[Saoire Event 723] Ulric to Sylvaine

[Winston]

Some time before The Gifting

It was the beginning of a new trial as Ulric awoke after a long night of dreams. As the world came into focus and the light around her dispelled the shadowy corners of the Dream, she spotted something beside her bed.

I was placed delicately atop whatever he usually slept beside. It had a bow on top and a little note that read...

"Me taught yuh might find dis 'elpful for de coming season. De ink cannat be seen onless yuh strike de tuning fark. Don't tell anyone dat dis did nat come fram yuhself."

Included in the box was a single pot of perfectly clear ink and a grey/blue tuning fork.

The specifics of the item above

Item: A pot of perfectly clear ink and a grey/blue tuning fork. The pot itself is perfectly normal, but the ink within leaves no trace on the paper on which it is used, until a chime is made with the tuning fork. For as long as the chime rings, the ink turns black, revealing what was written. Once the tuning fork falls quiet once more, the letters fade once more until it is struck again.

This is delivered at some time that would be convenient for you and the acquisition of the gift you are giving.

I know you might have powers that might prevent people sneaking up on you etc., so please assume that this gift appears in such a way that either it a) does not trigger defences as there's no ill intent or b) only serves to wake them to see the gift (as it's not there one moment but is the next).

Gifting Trial Arrives!

In the run-up to the Gifting, one Winston Millar had all but become a recluse as he spent his trials ferreting away at the preparations for what would come. A great many trials went by as his forge was operated by Cho as the Cadouri was nowhere to be seen. "Yup, dere... Noh, jost to de right a lit... STAP!" He commanded

Smokie

with an excitable energy he could barely contain.

As the gifter and giftie both passed through the doorway they chose to use to get to the Gifting, a world of enchantment was revealed as they stepped into what appeared to be the grand, stone-walled hall of a castle. A kaleidoscope of colors greeted them. The air was thick with the sweet scent of their favorite foods and the gentle melody of ethereal music played by invisible musicians.

For those able to see them, Fairies (Spirits) fluttered all around, placing decorations and plucking at musical instruments in a way that made the music feel like it was coming from the walls themselves.

The banquet hall stretched out before them, a dazzling display of festive joy. Glistening crystal chandeliers made of green and gold leaves hung from the ceiling, casting a warm, golden glow upon the room from their luminescent bulbs. The walls were adorned with tapestries depicting scenes of ancient legends and mythical creatures from Idalos and the Dreaming, making unleavable scenes of heroism and gift-giving.

A long, banquet table stood in the center, covered with a rich, emerald-green velvet cloth that cascaded to the floor. On the table, an array of dishes awaited them. Plates were made of delicate leaves, and glasses were of sparkling daffodil cups with an otherworldly iridescence. The air was filled with the tempting aroma of dishes both familiar and exotic – Amidst the banquet's enchanted spread were spun-sugar sculptures and candied flowers. Pixie-dusted pastries, shimmering with a sugary glaze, beckoned guests to indulge in the ethereal sweetness. Delicate lemon-sauced fish, glistening like moonlit waves, lay gracefully on large leafy platters. The tangy aroma of citrus mingled with the intoxicating scent of honeyed delights, creating a symphony of flavors that danced on the palate, leaving behind a lingering enchantment.

Not only a festival for the nose and the tongue, the food was charged with spirit energy, no less,

it was almost exclusively of the emotional concept/domain, including joy, happyness, sorrow... there was as much variety there as in the food itself.

At the head of the table, a ferret known to some as Winston stood, placing some finishing touches to one of the many dishes.

"Welcome, nobal guests, tuh de Gifting!" he declared, his voice full of a thick accent of the tiny creature's upbringing. "Com-com! Com en! Feast, dance, sit or talk. Dis place es yars totrial, as we celebrate de magic that binds us all and builds relashunships new an' old trough 'giving'." He gestured to the room around them. "Once yuh are done, yuh cun return 'ome, noooh prablem. Ontil den, yuh jost let meh know ef dere es anyting me cun doh tuh 'elp."

The words were undoubtedly practiced

, but delivered with the most genuine joy and intent. He was obviously uncontainable excited to be here, but with that, without leaving the room,

Winston adeptly made himself seem politely busy as his guests meet and greet each-other without his interference

.

Just then, the banquet hall erupted into a symphony of laughter and giggles. The fairies (should you be able to see them) gathered around the table, watching and listening as events unfolded. The air was alive with the fluttering of wings, the tinkling of laughter, and the soft susurrations of a great many playful beings.

