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 Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2014 9:30 am
Prompt 1: THE QUEEN
You open your eyes from the deepest of sleeps with the sound and the memory of a nonsense poem in your mind. Some of you will remember only bits and pieces, snippets and words, and others will remember the poems in their entirety, playing over and over in the back of your head.
As you shake away the cobwebs, you realize this is not your home, not the swamp or the plain or the mountains you're familiar with. This is not where you fell asleep. And your eyes land on a pale doe with serious eyes, something like a crown crooked on her head.
"The poem, yes?"
She sounds empathetic. Maybe. Or maybe she's faking it.
"If you want to find out what it means, you have to cross the marsh." She turns her head and points with her chin, meaningfully. "And perhaps, along the way, you will learn enough about yourself to take up a crown of your own..."
Whether or not you trust her, what else can you do...?
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OOC INFO:
This is the first CYOA prompt, which will serve as a signup prompt; if you're interested in participating in this event, you must reply to the prompt above in whatever way you'd like. Write the poem, or bits and pieces, or just reply to the doe, but whatever you do, you must decide to take on the Queen's quest and move on to the next round.
You have until December 26th at 11:59 PM EST to complete this prompt and join in the event [but, realistically, I'll probably accept entries until around noon on the 27th XP].
Remember that this is a LONG event, with 10 prompts that each participant will be expected to reply to [except for those who are eliminated, of course], though your replies don't have to be long!
OK....GO!
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Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2014 2:52 pm
 PROMPT 1: I hope I did this right ksldfsdf
He cannot remember how, but he is here.
A laugh escapes him, rough sounding, guttural from a dry throat. He flicks his head, one ear twisting behind him as his eyes adjust to his surroundings, and he takes everything in with an interest that is yet to be abated. When he sees the doe, sees what he thinks is a crown, he automatically bends a knee, wondering if she is someone to be respected.
"A poem?" he repeats, bemused, but if that is what she wishes for, then he will give it. And, now that he thinks on it, he thinks he recalls something deep within the confines of his mind.
"__ two steps forward
then two steps ___
turn your eyes ___ the sky
___ the icy air and ___"
It's fragmented; he's not even sure if it means anything at all, but the words seep into his thoughts, coloring them with curiosity. Victor bows his head, because in spite of the confusion, he wishes to move forward, if she will let him.
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Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2014 4:05 pm
Prompt 1: THE QUEENA hum has leaked from the dream into reality as she opens her eyes. It doesn't come as a shock initially to find herself somewhere new and foreign. She's had dreams like this -- well not this, but dreams of wakefulness all the same. The hum falters then dries up as she takes in the white doe. She's -- "The poem, yes?" -- "Beautiful," she whispers, then blinks. Oh. The poem, yes. "Blind rook,
Leaping kiokote,
Don't topple -- don't topple."She wrinkles her nose. That's not quite right, definitely not whole. It is pieces though. Perhaps it is enough to start. She takes a look at the doe, once more, and then nods. She'll go. Of course, she'll go.
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Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2014 4:27 pm
Prompt 1A dream was a cruel sort of punishment. His sleeping self was aware of the dream, and determined to remember it. What a fantastic story this would make! If only his waking self could have recalled as much of it as his dream self required. Web found himself opening his eyes, and staring after the words in his dreams as they vanished as wakefulness took him. Well that was just great. There goes another great story! How did it go? Something something follow the something... and... a stone... and... Oh or the love of the motherfather, Web couldn't remember it at ALL! And it had been so fantastic too! He was about to stomp his hooves in irritation when he noticed a fine, strange doe looking at him. The poem? Yes, it was a poem, wasn't it! Web nodded as he listened to her speak. An adventure, hmm? In a strange land with a strange doe? This could be an even better tale to tell... Web looks again in the direction she nodded her chin, and takes a few timid steps.
