[Free for all] E~very February, you'll be my Valenti~ne

[its_game_time]

[Hope you all enjoyed recovering from injuries and/or humiliation and/or trauma your idle time since December. Yes?

Well, there's something of a treat this month. To celebrate the hard-to-ignore Valentine's Day, you'll find yourself suddenly and inexplicably in a very nice restaurant--you know the kind. Expensive. Foreign music. Covered tables and

Comments

I spent way too much time looking for her dress augh

[swearbymyname]

[While her normal attire's more than formal enough for most special occasions, Princess Hilde's also found herself in a different set of threads. ...In purple 'cause it's royal, yo. But what is this lack of sleeves this is not entirely decent :\. She's sitting straight and proper in her seat, her chair drawn close to the table as she sits and waits for... she's not sure what. A server, perhaps, although she has yet to see anyone else.]

For Sakura, there were just SO MANY OPTIONS...CLAMP loves their insert pics.

[a_tiny_sunshine]

[How about a princess for a princess? :D Princess Sakura is wearing this...and their surroundings probably look rather the same, too, minus the two boys and Mokona. The cake and champagne glasses just...suddenly appeared as Sakura entered the room.

And the desert princess's eyes brighten a little as they fall on Hilde, because she looks nice! There's so much strength in her eyes...and ah, what lovely hair--such a pretty colour! :D

The wait staff had told her who was expecting her (...though now that she thinks about it...she can't remember their faces... :Oa) so Sakura approaches the table with a smile, giving a slight dip of her head--not submission, but polite acknowledgment of someone else of royal blood--once she reaches it. She doesn't want this meeting to be awkward or stiff and impersonal, but it's probably best to start out a little formal, just in case.]

Princess Hilde? I'm Princess Sakura of Clow. It's lovely to meet you!

...lol all I can think is "PRINCESS POWER HOUR--brought to you by Toon Disney."

[swearbymyname]

[She has an eye for royalty, so she guessed even before Sakura's introduction and moved to stand. She smiles and offers a curtsy in return.] The pleasure is mine, Princess.

[She glances at the table--were those drinks there before?--ah, well, courtesy first. She's starting to get how this goes.] Will you not join me? I seem to be in want of company in spite of odd circumstances.

........................lmao WUT. P.S. [1/2]

[favoured_child]

Mm, I'd like that very much! My companions are missing as well, but I know they're strong enough to take care of themselves...especially since this place doesn't seem at all dangerous right now.

[a_tiny_sunshine]

[Sakura settles into her seat, though she waits and times it so she sits down at the exact same time as Hilde. When she speaks again, her expression and voice are both a bit more subdued.]

...And in any case...someone I know who's very wise always said, 'People meet the person they must meet at the time they must meet that person...and parting is exactly the same.' I can't help thinking she's right...

[+ now HAPPY VOICE is back lol]

So there must be a reason we got to meet like this!

You never watched the PPH? :O SUCH GOOD TIMES IN THE OLD DAYS OF DISNEY

[swearbymyname]

[Ah, Hilde likes her already. :D

And it seems their food was served when she wasn't looking, but her attention's still entirely on Sakura.] Indeed. I believe there is a reason to every meeting--and yet regardless, I am pleased to have made your acquaintance.

[And this is genuine curiosity here, not just polite conversation; as loyal and devoted to her own kingdom as she is, she's still interested in learning as much as she can about foreign lands.] I believe you said you came from Clow? My apologies, but I do not believe I have heard the name.

...I'm just. Trying to reconcile the current BLOODKNIGHT!Phase with this past YAYPRINCESSES!Phase |D

[favoured_child]

Mm, that doesn't surprise me...I'm probably from an entirely different world than you are. I think everyone I've met here so far is.

Clow is a desert kingdom, with only a few lovingly-tended patches of ground fertile enough to grow things, but I love it dearly. All of the people are so wonderful, and we all manage just fine. My older brother is the king now, and he's actually really good at it...though I'd say Yukito-san, his advisor and the royal magician, probably has a lot to do with that.

[Sakura pauses just long enough to look down at the food in front of her--and she doesn't recognise a thing, but wow it looks good and it smells even better. But though she moves to pick up her fork, her attention is already back on Hilde.]

What's your kingdom like?

HAHA I guess that WAS a bit of an odd contrast...

[swearbymyname]

I have heard tales of desert kingdoms, but business has not brought me one as of yet. But your Clow does indeed sound lovely, and I am certain it is in capable hands if your brother is half as compassionate in manner as you.

[And here there comes a new element to her smile, an undeniable fondness.] I come from Wolfkrone, a small but bustling kingdom in Germany, if you know the country. In its prime, it is a lovely place, as well, its climate changing with the seasons; spring is the most beautiful, after the frost melts but before the heat of summer arrives, when all is in bloom.

[Her smile fades slowly into something a little more solemn, a little more professional again] ...As I said, that is in its prime. I regret to say that my kingdom has seen its worst days of war in recent years, and it now bears a sad resemblance to its original glory. I currently rule in my ill father's stead, and recently my forces were victorious over our enemy--but recovery for my people will take time.