As all of this sunk in, a figure made themselves apparent, a very finely dressed butler of impeccable manor bowed slightly to one side. They held a tray with daffodil glasses filled with delightful nectar and bowed.

Shinwa

gestured towards the tray to indicate that a drink could be taken, if so desired, after which he offered to unburden their guests of their coats or cloaks.

!

Message from: Winston

Welcome to your Saiore Gifting Event thread for 2023! How does this work? - So, this is your thread (the two of you) and you can get here via the magic portal, from where-ever you are and will be returned there once you decide to leave (unless I say otherwise! SHOCK! Secrets! AAAAAAAH!). This thread will be eligible for both skill points and knowledge, as long as the usual review requirements are met. It can be whatever you want, of course, but it is a modded event and so I control the surrounding and NPCs, so please don't assume control of them (unless, of course, they are yours). You can bring anything with you that you could reasonably be assumed to carry or BE carrying and of course your gift comes with you You may bring with you any flavour NPCs if you wish, but please either avoid making these a 'mass' of actual physical people (if you have a child or someone that you really feel like bringing, please do). Diri's, Spirits, small creatures/pets on your person, etc. that usually hang around you are also all fine. A 13 foot dragonling or horse, not so much What should you do? - Please post your first post in two sections: 1) "Some time before The Gifting": A section that describes the making or acquisition of your Gift. This can be anything from "Jeoff picks up the gift he made." To a fully fledged description of the shopping/making process. This can/should be a creative and enjoyable writing experience. Write something you enjoy, in any style you enjoy, IF it's something you will enjoy! The emphasis is on FREEDOM not requirement. Don't feel required to make a lenthy section here, but certainly feel free to (rewards will be issued for creative or well crafted gift sections). 2) "Gifting Trial Arrives!": Post your arrival! If you post first, you are there first. If you post second, you can assume you spot your companion on entering and respond to anything they provide for you in their first post. 3) When you have completed this thread, please place it up for review as normal. Once it’s been reviewed, post here to claim your event medal! Rules? As already noted, this is a modded thread so please play/post with that in mind. Winston himself is not here to feature greatly in the thread (this is YOUR thread, not mine) but please feel free to interact freely with him, of course. I will, as a mod, be running this thread beside operating Winston. There is no PC posting order. Feel free to post in whatever order between yourselves and change that as you see fit. Please don't double-post. Post once, then wait for me to reply, then you may post again. ALWAYS feel free to DM me if you want something to happen outside these rules or the thread's current direction. The buffet is tailored for you! Unless otherwise stated, please feel free to assume you find things your character likes and so describe them! Have fun! Posting cycle: This is not hard timeline for posting. I will monitor progress and reply to posts as and when replies are completed.

[Ulric]

Zi'da 723

~Before Gifting Trial~

Ulric didn't like sleeping. When you slept, the nightmares could get to you. He didn't have to sleep when he was dead, all he had to do was syphon energy to continue on. Could he endure the nights the same way now? Could he leech enough life from those around him to pass through the night and escape the horrors that awaited him when he closed his eyes? Maybe... but it was easier just to toss and turn throughout the dark hours.

He and Balon were sharing a room at one of the inns near a bar Balon performed at during the nights. Helena and Elia were supposedly sharing the adjacent room but the key hadn't worked so they'd gone back down to sort that out while Ulric and Balon turned in. He couldn't know if they'd ever gotten into their room or not, but since they hadn't woken him yet he assumed it worked out.

It was a few breaks before first light when Ulric awoke from another dream of war. Memories that he should have burned away when he was a ghost still haunted him. Lisirra. Sintra. The child. He sat up with a sudden start but didn't make enough noise to wake Balon. Balon's snores ensured that Ulric wouldn't be getting more sleep for the rest of the night. He rolled off the cheap bed and yawned slightly while his eyes adjusted to the dark.

There was something in the room with him. Something that hadn't been there when he went to sleep.

It was a box.

A box with a bow.

A box with a bow and a note.

Ulric picked up the note and opened it but he couldn't read through the darkness. He moved over to a window where the moonlight revealed the words. After reading the letter, Ulric moved back over to his bed and sat down. He set the box on his lap and untied the bow. He pulled off the lid and inside found an ink pot full of water- and what he assuming was a tuning fork. He picked up the ink pot and narrowed his eyes to try and figure out if he was missing something. Why was it full of water? Ohhhhh... Ulric looked at the letter sitting on the bed beside him. It was ink.

This would make a fine addition to the gift.

