✟ i -- forward dated to morning

[abelard]

[In the morning sun, a horse trots through the front gates of the castle.

Cesare has just cast a look back at the city as he rides out to meet the French king and his allies.

But when he turns forward, he isn’t facing a sea of blue and their fearsome cannon. It’s… a palazzo. But certainly not one that Cesare has ever seen before. It doesn’t even look like anything in Rome. It's enormous.

He dismounts, only to find an open journal on the ground.]

What’s this then, some sort of... French trickery?

[And then… he sees that his words are being transcribed.]

What… hello?


[ OOC: have at!]

Comments

[heloise]

[ Lucrezia wakes earlier than most, going out to seek the satyrs she befriended and a little sad to see the castle back to normal. She liked the strawberry fields, and the classes.

But the castle's always been benevolent to her, hasn't it? Because now she sees her very own gift standing in Paradisa.

She laughs, first, at his horse and silly hat! ]

Cesare!

[abelard]

[Lucrezia is laughing, but Cesare just looks incredibly concerned. Why is his sister in the potential line of fire? Who knows where the cannons are hidden!]

Lucrezia, what are you doing? You must return back to the city at once!

[heloise]

[ More laughing because it all just bubbles over and she can't make herself stop. So here is running toward him as fast as she can in her dress. She has to make sure he is real. ]

Am I dreaming?

[abelard]

Dreaming of what? If the answer is battlefields, then yes.

[heloise]

Of you, here.

[ She comes close enough to tug on his coat, making sure all of him is right. ]

Why would you dream of battlefields, brother?

[abelard]

[He grabs her face.]

Have you caught fever, sister? Rome is under threat, the French are coming. But they have hidden themselves...

[heloise]

[ She smiles, and reaches out to smooth out that frown from his face. ]

Fret not, brother, we are in Rome no longer and here the French cannot hurt us.

[abelard]

[He leans closer to her, less panicked by her continued calm demeanor.]

How can we be anywhere but Rome? We did not leave.

[heloise]

[ She thinks it's working. The frown's less prominent now. ]

I left for Pesaro. But we are here now, in Paradisa. [ Surely he understands. ]

[assassino]

[chuckle.]

I don't think the French are intelligent enough for that.

[abelard]

[TALKING BOOK, Cesare nearly drops it.]

W - what sorcery is this!

[assassino]

[LAUGHS... and jokes:]

I am the voice of God.

[abelard]

[SKEPTICAL...]

If you are in fact God, then I would wager you have contacted the wrong person. Surely you want His Holiness, and not I.

[assassino]

Are you familiar with the Pope, then?

[abelard]

I would hope so.

[assassino]

Well, good thing I am not God, then. Welcome to Paradisa.

[abelard]

Paradisa? And what of Rome?

[secondchances]

French trickery? That's specific. Do we even have French people here?

[abelard]

[Stop talking, book! Cesare hesitantly answers.]

It is the French that threaten Rome.

[secondchances]

Rome, huh? [She hears about that place often enough. Newbie senses tingling.

HMM.]

Do you want the good news or the bad news first?

[abelard]

There is news?

[secondchances]

What kind of response is that?

[abelard]

The kind I would give when I do not expect news?

[secondchances]

Right. Anyway... first thing's first, I guess. When I say magic, you think...

[abelard]

[Uhhhhhhhh.........]

Witchcraft?