[a_tiny_sunshine]

[...Oooooh, part of her wants to let Hilde know just what a meanie her brother really is--how he taunts and teases her, and picks fights with...with someone she can't quite remember, but who she knows was (is?) important to her--but she's too interested by the rest of what the other princess has to say to interject with something like that, and soon her focus has shifted entirely.]

I'm afraid I don't know that country, but it really does sound amazingly beautiful.

[She lowers her head a little, her expression slightly sad, because although she was young when her brother had to take the throne, she remembers her father very well, and knows how precious that father-daughter bond is. She doesn't know what's wrong with Hilde's father, or how bad it might be, but whether it's just a passing thing or something far worse, the basic sense of concern is the same.]I'm sorry to hear about your father...but with someone as strong as you there to lead your people, he must know that he doesn't have to worry about your kingdom. I'm sure you'll be

[swearbymyname]

[She smiles and nods appreciatively. She only hopes that the King will recover enough to recognize the deeds that his people have accomplished; there's been no change ever since he went mad all those years ago, driven to an incomprehensible state of mind to the point where he didn't even recognize Hilde's face -- and she hasn't returned home since Nightmare's fall, so she has no way of knowing how his recovery fares. 8\ But she's hopeful, as she's been for all this time.]

I thank you. I have believed for years that his recovery is possible; I only hope my absence does not last terribly long, although I have utmost faith in my steward in the meantime.

[And then she takes to her glass, breaking for a moment before shifting the subject. Her father certainly isn't a sensitive issue, but she imagines it's not very interesting talk for a non-Wolfkrone citizen aside from the basics.]

Might I ask--have you crossed paths with any companions in this place? That is, any from your world?

[a_tiny_sunshine]

I'm afraid not. I've been here for some time now, and although I've made...some very dear friends, I haven't seen any of my companions since I arrived. I haven't met anyone else from "Germany" or "Wolfkrone" either...um, at least, no one who volunteered that sort of information...

But I'm not too worried. One of the places my friends and I visited, two of our companions were separated from us, and while the time only seemed like a few days to us, we later learned that for them, an entire year had passed. But it wasn't an unpleasant year, and they eventually rejoined us with no promblems, and we continued on with our journey just like before.

WHOOPS, forgot to add--

[favoured_child]

[She gives a half-sheepish little laugh, though there's still the usual bubbly & encouraging quality to it, too.]

So...! I guess what I'm saying is, if you're really meant to be with the people you were traveling with, you'll find them again sometime! Maybe later rather than sooner, but...so long as the threads of your Fate are intertwined...they're still a part of you, part of your life, and part of your Story.

[swearbymyname]

Mm. [Hilde smiles again, nodding.] That is a wise point of view--and all too true.

You sound as though you have seen a lot for your years. [lol acting-Queen or not, Hilde's not really one to talk. |D;]

[a_tiny_sunshine]

[Sakura...takes that in a positive way, lol. 'Cause optimism is just how she rolls, even though she's well aware of the possible bad side of things.]

Mm! Lots of the worlds we've been to have been pretty incredible! At once place, one of my companions and I ended up staying with and performing in a traveling circus, and in another, the 'world' we were transported into wasn't real at all--it was actually some sort of game at an amusement park, where your body stayed in a special sort of chair while your...mind, I guess, was sent into the game-world. So if someone got hurt or killed there, they wouldn't really be getting hurt or killed.

But you sound like you've probably seen a lot, too, Hilde-san.

I'M COMING FOR YOU, TAG NIRVANA

[swearbymyname]

[All that gets a genuinely curious look amusement... park? Perhaps it is similar to a festival before she nods again.]

Nothing so outlandish, I am sure, but I have indeed had the honor of seeing many different lands in recent years. Only in battle, unfortunately, or while riding to it -- occasionally for the sake of political matters. Even so, I have come across many a strange creature that my own country has never seen the likes of: strange beasts, stranger men, and odd sorts of magic.

[And she won't elaborate, specifically on the mention of beasts and men, because that really isn't dinner talk -- nor would she want to push details of (sometimes) grave battle on another. That does tend to be more of a topic among men, from her experience.]

So while our current location is still a strange place, it is nonetheless... considerably more tame. And for that I am grateful.

/DENIED EVEN FURTHER, FUFUFU~

[a_tiny_sunshine]

It...it can be very peaceful here, but I wouldn't feel right if I didn't warn you that it can be really dangerous sometimes, too. It's not like any other place I've ever been, really--sometimes things stay the same for months, but then they'll change without any sort of warning in minutes.

[...And WAUGH, they should be enjoying this dinner, and here Sakura is putting a damper on the fun they should be having! .__.||| However, she can't help adding one last thing.]

You seem like the type of person who can look after herself, though, but still...

[There's an unspoken please, be careful in Sakura's tone to match the shade of concern in her eyes. Because Hilde does look very strong physically--something Sakura envies her for just a little--but sometimes physical strength isn't enough, especially considering what this place is likely capable of...]