~Gifting Trial~

It was just another trial in another city, in another tavern. Ulric and Helena were sitting at a table in the corner watching Balon's latest performance while Elia returned to the bar for another round of drinks. The living dead man was dressed in dark colors which helped him blend in around the Empire more than it had in Scalvoris or anywhere else really. He wore a sword on both sides but that was mostly because he didn't want to store them in his room. That was the same reason he almost always wore smaller pieces of his armor. Ghost metal was a difficult thing to store and his chest could only hold so much. Ulric excused himself to go get some fresh air but when he picked up the gift basket he had assembled, Helena gave him an odd look.

"I can watch it for you." She said to Ulric who looked down at the basket for a moment.

"I have a feeling I should keep it with me." He said. Helena shrugged slightly and Ulric scanned the tavern one last time to ensure all of his friends were safe before heading outside to 'get some air.' He had never participated before. He couldn't have known what would happen when he opened the tavern door expecting to go outside onto the street because instead of that, he found himself bombarded with colors and smells and intricate decorations.

He wasn't near the tavern anymore.

He shifted the box containing the gift from under his arm to both of his hands and gazed in wide wonder at the joys he had found. It was the opposite of the world he had become used to during death and it was an exuberant example of the small joys that he was rediscovering in his new life. He could not inherently see spirits that had methods of hiding themselves so he was generally amazed by the sounds and smells. Odd as it was that he could syphon ephemera off spirits- he could not see those who did not present themselves. Perhaps a side effect of being alive again.

What he could see was a ferret standing on two feet in nice clothing and talking. Ulric had relatively limited exposure to the Caudori since they'd emerged- even during his time in Scalvoris where Saoire's school resided. He knew of them and had seen them in passing, but he'd never really interacted with one for an extended period of time. Some voice in the back of his mind probed with strange and unnatural thoughts which might have found tangible voice if Ulric was still dead, but he had a body of his own now and didn't feel like experimenting in others. His thoughts of ghostly matters were quickly subverted by the general design of the surrounding room.

It was hard to think of a time he'd ever seen anything like it in either of his lives. Ulric moved slowly as if trying to avoid knocking anything valuable over while he looked around the room. Ulric eventually found his attention settled on the food which felt familiar and foreign at the same time. It tugged at two different urges in his body- one for food and one for... emotional energy? Ulric shifted the gift back under one arm and picked up a cookie from the table to examine it. There was energy in it. Emotional energy that could be syphoned... how? Ghosts didn't eat like everyone else. Some didn't have mouths and yet this treat found a way to serve the needs of both worlds. His gaze shifted back towards Winston who he assumed had prepared everything given what he could see. "How did you-" Ulric paused and thought for a few trills before deciding his bewilderment was warranted. "How did you do this? It's... amazing."

Whether or not Winston gave a lengthy response to how the treats had been prepared, Shinaw arrived and offered to unburden the guests of whatever they needed stored. Ulric handed Shinaw the gift to hold for a moment, undid his sword belt, and offered it rather than a coat. He suspected that weaponry wasn't needed or invited in a place like this. Despite the unnatural feeling of being away from his old, iron blade and his new ghost metal one, he didn't feel he needed them and everything else made him comfortable enough to take a chance.

Once he had his gifts back in his hands and his swords stored, he began to look around for the one who was to receive the gift he had compiled.

[Winston]

!	Message from: Winston
	Sorry Sylvaine, but the window has passed for you to pick up this thread. Ulric, I have created an NPC for you to play with. It would be my delight to continue this flavour thread for you, if you wish, with all appropriate XP and rewards

As he explored the food on display, he would see several sections that were distinctly set aside, with a little label called 'Fairy Food - Only for the Childish or Brave'.

When Ulric posed his question, the ferret beamed with delight. 'Hitting the spot' was something that always caused him great joy, the look on a person's face when they realise they have something to cause them joy in their hands. "A very gud question!" He began, offering the man something else to try, should he be feeling adventurous. "Me gat quite a few Fairy friends..." He continued, gesturing briefly at the spirits that fluttered around them, whether Ulric could see them or not. "..an' dem 'ave spent a lat af time teachin' me 'ow tuh deal wid dese enagies in fud widdout bakin' et out. Et involves a lat af stuff like 'onda the light af a full moon' an' 'while singin' a 'appy song about pickles'." He said with a giggle. It might not seem so, but he was being entirely serious, if very light hearted while he did so. "Dis ONE time, me 'ad tuh sing tuh a cow far a tria..."

Whatever that story was going to involved, it was cut short as a newcomer stumbled into the room, with a slightly flustered expression on his face. They were dressed rather flamboyantly and held the air of a thespian, if a clumsy one.

