Tea in the Gardens and Antechambers

[kaolinandbone]

As the many multiversal guests are gated in, singly or in groups, a crowd slowly begins to form in the entry hall. Lioncourt looks up from her meditation break and claps her hands twice: in moments, a dozen automaton servants file out from the adjoining rooms, hands of gleaming white porcelain holding equally elegant china tea-sets. A pair of the automatons open the doors at the far end of the hall, revealing a tiered rose garden, the stone benches dotted here and there ringing a large central clearing.

"Tea is served, either here or in the gardens: I would appreciate it, however, if some of my guests might proceed onward so as to reduce crowding."

Comments

Dr. Realist

[antiprojectionist]

The purple-haired man declines to have tea, instead deciding to climb up on one of the stone benches and peer out over the garden. Between his purple hair, dishevelled-looking labcoat and scarecrow-like build, he's managing to make something of a spectacle of himself- even here at a multiversal party.

Re: Dr. Realist

[vvvvvvibrant]

The purple-uniformed woman sees this strange fellow and decides that clearly the correct thing to do is talk to him.

"Hello! See anything interesting from up there?"

Re: Dr. Realist

[antiprojectionist]

The purple-haired man sighs. "Mostly flowers. I am sick and tired of flowers. They're just... Look, I spent far too long in a world called a garden and I want less flowers. You seem to be interesting, why don't we go explore a bit?"

Re: Dr. Realist

[vvvvvvibrant]

"Sure, I'd be up for exploring the grounds. You could even say I've got a bit of a passion for exploring. Though I'll let you lead the way."

From her tone of voice, you'd think she was cracking a joke there.

Re: Dr. Realist

[antiprojectionist]

Dr. Realist smiles. "Sorry, that one's from a whole different universe of jokes. You could say it's out of this world." He is also punning. He is uncertain if it translates, but hey, no reason not to try.

He stretches his long, lanky limbs and hops down from the bench, cracking his neck and rolling his shoulders.

"So, door number one, door number two, or door number three?" He gestures to the row of doors along one wall of the courtyard.

Re: Dr. Realist

[vvvvvvibrant]

Violet smirks and opens the third door thus indicated, waving him towards it.

"I'm sure, if we tried hard enough, we could fill a whole dimension with puns."

Re: Dr. Realist

[antiprojectionist]

Dr. Realist flinches at the mention of 'a dimension of puns.'

"Please, don't. I spent a while in a place called Xanth once. It was... unpleasantly slapstick."

He follows Violet through the door, which appears to open into some sort of conservatory. A grand piano sits on the tiled floor: behind it, an octagonal overlook contains five large picture windows. It's clear even from across the room that not all the views through the adjacent windows are the same. Other instruments and potted plants are scattered haphazardly across the floor, immaculately clean but not arranged with any sense of the surrounding space.

"Hmm! This looks rather interesting, indeed." Dr. Realist grins, and picks up a violin. "I used to play one of these, you know." He scrapes the bow across the strings, producing an awful shriek.

"... Used to." He puts the violin back on its stand with a small chuckle.

Re: Dr. Realist

[vvvvvvibrant]

Violet nods sympathetically at the words 'unpleasantly slapstick', and flinches in turn at the terrible violin-playing.

"Whereas I still do play the piano, though I tend to prefer an electronic keyboard to a grand. Shall I, perhaps, try to play the tune I was referencing the title of earlier?"

Re: Dr. Realist

[antiprojectionist]

"It definitely can't be any worse than my violin playing. By all means, go on."

Dr. Realist steps over into the alcove formed by the windows, leaning against a windowsill as he waits for Violet to begin playing.

Re: Dr. Realist

[vvvvvvibrant]

Violet sits at the piano and, after a moment to reacquaint herself, manages a surprisingly accurate rendition.

((semi-related link))

Re: Dr. Realist

[antiprojectionist]

Dr. Realist applauds and smiles.

"It would seem to suit a synthesizer somewhat better, but quite a decent rendition indeed! I'd come stay in your universe... if it wasn't, er, collapsing." He rubs his head ruefully. "Sorry."

Re: Dr. Realist

[vvvvvvibrant]

"It's fine, the Many Worlds Forum has gotten us way closer to a solution than anything we've seen up to encountering it."

She stands up and stretches.

"Well, shall we continue?"

Re: Dr. Realist

[antiprojectionist]

Dr. Realist gestures to the windows behind him. "Wait, wait. It's hardly exploring if you don't stop and... Look at the views?"

Re: Dr. Realist

[vvvvvvibrant]

Violet looks at the windows... and does a double-take when she sees what should be the same point... not be that.

"Huh, I didn't even notice. I must have gotten too used to the strange geometry of the Souleye while it's in flight."

Having realized this, she pauses to appreciate each of the views in turn.

Re: Dr. Realist

[kaolinandbone]

The eastern window opens out over a rolling seascape, tall cliffs falling down to the sunlit ocean: the northeastern one stands over a courtyard amid a darkened forest, tall pines shrouding the stars; and the southeastern one stands over a bustling town, lights dimmed as the evening sun sets.

Re: Dr. Realist

[vvvvvvibrant]

But eventually they have to go and attend the coronation.

This fact becomes obvious when Violet's comm device beeps at her.