Open Post: Welters

[sorrowandsorrow]

It's probably been noted before, but Janet's not actually dumb. The people of this mansion are varied and mercurial. They're not like Fillorians, some of whom are little bitches but who were largely cow-eyed and willing to accept her authority just because she was a pretty girl from another world.

So. She has to win people over. Maybe everyone needs a little fun to take their minds off things. Conveniently, welters is absolutely Janet's idea of fun. There's a bunch of insane rules, violence is encouraged, and you win if you're good at magic and being bossy.

The mansion grounds are also a little tempestuous as to their character, but apparently the master magician toying with all their lives is feeling charitable today. She's found a big, flat stretch of undisturbed grass, and she's sketching out welters squares with a piece of chalk.

Comments

[sorrowandsorrow]

"This is the board." Janet takes a step back and holds her hands out in two Ls, like she's framing the board for a photograph. "The squares turn into whatever I want. I'm pretty sure I can do all the transmutation myself, although the metal might be a bit tricky. There are two teams, and they each try to capture all the squares. It's all with spells -- no physical violence." Emphasis on the fact that the violence simply has to not be physical.

[ravkanwitch]

"Oh, that sounds fun," Nina says, contemplating Janet's set-up. "Do you think it would be possible with all of the different abilities and spells that everyone has?"

[sorrowandsorrow]

"No fucking idea." Janet says it cheerfully enough. "I know all the rules to the actual game. I mean, all of them. But who's going to know if I change a few? Or a lot?"

[ravkanwitch]

Nina laughs. “I certainly won’t be the one to tell. I think… this place definitely needs something fun. A lot has happened recently.”

[sorrowandsorrow]

"Oh, has it?" Janet asks, sidling a bit closer to Nina with interest. "I'd say you should unburden yourself, and maybe you should, but also, I'm nosy."

[ravkanwitch]

“Well, Miss Nosy,” Nina says, with a joking primness. “If you really need to know, I threatened two men into submission with kindness, one with tears, and snapped at another for his subpar first aid skills. So I’ve had a tiring week.”

Her expression softens a little. “Do you know everyone here? There’s also a young man who… burned himself. I’m worried about him.”

[sorrowandsorrow]

Damn. Janet's eyes do widen just a little at that litany. Maybe this is why it's a good thing to be kind of a bitch -- people don't come to you with their problems quite so much.

"You deserve to put your feet up after all that," she says, with feeling. "I've met most of the people here. I think. Some of them don't like me, but I've met them." She's not trapped in here with them; they're trapped in here with her, is the general vibe of that statement. "Who got burned?"

[ravkanwitch]

"A young man," Nina remembers. "He said that the fire came directly from him - which is... unheard of in my land. He also said that he didn't have a name, or... couldn't remember his name."

[sorrowandsorrow]

"Wait," Janet says. A beat passes. "Oh my God." Another beat, although now she's maybe just being dramatic for effect. "Galahad? Reedy-looking, blond, sort of pathetic?"

[ravkanwitch]

“That—- I don’t know if I would describe him as pathetic,” Nina says gently, “but that sounds like him. He told me that he burnt. His hand was burned and his clothes were completely blackened, but I don’t think he had any wounds on his body.”

[sorrowandsorrow]

"Jesus," Janet says, with feeling. "Okay, I met him before that happened. Well -- okay, I actually met him before he lost his memory. When he was Galahad. That's his real name, I'm pretty sure. I tried to warn him to be careful around here, but it must not have worked."

[ravkanwitch]

Nina sighs, then brightens a little again. "By the way, how are you at shooting a gun?"

[sorrowandsorrow]

"I'm not exactly a sharpshooter," Janet says, "but I can hit a monster between the eyes." She smiles. "Am I going to like why you're asking?"

[ravkanwitch]

Nina laughs a little. "I was asked what skill I wanted to learn now... well, now that I actually have the free time to. I've gone shooting with my friend Jesper a couple of times but I wouldn't mind brushing up on it. Want to join?"

[sorrowandsorrow]

Janet's eyes light up. Once she was out of bullets in Fillory, that was inevitably it, game over. But here?

"Yes," she says without hesitation. "In fact, I'll be pissed if you do it without me."