"OH! Ah! Ummm... Ehem... Yes.. Hello!" He announced as he nearly bumped into nothing, then a chair, then a wall and finally Shinwa, who took the entire situation with a flat and welcoming expression. "OH! A drink? Don't-mind-if-I-do... Hello there!" He said to Ulric and Winston suddenly, apparently noticing them at last.

Winston smiled and chuckled kindly as the man introduce himself.

Flicking a scarf over his shoulder, he took a sip of the drink before replying. "James Francis Charles Frederico the First, at your service." He gave a slight bow and a flourish with his hand. "Writer, actor and drinker of fine wines." He said with a jovial node as he lifted his glass to them.

It was true that the man had the garb of a writer, should this be something Ulric would notice. His satchel was that of a traveling cartographer, with scrolls and things protruding neatly from it and his fingertips were stained with ink from many hours of writing.

"How fair thee, my good man?..."

!

Message from: Winston

Nice post! THanks for threading with me As already stated, your recipient missed the deadline, which is OK, as we all understand how these things go sometimes (love to Syl!), but from this point forward, please feel free to interact with the new NPC for a little social fun, or if you'd rather, just DM me and we can wrap-up short. Please feel free to assume there are things he would enjoy eating on the table. Why not try something from the 'Fairy quarter' to see what happens. Rules? As already noted, this is a modded thread so please play/post with that in mind. Winston himself is not here to feature greatly in the thread (this is YOUR thread, not mine) but please feel free to interact freely with him, of course. I will, as a mod, be running this thread beside operating Winston. There is no PC posting order. Feel free to post in whatever order between yourselves and change that as you see fit. Please don't double-post. Post once, then wait for me to reply, then you may post again. ALWAYS feel free to DM me if you want something to happen outside these rules or the thread's current direction. The buffet is tailored for you! Unless otherwise stated, please feel free to assume you find things your character likes and so describe them! Have fun! Posting cycle: This is not hard timeline for posting. I will monitor progress and reply to posts as and when replies are completed.

[Ulric]

Zi'da 723

Ulric noticed the fairy food but he wasn't as drawn towards it as everything else. He wasn't one to take brave risks with his new life. No, for the time being he'd focus on those around him while the thought of trying it lingered in the back of his thoughts. Ulric looked up towards the ceiling when Winston mentioned his fairy friends but Ulric saw nothing. Apart from having come back to life the long way and a mark he never used, he was very ordinary. Spirits eluded his perception for the time being. Lucky them. Spirits had been food at some point in his un-life. Having failed to see the friends Winston spoke of, Ulric returned his attention to the cookie in his hand. His eyes narrowed for a moment as he examined it one last time and then-

Chomp.

He took a sizable bite from the sweet treat and his face twisted with surprise. He didn't eat a lot of sweet foods. It was unexpected but... pleasant. Winston's words made little sense to the swordsman who had rarely cooked a trial in his life. What did singing and thinking happy thoughts have to do with cooking? He didn't know but he believed what Winston had told him. He wasn't going to try singing a song about a pickle though. He would leave all singing to the bard back at the inn.

Someone stumbled into the room, interrupting what was sure to be an engaging story about a cow. Ulric tensed up slightly from the surprise and turned his gaze to the newcomer. He was dressed more boldly than Balon. An actor maybe? He tripped. Maybe not. Hm.... it was a memorable entrance. The interestingly dressed man made his way around the room like a ball bounding from one thing to the next before finally settling by Shinwa. Only then did the new one seem to notice the other two people in the room watching him. Was this the one the gift was for?

The man called out to Ulric and Winston. Ulric took a slow bite from his cookie while watching the man get closer to him. This one seemed a lot like Balon and that was a tiring thought but no reason to judge a book by it's cover (except that's exactly why books have covers- so that they can catch your attention.)

"I'm Ulric the First and the Second." The living dead man said with a small smirk. He picked up a cup from the table and raised it towards his long named new acquaintance. "I don't write or act, but I do drink. Where are you from?"

"Winston here was just telling me about- what was it 'fairy food'?" Ulric looked towards Winston for confirmation before finishing his though. "We should try it."

[Winston]

James, a human of about 5 and a half foot, frowned slightly at Ulric's introduction, perhaps a some playful jealousy on his face if he was one to notice. "First AND Second, you say? How sheek! That's not a title everyone is able to claim." He observed with a slight tip of his glass in the man's direction in recognition of his achievement. "There's almost certainly a story to be written in that."

