the affairs of the kingdom preferring to focus on his work as a mage and a healer. Occasually he would serve the king in this capacity or that as needed, but mostly he kept to himself. But as the kingdoms master mage he has an understanding of the magical world normal humans do not, so when talks with the Elves broke down he was summoned to the kings side to act as envoy. Stephen didn't dislike elves the way some humans did, he understood better than most how dangerous his own kind could be the scars on his hands were proof of that.

What he did dislike was being pulled away from his work to act as a calm voice in the middle of the storm he was not sure could be calmed. He stood next to the throne a distinguished older man with dark hair turning grey at the temple wearing the dark blue tunic and red cloak of his station. The only thing out of place are the yellow gloves covering his hands as people tend to stare at his scars when he doesn't wear them. His blue eyes scan the room warily as they wait for to the Elves to arrive.

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If Stephen has been a lesser man he would have been rendered breathless by the elven princess' beauty, but he had been married before to a wonderful woman named Christine who had lost several years ago to a illness. As such his blood is cool to physical beauty. However, when she spoke and he took in her intelligence he felt a flame spark in his heart and he waited with bated breath for a chance to get her alone. If there was anything Stephen Strange valued in women it was their minds. His wife had been a healer in her own right and he'd enjoyed discussing remedies and politics with her at night. He missed that.

However, he was using the excuse that he wanted to discuss the talks with her as to why he was in the garden at this particular moment. He moved from the shadows with a soft swish of his cloak and bowed low. "Forgive me your Highness I did not mean to startle you," he said his voice low and soft. "I wanted to introduce myself to you personally. I am Stephen Strange I am honored to meet you."

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Stephen considers the question for a long moment. "I was born in this area," he said, "I trained in both healing and magic here. I assume that I was asked to join the talks because of this, but the king is not one to let others into his thoughts on any given situation." He smiles slightly. "Perhaps he felt my magic would put your people more at ease then a normal human adviser would. I have a talent for moving between the worlds that not all masters of the mystic arts have."

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Stephen smiled and offered her a hand a bit shyly. He had a basic idea of elves and their customs and yet he was still nervous. "I would be happy to show you if you like. I have many ways to go where I need to but the easiest is a portal." He began to make a circle with his free hand and a circle of red sparks forms in front of them. Through the portal can be seen a lovely forest with moon shining through the trees and making the leaves turn silver. "It's a simple matter of stepping through and we will be in the woods near my home."

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Stephen considers what he princess is telling him. He isn't a man who shares his thoughts easily unless he has not other choice. He prefers to keep himself to himself for various reasons. But he also cares deeply about people no matter their race and in this case his curiosity is stronger than his fear. He carefully takes her hand and what she will sense is his gentle wonder at her beauty and kindness. There is also a low level amount of pain and grief for losses he has yet to deal with.

"Come and let me show you my world," he mutters softly as he starts to lead her through his portal.

[I may be rusty it's been a while since I've played him]

I'm game to play Legolas if you're interested. I have a prompt of we can work something out together.

[Low impact threads preferred, assumed or prior CR only.]

( Disgraced knight/war hero, who was magically altered to have healing abilities, most of which are sealed away. Now he runs around like a bandit/mercenary.

I would maybe like for someone to call him back into service, either against his will or tugging on his heart-strings/sense of loyalty. Maybe they also hold the key to unsealing his powers and hold it over his head.

I'm open to other suggestions as well. )

((Been dying to do this fantasy setting!))

[Would you be fine with crosscanon?]

Been playing with this idea for some time. Setting, AU fantasy-land. A businessman from the 21th century suddenly dropped by mysterious mean into what seems like the middle ages only with actual magic being used widely. Unbeknown to him he wasn't just had been dropped to the past but also to an alternate universe where he have a counterpart, and he had been literally dropped soul-wise to the said counterpart's body and life. He would have to adapt and survive in this new world at least until he find way to go back to his own 'kingdom' far away in the future. He probably think that this is some strange dream that born after watching movies based on the writing of Tolkien. The problem is, do he ever want to go back if he actually find love here?

Edited 2018-06-16 11:34 (UTC)

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Since I don't know anything about the universe of hellboy this would strangely fit, lol. In Tolkien's universe Thranduil is king of an elven kingdom. What kind of position and roles he might occupy in our game?