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Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2014 5:45 pm
Another passing vision of dubious meaning from the Swamp, thought Murkcrow, as he stood up to work the stiffness from his bones. This wasn't the first time he had woke without waking, found himself standing in some strange place - it looked, honestly a little empty, save for the strange doe watching him intently. Somewhere in the back of his mind a wordless, half-remembered melody repeated itself, a jumble of sounds he couldn't quite make out, like listening to a song from a long distance off. The doe said something, and he turned his attention from the maddening tune to what she had to say. "The poem, yes? If you want to find out what it means, you have to cross the marsh. And perhaps, along the way, you will learn enough about yourself to take up a crown of your own..." Murkcrow inclined his head toward her. "Crowns and the like I have no interest in, but I'm curious enough about this poem, if that is what it is." Actually, he wasn't curious much at all, but he'd already learned that Swamp-dreams were easier when you did what you were expected to do. He turned in the direction the doe had indicated, steeling himself for whatever trial was in store for him.
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Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2014 7:52 pm
PROMPT 1: THE QUEEN"The poem, yes?" Raven Talker fancied herself a shaman, of sorts; had certainly interpreted dreams, spoke to birds, was passingly familiar with charms and poultices ... and had never in her admittedly short life come to experience anything like this. She woke up with a start, picked herself up off of the ground, and glanced up: in the trees, her companion Listen advised her next move with a raucous quork. The poem went on and on inside of her head, a jumble of words that rapidly shifted into consonant and vowel sounds and then back again. On and on and on. The white doe was still staring at her. Raven shrank back for a moment, self-conscious, before tossing her head in an attempt to muster up some self-confidence. "What about the poem?" Her voice was direct, a little defensive. She'd forgotten half of it. Something about what sleeps under the sand and an acha and a kimeti and who knows what. "If you want me to go, though," she added, nearly cutting off the queen after a too-long pause, "I'll go."
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Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2014 8:48 pm
PROMPT 1: The Queen
She woke like a foal, her legs trembling, her breath feeling new and difficult at the same time. The Kiokote got shakily to her hooves, rapidly blinking eyes still heavy with strange dreams, her strength yet feeling diminished. Squinting, she tried to take in her surroundings, immediately stricken with familiarity in the alien land: it was not the first time she'd awakened in a strange place, not the first time she shook off dreams elsewhere from where she'd first fallen into them.
Like last time, she was not alone. Unlike last time, this one seemed to have more than half a clue of what was going on. The mention of a poem seemed to cut through her lethargy, her next breath not as difficult, her focus sharpening. The poem. A raucous thrum of words that clamored for sense, clarity not easily grasped, echoing back to memory in a bit of a jumbled mess.
Ascent nodded. She vaguely remembered the poem; it was coming back to her, slowly, yet still shedding her sleep. The Kiokote turned to where the Queen indicated, exhaling slowly. Like most of this, it was not her first time dealing with a Queen who wished to put a crown on her head. She was in a strange land, now, playing by another's rules. The least she could do was play it to see how far she could get this time. Bowing her head to the Queen, her decision was made. "So may it be."
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Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2014 9:17 pm
Prompt 1: The Queen The dream...so real, so alive. She didn't know what woke her from the dream, but awaken she did. The repetitive poem from the dream, drifting through her mind. Frozen couldn't make it out, just the cadence working through. Looking around, the doe realized that she wasn't in the mountains or the plains that she visited most often. Don't look back, keep moving forward...Shaking her head, she looked at the doe. "Yes a poem. I..I can't make it out, but it is there." At the moment it was still bothering her, the barely there words. So soft in memory that it was like a fly buzzing around in her head. "Anything to help find out what it means, I will do what has to be done."
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Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2014 11:22 pm
Prompt 1: The Queen The Killing Moon blinks languidly in his newly wakened state and isn’t too surprised to find himself somewhere else entirely from where he started. The dream – the first dream, he amends – is still playing through his mind. Scatter, chatter, matter, splatter. Nonsense words, a poem. The words rearrange themselves, lyrics drop from his mind like stones, others rise to the surface and tease him with their meaning. When his gaze falls on the doe, it is veiled and thoughtful. He smiles once, the gesture hardly reaching his eyes. She’s pretty, he thinks, but he can’t be bothered playing the charm game today. He’s travelled too far and walked through too many dreams to be bothered. "I see," he says noncommittally, looking away towards the marsh. Then he smiles true and there’s a glint in his eyes, but it’s not for her "Let’s see what I find, hm? I wouldn’t mind a crown." Every prince needs a crown.