He drained almost half the class in a single visit to his lips as their conversation continued. Shinwa took the hint, beginning to prepare a refill. "Me? Oh I'm from Rharne. You probably haven't heard of me. Most only remember the actors in the show..." He shared the remark wistfully, as if to suggest 'it would be so lovely if only people noticed his brilliance'. "I spend most of my trials buried in paper, working on my most recent creation. It's a terribly tiring process, you know. When I was invited to give and be gifted to. Well, it was a delight to be asked." He exclaimed, taking another large swig of his drink before happily accepting a refill from the butler.

The writer looked at the ferret curiously at the suggestion they try something from the 'fairy section'. "Oh yes! Please. Don't worry, everytin' es safe, so jost enjoy de ride."

"Well, far be it for me to decline complimentary cuisine."

The ferret clapped his hands in approval. "Excellent! Food an' gifts!" He proclaimed, gesturing towards the table.

The thespianistic human studied the options for a moment. "...Causes you to bounce... Oh, that's not going be conducive to my continued lubrication efforts... OH! A child? Yes, a little flavour of my youth, why on Idalos not?" With that, he took a portion of the Youngberry crumble and a spoon and tucked in.

Within moments he and his clothing had shrunk down to the size of a twi your old human child. With a giggle he clapped his hands together. He was, it had to be said, very cute. "Hehehe. Well this is fun!"

!

Message from: Winston

Nice post! Thanks for threading with me This new NPC is indeed the person to which you are giving. Please feel free to select anything from the following menu when trying the fairy food and write how this affect you. Blueberries - Turns you blue. Huckleberries - Causes hiccuping and bouncing in the air. Cloudberries - Makes you completely weightless so that you might float and even blow away in the breeze. Youngberries - Turns you into a child, around a few archs old, just out of toddler stanges. Changes your size/mass to that of an average child of your race. Bearberries - Turns you into a giant, stuffed teddy-bear. Elderberries - Ages you to within a few months of your race's natural maximum life span, with all typical ailments (e.g. poor eyesight and/or things like arthritis). Wolfberries - Turns you into a wolf. Your size/mass does not change. Buffaloberries - Turns you into a waterbuffalo. Your size/mass does not change. Larger - Without changing your mass, your body and limbs double in length, becoming thinner and longer and you become very discoordinated. Note: The food has labels, so it's clear what you're in for, though of course, you don't have to read them. No matter what happens, you still remain entirely in possession of your faculties, e.g. if you turn into a wolf, you still THINK entirely like Ulric. All affects last no longer than an hour or so and will fade the moment you leave this event/place and return home. Please feel free to assume there are things he would enjoy eating on the table. Why not try something from the 'Fairy quarter' to see what happens. Rules? As already noted, this is a modded thread so please play/post with that in mind. Winston himself is not here to feature greatly in the thread (this is YOUR thread, not mine) but please feel free to interact freely with him, of course. I will, as a mod, be running this thread beside operating Winston. There is no PC posting order. Feel free to post in whatever order between yourselves and change that as you see fit. Please don't double-post. Post once, then wait for me to reply, then you may post again. ALWAYS feel free to DM me if you want something to happen outside these rules or the thread's current direction. The buffet is tailored for you! Unless otherwise stated, please feel free to assume you find things your character likes and so describe them! Have fun! Posting cycle: This is not hard timeline for posting. I will monitor progress and reply to posts as and when replies are completed.

[Ulric]

Zi'da 723

Ulric didn't know what 'sheek' meant but he was able to divine that it was probably a good thing given the context clues he had. He only realized a little bit after he'd made his joke, that he probably shouldn't have. It was a sign he was letting his guard down and that hadn't worked out well for him in the past. James drank much more quickly than Ulric and Shinwa was always there to refill the glass when it emptied. Fortunately for Ulric, James quick drinking allowed him a chance to avoid commenting further on being Ulric the First and Second.

"I haven't been to a play in what feels like a lifetime." Which it was. He hadn't seen a play since his first life. There was little call to watch plays when you were a ghost and even less when he was trying to figure out what he wanted to do with his life now. Balon's concerts were not the same as a play. It was music and storytelling rather than acting. Unfortunately since Ulric wasn't really one for theater, he didn't know how to engage with James on the topic. Ulric wasn't the best social butterfly.

James looked towards Winston after Ulric suggested they try some of the food and when their host assured them it was safe to eat, Ulric began looking through the labels to try and figure out what he wanted. He'd never been a child in this body. He'd been born into it fully grown. It might be interesting to see what this body felt like as a child. Ulric slipped a small piece of the youngberry crumble onto a plate for himself. "Fascinating. Does the drink burn more or less now that you're young again?" Ulric asked James once his new acquaintance had transformed into a child.