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[Appearance-wise he could come from a line that still have thick Tuatha Dé Danann bloodline and somehow never lose the appearance of their ancestors. Considering Thranduil's own vanity he would try his best to cling to that kind of look. He might be seen as defective by the rest of Hellboy's elves because of different appearance, lol.]

Barry was only four years old when his parents moved him and his brother, Eobard, to Meduseld in Edoras. It took several days when they moved from one of the lower lying villages in the Westfold in the land of Rohan. He remembers it faintly, riding in the wagon next to his mother as they traveled. His brother rode on horseback with their father. Barry's family was to join the royal court as his father's sister had married one of the King's brothers. Though they had missed the wedding, there would still be a merry feast going on when they arrived as they tended to last a good week or so after the wedding.

Barry was ecstatic to learn that he had cousins close to his age. He had never met them as this was the first time he'd traveled outside of the village he had been born in, but all the same he was excited to have someone to play with. Barry's older brother didn't like being around his brother or most people for that matter. He preferred his own friends as he was quite a few years older than Barry. But Barry didn't care.

The city was wonderful. To him it was so much more than he'd ever really seen before. High on the hill, surrounded by open plains. They were met with a King's welcome, the whole household there to greet his father. Hugs and kisses and general cries of excitement and welcome were sent up and he was introduced to his cousins, Eomer and Eowyn.

It wasn't long before he and his cousins and their cousin, Theodred, the kings son, became a merry band of rascals as their nursemaid called them. They were always up to some type of good natured mischeif whether it being nicking pies from the kitchen or sneaking out of the fortress to wander the hillside. Their most recent bit of fun had resulted in the stable master chasing them with a pitchfork as the four children ran through the streets laughing and weaving around the adults with ease.

They loved being together and even as they grew and their rolls changed they stayed close together. Barry was 11 years old when his mother and father were murdered. They said it was an orc raiding party but Barry didn't believe them. The only person who had been there with his parents was his brother and...something was different with him. Not only had he been completely unharmed by the supposedly violent raiding party, but his eyes had seemed empty and dead to Barry. He'd changed since he'd become apprentice to Grima, the kings adviser. No one believed him though so he spent most of his time away from the great hall. Most of that time he spent in the stables. He loved the horses, loved caring for them. The stablehands realized quickly that Barry would happily and willingly brush every single horse housed there if they let him...so they did. It was one less thing they had to do after all.

That's where he was today. After his studies in the learning hall he retreated to the stables and the company of horses.

Len's rise to a rider was vastly different then Barry's arrival to the kingdom. He had been born into a lower family, his father was a blacksmith and Len had always expected to follow him while his sister married into another family to expand the farm land. Then Len discovered he had a gift with horses able to calm them as they were being shod and ease the pain of a suffering animal.

His skills came to the attention of the king and so when Len was 13 he was taken into the royal household and his family's station improved. He'd earned the loyalty of Eomer and often helped Eowyn train when he knew he wasn't supposed to. Of course this also brought him into the orbit of their cousins, He and Eobard tolerated each other of course.

However, the first time Len met Barry something strange stirred in his heart. Len knew he could have his pick of the court in terms of a partner. Many fathers had made no secret of the fact they would be pleased if he courted their daughters and yet Len made no effort to do so. He simply felt nothing for them. Barry was different, He made Len feel things he thought he could not, but paying suit to a royal was different. He knew the king would never allow it even more so since Grima had his ear.

So he could only long for the young man from afar and do his duty. Today he was caring for the king's horse when he spotted Barry enter the stab. "Good morning your grace," he says politely.

Okay so maybe grooming horses wasn't the only reason Barry still came to the stables now that he was of age. Leonard, the only son of Blacksmith Snart, was someone he greatly admired. He had a way with the horses that even Barry envied. He was a horsemaster like no other, rivaled perhaps only by his cousin Eomer. Second to his admiration for his skills Barry also found the older man very pleasing to the eyes. He had long realized that while he enjoyed the company of the ladies of court he had no desire to bed or wed any of them.

Barry enjoyed Len's company because while he always remained formal and cordial he still treated both him and his cousins as if they were ordinary people. He was grateful for that. He also didn't rat him out when people came looking for him because he'd ditched his studies or a court event.

Barry blushes slightly and bows his head in the direction of Len. "Good Morning, Len. Please, won't you call me Barry."