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Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2014 12:29 am
 Prompt 1: THE QUEEN
"...Okay!" Apathy said, being one of many words. If she thought anything about this scenario was weird, she gave no indication; on the contrary, she felt it lacked a little oomph. The land was strange, but it always is in dreams. She had a poem about sticks of varying width, too, but it didn't sound like good prophecy material. Where were the four-headed birds, and her friends, the hairy toads? If she crossed the marsh, would she see them again?
There was only one way to find out!
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Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2014 7:51 am
Prompt 1: To be honest it wasn't the strangest dream Winter is Coming has had. A few things did startle him though, the fact that this was not where he fell asleep originally, and the nagging feeling of familiarity from the dream. He partly felt this doe or another had been present in it, the crown seemed important. When she mentioned a poem he started to remember the dream. Pieces of it came back to him. ...a bed of thorns...red snow falling.... All other pieces were lost to him though. "I will cross the marsh. I do not know which crown you speak of though." He had not much interest in crowns but this poem begged him to be solved. Winter set out to cross the marsh, he had to know more.
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Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2014 8:37 am
Prompt 1: The Queen
She shook the sleep from her eyes and found herself not at home. Cobwebs in her horns, words in her head, just an echo she cannot even recall. Before her, a pale doe, pale as moonlight, stood.
"The poem, yes?"
Yes, a poem, that must have been what she had heard. The pale doe tells her to cross the marsh to learn more about herself...a crown... Lightbringer walked forward without a touch of doubt.
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Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2014 11:46 am
Prompt 1:Dances-With-Doves opens his eyes slowly, the tip of his tail twitching slightly in rhythm with a poorly-remembered tune, all that's left of a dream that is fast escaping his memory. He looks around in confusion, not sure where he is. The kimeti is nervous at first, though he doesn't let it show, getting gracefully to his feet. He dips his head in a respectful greeting when he sees the pale doe, following her gaze across the marsh and nodding his agreement thoughtfully with a small smile. Whether she's trustworthy or not, he does not know, but he has no idea where home is from here, so he may as well head this direction as any. Setting one hoof in front of the other, he begins to make his way across the marsh.
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Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2014 3:00 pm
PROMPT 001
"If you want to find out what it means, you have to cross the marsh..."
Blessed blinked her eyes open, vision clouded with sleep; head seemingly muffled by a poem repeating itself over and over, though the words were too low for Blessed to grasp. The Crowned Doe stood before her and Blessed, quickly, averted her gaze; watching the ground rather than the woman giving her orders... or were they just helpful hints? Blessed couldn't tell. Everything about the doe seemed too haughty to be helpful.
The grey-colored kiokote was hesitant about following such a kin, but, the words in her head that she couldn't quite make out were a big enough mystery for the ever-curious Blessed Offering to decide crossing the marsh was, indeed, the next action to be carried out. "I'll go, then..." she murmurs, still refusing to look the Queen in the eye. What else was there for her to do, after all?
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Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2014 8:59 pm
PROMPT 1:
my hair...
... my limbs
... my voice
my soul...
Fragments of a melancholy song floated through Neither's mind filling them with a bitter sense of loss and longing. My hair...They raised their groggy head, unable to remember when or where they had finally fallen into exhaustion but sure within moments that it was not here. Neither clambered to their feet, shaky hooves clicking dully on the cool damp rocks that made up the ground.
"The poem, yes?"
Neither turned sharp eyes towards the speaker but kept their silence in mistrust. My limbs...Their tail coiled and uncoiled quickly, betraying their anxiety even as their face wore a smooth and emotionless mask.
"If you want to find out what it means, you have to cross the marsh. And perhaps, along the way, you will learn enough about yourself to take up a crown of your own..."
My voice...Learn more about themself... Neither kept their mouth shut. It was not for this doe, whoever she was, to say that Neither didn't know their own heart. All they knew is they were stranded here, kidnapped likely against their will and given riddles as if it was a silly children's game of no consequence. Neither glanced in the direction indicated by the doe.
My soul... Given no other option, they turned their back on the crowned doe and left without a word. The path would lead them out, one way or another.
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