Ulric spotted the description of cloudberries and it amused him so he took a small portion of that as well for his plate. He was just about to eat when he remembered why they were there.

"Oh! Before I forget, this is for you." Ulric set down the plate he had assembled with the two foods he was willing to try. He shifted over to where he'd set down the gift he'd assembled for James. It wasn't particularly well wrapped but that was because Ulric had no eye for the arts really. Inside James would find a collection of books that made up an average but decent research kit. In addition he'd find three jars of different flavored honeys and a uniquely bound Book of Riddles. Ulric had found it in a strange shop and thought it was fitting. He'd put the unique ink pot and tuning fork into the package last, so they sat atop the rest of it.

With his gift delivered, Ulric took a bite from both the cloudberry and youngberry pastries that Winston had prepared. Suddenly he was getting shorter. His clothing shrunk down with him. His skin grew a little softer with the rest of his features. Whoa. Ulric looked down at the plate he was holding. It felt so much bigger in his hands now than it had a few trills ago. Ulric didn't wait before trying the cloudberry dessert. As soon as it was in his mouth he could feel his body beginning to lift off the ground.

He manifest an invisible tendril from the back of his calf and wrapped it around a leg of the table so that he wouldn't drift off beyond his control. "Well this is more... entertaining than I thought It would be." Ulric said with a small laugh as his body began to invert. All of his body wanted to float upwards except the portion keeping him tethered to the table so he had a little trouble staying upright. "You should try this."

[Winston]

Apologies!

I'm very sorry, I have been overlooking this thread, thinking it needed another PC reply before I could respond, because I totally forgot that it was just the tow of us on this account.

Please forgive the delaya nd accept my most sincere apologies for this delay.

When it became apparent that his counterpart had not visited the theatre recently he gasped! "Oh! You should, you simply mUST. Please, here..." He searched himself briefly before producing a writ on a pice of paper from the roll of many others he had tucked away in his pack. "... Here it is, yes. This is good for one admission, with 'plus one', to any show in Rharne. Do stop in if ever you are in town." He seemed to insist the man take it, as he waggled it in his general direction in a friendly, if overly exuberant fashion.

James considered the question from the ex-dead conversational partner. "You know, it might not be a good idea to continue to much." He replied with a jovial giggle, trying a little anyway and discovering that his tates for it had indeed lessened considerably. "Oh! That's far more bitter now..."

Their host chuckled as he offered the man-boy some floating candyfloss. "'ere, yuh sweet tooth prabably 'as a new lease af life." He suggested with a smile.

The thespian obliged the suggestion and pulled a surprised face as a slow smile spread across it. "Oh YUM!"

As Ulric began eating, the thespian opened his gift with a mix of 'automatic' surprise that was social convention when receiving a gift that quickly transformed into something deeply genuine as he looked upon the book of riddles. "Oh I say, my good sir. This is something truly special. Thank you so much..." He began flicking through it's pages and giggling. "This is spectacular. You know..." He looked up at the floating man, that appeared to be standing a few feet above his chair.

"I say! You know what? I think I will." He said in reply as he turned and threw back a sample of the desert.

Within moments he was also floating through the air. Were it not for the butler's adroit attention to detail and choice to remove it, the man's own foot would have gone right through his drink. "Whhhaaaaooooo! Hey? Why am I upside down? How do I correct my point of view?... OH! THAT's a good title for a play! I like it! 'My Point of View'." He grinned at Ulric with a delighted expression. "Oh, I'm not sure how long I will keep my food down this way around though."

"FFFFOOOOOUUUURRRRR! Cried one of the fairies from the table, holding a one-inch bread stick like a club and thwacking a grape into the air!" First one to catch it wins!

James started doing a very ineffective breaststroke as the grape floating by.

"PUUUUULLLL!" Came a second yell as this time an olive was launched into the air.

!