Len coughed softly and took a moment to groom the horse so he could calm his racing heart. "I don't know if it would be proper that I do so," he admitted not wanting someone to overhear him. He knew there were those at court who would happily see him and his family brought low. Grima for certain was eyeing him carefully. "Is there something I can do for you today?"

"We're the only ones out here, please, at least in private if you wont do it all the time. And as for what you can do, hand me a brush and allow me to help you groom today? I confess I need sanctuary from the hall." Barry was still blushing slightly, but his tone was happy and light. He really did enjoy Len's presence.

"How are you doing this day?"

Len manages a nod and goes to get another brush. He comes around the horse and offers it to the young man. "I am doing well," he says feeling his heartbeat picking up again. Oh how he wishes he was better at this sort thing. He starts brushing the horse again. "and how fare you...Barry? You and your cousins are well I pray?"

Barry takes the brush from Len letting their fingers linger together a moment longer than he should have. He ducks his head at the same time Len does because they are both horrible at this and neither of them seem to realize the other feels the same.

"I am well though I do find myself wishing my lessons were over sooner and sooner. I enjoy working with the healers well enough and I do enjoy spending time with Lady Eowyn but I prefer it out here. The King will not allow me to abandon the healing house for work with the Riders though, no matter how much cousin Eomer and the King's son try and convince him. Alas I am stuck inside...though I suppose I should not complain. It is unbecoming and I apologize."

"The work of the healing houses is no less important than that of the Riders," Len says as he works, "so many would die without the people within them." He smiles softly. "the life of a Rider is rough. And you shouldn't apologize for being unhappy...no one likes everything. There are things I dislike even people."

Barry smiles at Len and continues brushing the coat of the horse before him. "I am glad you are here, Len. I do very much enjoy your presence. Tis a breath of fresh air indeed."

Barry is about ready to broach another topic when his brother strides into the stables calling his name. Barry sighs and pokes his head around the horse. "Yes, Brother?" He says his tone polite though lacking the affection he usually has for his cousins.

"You're needed in the healing house within the hour. I was instructed like some common messenger to tell you to not be late today or else." Eobard drolls, his disgust at his surroundings clearly visible.

"I don't know why you have to be around such filth." He says looking right at Len when he says filth. "You're so much better than this." With that he shakes his head in exasperation and leaves them alone once more.

Barry turns to Len once his brother his gone and makes a face. "What a royal prat."

Len has to hide his look of utter disgust as Eobard's comment. He knows he is low born and he hates the fact that the court has people happy to point this out to him. But he is also proud of his position among the Riders because he knows he's earned it. "My mother always says those who degrade know they are unworthy and so must make others feel unworthy too." He shakes his head. "But family is family no matter what." He pats the horse's flank gently. "And I am sorry to say this your grace but your brother is putting the words of others above his own family and it will not end well for him."

It is the first time Len has given voice to what the Riders have been discussing for months and he knows it's risky doing so to one of the royals. If Barry mentioned this to anyone word could get back to those who would make trouble for Len and his family. And yet he trusts Barry, trusts him to know what is right from wrong and to keep this conversation private.

"Your mother sounds like a wise woman. Too few people are wise now a days I feel." Barry sighs and sets the brush down before giving the horse he was grooming some soft words and a few comforting pats.

He turns to Len when the other speaks his observation and the look on Barry's face clearly shows he agrees. "Alas I fear we will have learned too late what is happening. All we can do now is be cautious and try to protect those we love until all is revealed. I must hope Rohan and her people will weather this storm for I do not know how to help them."

"There has been word from people who have been in the South that the darkness is spreading," Len says quietly as he works, "but that others have risen up to appose it. I can only hope they succeed before the darkness reaches us." He gives Barry a worried look. "I fear what could happen to you or your cousins if it does."

"I do as well. Stay close to my cousin Eomer...he is trustworthy. He will need your support soon I believe. I just hope I am wrong." Barry says before excusing himself to do as he was commanded.

It's past supper that evening before he is free again and he returns to the stables once more in hopes of seeing Leonard again.

Hello. ^^ Are you searching exclusively for Sherlocks or perhaps a supposed mythical creature also included in the 'Open' criteria?

Oh definitely not exclusively for Sherlocks - very open to cross-fandom, and given the setting mythical creature would be excellent!

^^ Great. Mythical past or present time? Any specific setting do you prefer?

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Once upon a time...

arwen | lord of the rings

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