Tyce the gruff and disapproving, 2 Scarlet Phoenix Guard, Argent, a silver hound, Granthwyn, an androgynous healer's apprentice, a stoic Ostrian gelding arrive, following Juliana.

Monique drops RULES and GAMES - Tournament of Thorns Pre-Games.

Swift has joined the Secluded Smoke Trees.

Merek makes a way into the place to look about, his dark attire on while he finds a place to settle in!

The Memoral Park has been taken over this evening, and places set up to celebrate the pre-games of the Tournament of Thorns. Monique arrives with Primus at her side, looking as if he'd rather be anywhere else. But here he is, and the Minx has him carrying a quill and stacks of parchment. She herself carries two chests, ostensibly containing thorns.

Waldemai parks his carcass near the fire and leans back to watch the show.

Sabella is at the griffin table of course! Sitting there with her little chest of thorns on the table in front of her along with a couple of finger sandwiches and tea cakes. No need to be hungry when she waits for someone to come challenge her for a thorn!

Juliana seems to be in a hurry, she simply sweeps in, tossing a wink to Saballa and Swift, even a kiss is blown in Monique's direction but it's the Princess Consort of Thrax that the ex Pravus has in her sights.

Juliana has joined the Cushioned Bench Swing.

Juliana checked charm + manipulation at difficulty 30, rolling 26 higher.

2 Keaton Huntsmen, Marigold, a cheeky pygmy goat, River, a happy Oakhaven bloodhound, Barf, the Bog Dog, Bandit, a dapple gray Duskshire feral, Clerk Kant, a mild-mannered assistant arrive, following Amari.

Swift has settled in under the smoke trees, her trio of bowls set before her on a table and watching the Thorn Seekers arrive with a broad smile. She sips on a liqeur held in a short but delicate-looking glass, amethyst eyes bright with excitement. She offers a wave to Juliana when the Igniseri lady appears but leaves her to her happy hunting.

Alarissa and the gaggle are parked on and around the swing. The piece of furniture slightly swinging and sending layers of silk embroidered in and with coral fluttering as it does.

2 Pravus Honor Guard, Briar, a quiet young woman arrive, following Sebastian.

Juliana checked charm + propaganda at difficulty 30, rolling 122 higher. Juliana rolled a critical!

Sebastian arrives exactly when expected -- which is late, of course. Briar's following in his wake, carrying his painting, but after a glance around the park, he sets up not in his own space, but makes a direct line towards Monique.

Sebastian has joined the Elvenbane Bench.

Amari isn't in any particular rush, it would seem. She's just having a stroll with her dogs leashed and leading, with a white pygmy goat trailing. She keeps bleating about something, which prompts a mild scolding from the Keaton. "No, don't eat that... and not that either. Thank you. This is a memorial park, not a garden. You can't just help yourself to everything that looks passably edible to you." A firm look follows before she turns and surveys the scene. The princesses in attendance are offered a respectful dip of her head and others polite smiles. "Hello."

Merek has joined the Secluded Smoke Trees.

Absent a glass of wine, Sebastian probably looks odd by usual comparison. Still, as Briar sets up his painting nearby, his attention wanders, flicking towards Amari -- or more accurately, the goat that's trying to eat all the things in her wake. "Those things are dangerous," he murmurs, just loud enough to be heard, though there's a trace of amusement in his voice.

Juliana has left the Cushioned Bench Swing.

Amari heard that! So it's probably no surprise that she approaches the elvenbane bench first, and Sebastian in particular. She looks cross, but the supposed anger vanishes when she speaks, in a loud hush as if she doesn't want Marigold to overhear, "It's true. They're highly intelligent and bred for war. They're all very tempermental as well." The pygmy goats are. That said, she gives a friendly smile to Monique, and a measuring look at Sebastian. "Steel thorn again? A puzzling work of art to decipher?"

Amari has joined the Elvenbane Bench.

Monique laughs at something Sebastian says, bending to pull a bottle from her backpack as she does. "Well, if bad choices are on the menu, you know I'm always happy to make them. Especially since I'm running Anisha Whisper's game this evening, alongside my own." She waves as Amari joins them, her voice falling to lower tones to greet the Keaton Lady.

Merek checked intellect + alchemy at difficulty 45, rolling 14 lower.

Sebastian drops The Deepest of Jungles, a painting.

Sabella nibbles on a watercress sandwich and looks over curiously at the painting that Sebastian sets up, "Tell me, what is your game, exactly? People must guess at the hidden meaning of the painting?"