Message from: Winston

Nice post! Thanks for threading with me and again, so sorry for making you wait so long for a reply. So you can continue to post or 'make your farewells' at any point. Please enjoy the fun! Use a skill/power not already used in this thread to catch some food to gain a point! As before, please feel free to select anything else from the following menu when trying the fairy food and write how this affects you. Blueberries - Turns you blue. Huckleberries - Causes hiccuping and bouncing in the air. Cloudberries - Makes you completely weightless so that you might float and even blow away in the breeze. Youngberries - Turns you into a child, around a few archs old, just out of toddler stages. Changes your size/mass to that of an average child of your race. Bearberries - Turns you into a giant, stuffed teddy-bear. Elderberries - Ages you to within a few months of your race's natural maximum life span, with all typical ailments (e.g. poor eyesight and/or things like arthritis). Wolfberries - Turns you into a wolf. Your size/mass does not change. Buffaloberries - Turns you into a waterbuffalo. Your size/mass does not change. Larger - Without changing your mass, your body and limbs double in length, becoming thinner and longer and you become very discoordinated. Note: The food has labels, so it's clear what you're in for, though of course, you don't have to read them. No matter what happens, you still remain entirely in possession of your faculties, e.g. if you turn into a wolf, you still THINK entirely like Ulric. All affects last no longer than an hour or so and will fade the moment you leave this event/place and return home. Please feel free to assume there are things he would enjoy eating on the table. Why not try something from the 'Fairy quarter' to see what happens. Rules? As already noted, this is a modded thread so please play/post with that in mind. Winston himself is not here to feature greatly in the thread (this is YOUR thread, not mine) but please feel free to interact freely with him, of course. I will, as a mod, be running this thread beside operating Winston. There is no PC posting order. Feel free to post in whatever order between yourselves and change that as you see fit. Please don't double-post. Post once, then wait for me to reply, then you may post again. ALWAYS feel free to DM me if you want something to happen outside these rules or the thread's current direction. The buffet is tailored for you! Unless otherwise stated, please feel free to assume you find things your character likes and so describe them! Have fun! Posting cycle: This is not hard timeline for posting. I will monitor progress and reply to posts as and when replies are completed.

[Ulric]

Zi'da 723

Ulric took the voucher with a somewhat confused look on his face but after a few trills he simply smiled and nodded. He was sure Balon would love to see a show. At worst, he'd just give Balon the voucher and let the bard bring one of his many adoring fans to watch a play with him. At best... Ulric might invite Helena to a show. Either way it didn't matter unless they made their way down to Rharne. Or was it up to Rharne? Ulric wasn't the best navigator. His skills were almost singularly geared towards battle and being the most powerful ghost he could be. Death had that effect on people. Ulric slipped the voucher into one of his pockets and proceeded with the event.

Then came the shrinking to child size and the cloud like floating. Even smaller, Ulric's mastery over ectoplasm lingered enough for him to use it to his advantage. Tethered and secure enough not to go flying off, Ulric began looking around the room to see how everyone else was reacting to what was happening. This was the strangest thing he'd ever been a part of but he was enjoying it. Ulric grinned when James confirmed that his drink was less pleasant and then he wiggled his small arms to try and shift himself so that James was in his view again.

He was relieved to see that James enjoyed the gift he had assembled. Ulric wouldn't admit it, but he'd been nervous about his choices. He wasn't exactly the gift giving type and so he'd never had to battle those nerves before. Fighting a man with a sword? Fighting a man with two swords? Easy. Giving a gift to a stranger and hoping it fit them? Not as easy. Despite that, the reduction to a childlike form and floating through the air were far more than enough to distract Ulric from his nerves. He eventually dismissed the unseeable tendril he'd created so that he could float a little higher. Shortly after, James joined him in floating.

"What would you write the play about?" Ulric asked after James seemed to have his epiphany about play titles. "Or do you pick a title first and then the story after?"

"FFFFOOOOOUUUURRRRR!"

Ulric tried to turn again but couldn't quite figure out how to move around in the air. What's happening? He saw the grape flying through the air before he saw the fairy with the breadstick that had hit it. James was trying to swim through the air towards it.

"PUUUUULLLL!"

An olive was launched through the air. Ulric knew how to get both of them but he didn't know how to make it discrete. Maybe he didn't need to. He began to swim towards the olive like James was swimming towards the grape but he also conjured another invisible tendril from his back that moved to wrap around the grape and pull it towards him.

"I don't think this is working!" Ulric said in a slightly higher voice than he was used to hearing from himself. He kept flapping his arms but he wasn't making much progress so he conjured another tendril from his chest to bring the olive into his reach. To everyone else there, it would just look like both had begun to float towards him until he snatched them from the air around him and held them up victoriously. "Why'd they shoot this?" Ulric asked as he waved the olive in the air.

A moment later, maybe impulsively, he tossed the grape towards James to see how quickly the writer would be able to react.

[Winston]

James took delight in Ulric's interest in his process. All bravado aside, it was a rewarding experience simply to be asked with genuine interest. "Well, there's the golden question! it happens both ways. I've named plays the night of the rehearsals in the past. Sometimes a grand idea needs naming and others a name needs a stage." He was still not doing well with the whole floating with elegance 'thing', but turned as he spoke and craned his head around to try and continue to face his conversational partner, he drifted from place to place.

"Ooooohhh... My Point of View... It would be a love story, of course, perhaps between an unlikely couple. There would be floating, of course, to mirror the changing of one's point of view physically against the emotional. It's very important to engage the concepts in a multitude of ways you see..."

Trying and failing to catch a grape, the thespian chuckled as the projectile orb of food shot toward him from Ulric and bounced off his forehead. He looked at Ulric with a slightly stunned expression before bursting out laughing as he tumbled slowly backwards.

"FOUL! I call foul! He's being flopsie!" Accused on of the fairies.

Winston coughed, interjecting promptly to save the poor ghost from the accusations. "Oh, cheating? Really, noh, I'm wus jost demonstrating far Jame 'ere o'w NAT tuh do et. Weren't yuh naw." He said to Ulric with a slow nod and a wink. "Dem will use dem's mouth naw James knows de rules, right?" He smiled and the fairy shrugged.

"Oh! OK." It squeaked.

Taking pity on the two prostrate floaters, the ferret chomped down on the food and began to float himself. "Why?" He said, sounding something between confused and entertained and he held on to the table and pushed off gently with his feet. "Neva ask a Fairy 'why'. Yuh won't eva 'ear de end af et." He offered, from his own vast experience in dealings with long and incomprehensible explanations from tiny people. "Yuh cun tink af et somet'ing like acrobatics."

He explained, helpfully as he glided through the air, mostly doing a fine job of looking relaxed and balanced.

"Like acrobatics, bot en slooooow moshun." He said, tucking his legs up and causing himself to spin slowly in time to land, a little clumsily, but successfully on a chandelier covered in riefs of leaves and flowers.

"'ear comes anodda volley!" He said as more fairies joined the game.

"DUUUUUUUUCK!" Cried one, launching a peanut.

"QUAAAAAAAAK!" Cried the next, launching a chocolate eclair.

Winston launched himself gently in the direction of the eclair, not ashamed to show his preference for sweet things, grasping one end of it between his teeth and getting the other end all over his face. "WORTH ET!" He cried without letting the confection free.

More foods were launched. It appeared that this had become a game of some kind.

!

Message from: Winston

Nice post! Thanks for threading with me So you can continue to post or 'make your farewells' at any point. Please enjoy the fun, I am! Use a skill/power not already used in this thread to catch some food to gain a point! As before, please feel free to select anything else from the following menu when trying the fairy food and write how this affects you. Blueberries - Turns you blue. Huckleberries - Causes hiccuping and bouncing in the air. Cloudberries - Makes you completely weightless so that you might float and even blow away in the breeze. Youngberries - Turns you into a child, around a few archs old, just out of toddler stages. Changes your size/mass to that of an average child of your race. Bearberries - Turns you into a giant, stuffed teddy-bear. Elderberries - Ages you to within a few months of your race's natural maximum life span, with all typical ailments (e.g. poor eyesight and/or things like arthritis). Wolfberries - Turns you into a wolf. Your size/mass does not change. Buffaloberries - Turns you into a waterbuffalo. Your size/mass does not change. Larger - Without changing your mass, your body and limbs double in length, becoming thinner and longer and you become very discoordinated. Note: The food has labels, so it's clear what you're in for, though of course, you don't have to read them. No matter what happens, you still remain entirely in possession of your faculties, e.g. if you turn into a wolf, you still THINK entirely like Ulric. All affects last no longer than an hour or so and will fade the moment you leave this event/place and return home. Please feel free to assume there are things he would enjoy eating on the table. Why not try something from the 'Fairy quarter' to see what happens. Rules? As already noted, this is a modded thread so please play/post with that in mind. Winston himself is not here to feature greatly in the thread (this is YOUR thread, not mine) but please feel free to interact freely with him, of course. I will, as a mod, be running this thread beside operating Winston. There is no PC posting order. Feel free to post in whatever order between yourselves and change that as you see fit. Please don't double-post. Post once, then wait for me to reply, then you may post again. ALWAYS feel free to DM me if you want something to happen outside these rules or the thread's current direction. The buffet is tailored for you! Unless otherwise stated, please feel free to assume you find things your character likes and so describe them! Have fun! Posting cycle: This is not hard timeline for posting. I will monitor progress and reply to posts as and when replies are completed.