Amari checked perception + investigation at difficulty 30, rolling 10 higher.

"Come and see, if you like," Sebastian invites Sabella over as he tucks his cloak out of the way, hopefully, of the goat, though he smiles wryly as he does so: "Though no promises of sharing the small stash of suitable alcohol we have over here."

Monique perks up at Sebastian's words. "Oh! I think we should all get to try each other's games, now that it's slow enough." Her emerald eyes stray to Swift, gleaming brightly, almost manically.

Sebastian gets Tournament of Thorns - a steel thorn from Tournament of Thorns - a chest of thorns.

"I tried at Sabella's already and passed." She pipes in from the swinging bench. "I dare you to give his a chance Lady Monique."

Sabella does stand up and head over to where Sebastian has his station, looking at the painting curiously, "What am I looking for? And yes! Princess Alarissa told the most amazing story!"

Monique calls back to Alarissa, rueful, "Alas, I think I just found out the answer to Sebastian's already! But I might give yours a try, Your Highness. You'll go easy on me, yes?" the Minx teases, fluttering her lashes at the coterie of nobles with Alarissa.

Sebastian's mouth opens, as he follows Monique's gaze towards Swift's area. "Uh-uh. If I'm walking away from here with colored hands, it should be from paint, not-- I know where my skills lie," he adds, ruefully, as he beckons Sabella closer, and murmurs to her.

"If I wouldn't go easy on Prince Niklas, why would I go easy on you." Alarissa teases back.

Sabella checked wits + riddles at difficulty 30, rolling 4 higher.

"Thank you, Lord Sebastian. It's really well done." Amari will say of the painting, despite the less than super feelings it apparently evokes. "Good art should provoke some sort of reaction." With the steel thorn in hand, she sketches a curtsey and smiles as the other judges seem to be making themselves participants as well. "Oh, what is your challenge, Your Highess?" She asks upon hearing Alarissa, she turns her way, most curious.

"It doesn't last, Your Highness! Only perhaps a week and the stains will fade away with washing and use of your hands!" Swift calls out with a bright smile and a laugh to match. She looks to Monique, "I am happy to take all who wish to play, no matter who they are, or whether they are eligible for the final prize or not."

Sabella listens to Sebastian's riddle and intently studies the painting, looking completely puzzled at first. But the more she looks at it the more she becomes visibly uneasy, even shifting her slippered feet just a bit before her expression suddenly brightens and she beams a smile over to the Pravus Prince, "I think I know!" She says excitedly, leaning in to whisper the answer in a low voice so as not to spoil it for anyone else.

Merek has left the Secluded Smoke Trees.

Merek has joined the Griffin Picnic Table.

"You have to convince the gaggle here-" Alarissa gestures to the nobles at the swings with her. "that you are deserving of a thorn." Alarissa relays to Amari. "Care to try?"

"Prince Sebastian," the Pravus corrects Amari, though with a little acknowledging smile that it's a difficult thing to remember, given the recent change. "But I wholly agree. Art should make you feel -- whatever it makes you feel." Sebastian makes a soft sigh at Swift's challenge, and glances to Monique. "Whoever is the most stained has to buy the other a nice bottle of red, or whiskey, as appropriate?" he offers in challenge to her. He tilts his head towards Sabella, watching her study the painting for a moment, before his expression clears and he looks pleased as she murmurs the answer to him. "Very well done, Princess Sabella. You'd be a tough challenger in the tournament, for certain."

Monique looks between Sebastian and Sabella, and then tilts her chin over to Swift's station. "I'm game, if you two are. And in fact," she hoists the bottle of Setarco Fire from her backpack, uncorking it, "even if you aren't!" She punctuates her bravado with a long swallow, holding it out to Sabella next.

"I would, if only for the excuse to say hello." Amari smiles over to Alarissa, before turning back to Sebastian at the correction and agreement. "Apologies. I'm surprised you'd use such a plain old title as Prince, to be quite honest. It's so very traditional." There's a fainter hint of a smile there before she curtseys and strides off to visit Alarissa and maybe convince her gaggle of hangerson that she's worthy of another thorn.

Amari has left the Elvenbane Bench.

Amari has joined the Cushioned Bench Swing.

Merek checked wits + performance at difficulty 50, rolling 13 lower.

"Oh I expect I will be buying you both a bottle by night's end in that case! But I'm certainly game for it regardless!" Swift calls back, still laughing, delighted over the turn of events. She looks between the Seekers, then back to MOnique and Sebastian, "So how shall we play? Two at each station until we've tried each others' games?"

"I have many others, if you care to use them -- but they're much more of a mouthful," Sebastian replies to Amari with a wry chuckle. And then he notices Monique partaking -- eagerly -- in the Setarco Fire, and he half-laughs, half shakes his head. "After you, then," he gestures to Monique, watching closely. Is he trying to get an advantage by doing so? Probably.

Monique hands off the bottle next to Sebastian, maybe to keep him busy and throw him off the scent. Or maybe just to be polite! She approaches Swift's station first, a bright, sharkish grin on her lips. "Well, Swift, what are the rules, my dear? Treat me as you would any other challenger!" She waves her hands around expressively. Very expressively. "I'm quite certain I can do this! And equally sure I can't wait to see Sebastian's stained hands."

Amari checked charm + propaganda at difficulty 30, rolling 12 higher.

Sabella speaks quietly to Merek before standing once again, taking one of those tea cakes with her and wandering over towards Swift's event, "Whatever this is it must be very difficult because I found Niklas trying to wash the dye off his hand for ages one night and he was very vexed to not have a thorn yet!"

Chuckling, Swift gives a nod, "Alright then, my lady! You have before you three bowls, in each a very different liquid, though they seem the same to the naked eye. The game is simple!" She lifts a copper thorn, holding it between thumb and forefinger, "Pluck the thorn from the correct bowl by use of your alchemical knowledge... or, you can attempt to take it from me without my notice!" The thorn is let to rest lightly in her palm as she looks to Sabella with a smile, "He came close once! Almost had it, then chose another bowl right at the end."

Merek has left the Griffin Picnic Table.

Sabella checked composure + legerdemain at difficulty 35, rolling 14 lower.

Sebastian checked charm + seduction at difficulty 45, rolling 8 higher.

"That's it?" Sebastian looks kind of surprised as he carries the bottle of Setarco Fire with him to join Monique, regarding the bowls and then the thorn in Swift's hand. "I wouldn't think that would be too hard..." but of course, he /cheats/ -- leaning in to whisper something to Swift as he tries -- with his other hand -- to take the thorn while she's hopefully distracted.

When Swift sets the thorn in her palm, Sabella wanders up to her and makes a show of looking at the bowls. Then very not casually reaches out to take the thorn! Only she's not very good at being subtle about this, so in the end she ends up holding Swift's hand. There's a pause where she tries to think of a way to make this not awkward, "...you look very nice tonight!" She says more encouragingly than seductively and likely far less distracting than anything Sebastian might be saying.

Monique leans at the same time Sebastian does, jostling the Pravus Prince in her bid to very carefully examine the bowls. "Oh, goodness! So sorry, 'Bas!" Does she shove him, just a little bit? And then flutter her lashes? "I'm not sure that's in the rules, Your Highness. Hands up and in. Which bowl do you choose?" Very carefully not selecting her own just yet, is the Minx.

As Sebastian leans in and Sabella makes a grab for the thorn, Swift's attention is pulled every which way! She blinks up at Sabella, smiles, and offers, "Coming from you, Your Highness, I will take that as the highest compliment." Then Sebastian's words register and she's left to offer a chuckle and murmur back to him. Though when she straightens, her fingers curl up as if to protect the thorn. Turning back to MOnique, she blinks, then peeks into her palm, then looks back to Sebastian, "Your Highness! Now that's not very sporting..." Still, she's chuckling and taking it all in good fun.

"Was the idea /not/ to claim the thorn?" Sebastian wonders, oh-so-innocently, as Monique jostles him. Any wonder he's checking to see if he still has the thorn he thought he captured? His half-bow to Swift, and then grin at Sabella, seems to suggest little apology despite the words: "It's a good thing I'm not competing then, Messere Swift, or I'd have surely been disqualified."

"The idea, Prince Pravus, is to claim the thorn through following the rules," Monique points out archly, a single crimson brow lofting on her forehead as she chastises Sebastian. "Tch. Even /I/ can follow the rules, you know," she offers, unfolding her fingers, displaying the thorn in the center of her palm. She leans in to murmur something to Sebastian, before withdrawing, looking as smug as a Minx does. And then she offers the thorn back to Swift, palm open. "An excellent challenge, Swift, my sweet."

Swift checked dexterity + legerdemain at difficulty 35, rolling 18 higher.

"You are quite correct, Your Highness. Quite the good thing you aren't competing," she squints at him briefly before chuckling lightly and looking to MOnique with a smile. "Thank you my lady. I wanted to come up with something worthy of this grand event you've created." She takes the thorn from Monique's hand, though where it disappears to is another matter! It doesn't seem to be in her hand still when she reaches for her glass a moment later.

Sebastian's lift of the bottle of Setarco Fire seems to be a salute to Monique, given the way he regards her as he brings it to his lips -- but doesn't quite drink. "You -- /follow the rules/, Minx of the Marches?" he makes a disbelieving sound, and at Monique's murmur, one corner of his mouth twitches up. He follows Monique back towards her area, reaching down to settle the bottle back, before he straightens, giving a low, quiet laugh. "Actually, I think Messere Swift's challenge is a good punishment for those that get caught cheating -- at the real game." Not /him/, obviously.

Monique glances down to the nigh-empty bottle in her bag and her pout becomes mournful. "How can I possibly make bad decisions now? Where can we find more of this at this hour? Was there anyone wanting to play Anisha Whisper's game? You've got to create an origins story for her, since almost nothing is known about her before she came to Arx. The possibilies are /limitless/!"

Parting with a hug, Amari leaves Alarissa and her gaggle of nobles behind. She has another thorn which she slips into her satchel as she returns to the elfbane bench and the judges gathered there. Monique's question has her brighten, "That sounds fun. I'll try to invent an origin for her."

Amari has left the Cushioned Bench Swing.

"You should know where the biggest stash outside of Setarco obviously is. Though, I hear you were telling tales last time," Sebastian says, with a brief tsk, though there's more amusement than any heat to the way he regards Monique. Her description of Anisha's game earns a lift of brows, and he turns his attention to Amari, interestedly, to see what she might come up with.

For some reason, Primus is eyeing Sebastian as if he's Abyss-tainted. The solemn and dour man casts his dark eyes down, even as he steps closer to Amari in a subtle side step. Monique, for her part, turns a beatific smile on the Keaton. "Wonderful! I'll give you a moment to compose your theory?" She leans in to murmur something to Sebastian, amusement in her dancing emerald eyes, before returning them to Amari, awaiting her story.

Amari checked charm + performance at difficulty 30, rolling 13 higher.

Monique gets Tournament of Thorns - a neodymium thorn from Tournament of Thorns - a chest of thorns.

Sebastian gives a bright, clear laugh -- perhaps at the way Primus looks at him, or just the way he moves closer to Amari as a result -- turning that brilliant gaze on Monique a moment later.

Amari thinks for a moment, glances down at her goat who looks up at her and bleats. There's a nod to her and she begins spinning a yarn, "Anisha had humble beginnings, the only child of a beekeeping mason and turnip merchant who had a thriving sideline in moneylending in the South, and had in her employ, an entire gang of hooligans who made sure that all debts were payed with interest. Though that was profitable enough, the turnip business was an utter failure, as Pravosi had too fine a palette for such a vegetable. In order to sell her harvest, she had her husband soak them in honey and created the wholly fictitious Setarcan Sweet Silken Tuber, which she would then sell at a premium. Her most valued customer was one Lady Fancyellapants Pravus who decided to promote these new and incredible tubers as a great coup to the House that no one in any fealty could match. They were brought even to Arx, for the Grayson Harvest Festival where a sharp eyed scholar discovered they were fakes, and quite common turnips, ultimately. Lady Fancyellapants was enraged, so returned home and promptly had Anisha's parents destroyed - just utterly humiliated and punished in ways both cruel and imaginative. The worst, however, she saved for Anisha, who she adopted only to force her to eat only turnips until she was old enough to escape the city, change her name from Turnipa to Anisha and hide herself in the Whisper House. To this day, she recoils at the sight and smell of turnips."

Monique listens intently to Amari's story about Anisha's origins, her lips tugging up at the corner and ending in a laugh. "Gods and spirits, I can't wait to tell her that one. You never know, Lady Keaton, you could be closest to the truth, as terrible for Anisha as that would be." She pauses a moment, weighing, and then, "I like it. It's creative and has strains of the truth, while also being thoroughly fantasical. Worthy of a thorn." And so Monique produces, from seemingly out of thin air, a neodymium thorn, passing the shiny thing to Amari with a bow of her crimson head.

Sebastian gives a little /tsk/, "It's so old hat to make a Lycene House the villian. The source of every poorly constructed play and book I've seen. Everyone knows any /true/ Pravosi would've recruited the wily woman and taken her under their wing as a protege." He gives a wry smile, though, "I wholly credit the creativity otherwise, my lady. Turnips." He shakes his head.

2 Keaton Huntsmen arrives, following Iroh.

2 Keaton Huntsmen leaves, following Iroh.

Marigold bleats irritably when the story winds down, and Amari arches a brow at her. "I don't think she was replaced by an identical child found in a Sanctum orphanage. That would be nonsensical." As if the rest wasn't. Sebastian's critique she blames on the goat as well, tipping her head subtly to indicate that it's all Bleaty McBleatface's doing. When Monique is presenting her a thorn out of thin air like that, she claps her hands together delightedly and accepts with glee turning to solemnity in an instant. "Many thanks, Lady Monique. I think if I'd had time to sit down and write it, it would have been much improved and less old hat."

"Given the history of House Pravus," Monique chides Sebastian with a quirk of her lips, almost laughing, "I think it fits rather well. You do have some illustrious ancestors, Bas. And now you're making some bold claims that I'm not entirely sure you can substantiate. Perhaps we might have Swift be the judge of whether you or I boast the most particular skill in that area?" Her brows loft in open challenge.

Waldemai has left the Fireside Chairs.

Swift has been quietly cleaning up her challenge as it seems there are no more Seekers for her copper thorn tonight. SHe looks up from putting everything away and grins, "I am, of course, delighted to judge any contest between Prince Sebastian and Lady Monique. Especially as it comes to boasting, given the creativity and wit you both possess!" She shoulders her bag and moves to join them, offering a quick curtsy towards Amari. "My lady."

"If you find the time, I'd take pleasure in reading it, my lady," Sebastian tells Amari, with a seemingly genuine interest. "Oh, if it's about boasting -- I'd be hard pressed to beat the Minx of the Marches," on that point, it seems Sebastian is content to concede immediately.

Amari dips her head politely to Swift as she arrives, and a curious look goes over her and lingers on her attire a moment. There's nothing judge-y in the scrutiny at all. She smiles in fact, saying, "I should thank you. You've spared me from stained fingers. Swift?" Sebastian and Monique are glanced back to and grinned over. "That does sound like a challenge that should be taken up. Only the brave and resolute have the fortitude to get through the stories I write."

"Swift Grayhope, my lady. And in that case, you are quite welcome. Though if you do decide you wish to give it a try, there are two separate means in which to gain the thorn if you feel you might have better luck with the other," she offers with a bright smile, giving a nod before glancing between the trio of nobility and royalty, brows lifting up just a touch.

"My challenge was in the art of seduction, not the art of boasting about it," Monique pointedly informs Sebastian with a toothy grin. "I thought perhaps Swift might serve as an arbiter of which of us," the Minx murmurs, her emerald eyes sweeping over the Grayhope with decidedly ill intention, "made her knees weakest. But perhaps Lady Keaton wishes to try her hand at Swift's challenge first?"

"Lady Amari Keaton," Amari introduces herself to Swift in return, and though the offer is considered, she shakes her head, "I'd best not. So far I've gone undefeated, unlike the last time around when I spent a very long time extolling the wonders of squirrels which wasn't quite the sermon on Petrichor I had intended to impress Archlector Etienne with." She steps back so that Swift has a clear view of the seductive seducers and she herself is out of harm's way incase things get way too hot. She's at the edge of laughter when she gestures for Monique to have at it versus Sebastian, "No, no, please. I'd much prefer to watch this play out."

That toothy grin is met with a brilliant one in turn, as Sebastian accepts: "I can hardly refuse such a challenge." He glances at Briar, who begins carefully packing up his painting, before he makes his way towards Swift's area. "Best not to try it before an event in which you wish not to have stained hands," he tells Amari, with a smile. Unless, of course, you cheat like he totally did. He tilts his head to look at Monique. "Ladies first."

Letting out a delighted laugh, Swift moves to place herself in a spot easily accessible to both Sebastian and Monique, "Now this is one contest I will very much enjoy judging!" She looks to Amari and grins briefly, "A pleasure to meet you, Lady Keaton. You really should try it once before the end of the event. While it seems to be THE challenge to beat this time around, I still have confidence in everyone's ability to win a thorn one way or another." Then she's looking towards Monique, "My lady, I do not know if I am prepared, but I am certainly ready."