[open] PADORU PADORU (aka: bad caroling)

[neronian]

WHO: Nero (neronian), Wei Wuxian (espritdecorpse), Tristan (noholdsbard), and whichever poor souls will be subject to this racket (aka you!)
WHERE: All over the town!
WHEN: December.
WHAT: Questing. Well, one quest in particular: going caroling with someone. An emperor, a necromancer, and a Knight of the Round Table all go caroling. Being Tristan is suffering.
WARNINGS: Nothing, save for Nero's bad singing voice, probably.

[ Courtesy of Nero and Wei Wuxian's whims, and the elves for delivering (yes, delivering) Tristan to her and her roommate so aptly and quickly, it begins. The eccentric entourage begin their caroling journey all throughout Chroma, from Ruga, to Bluo, to even Flavo, if they don't get too tired and nobody tries to run away. Nero sidles up to the residences, peering into the windows (when she can, she's a short one, you see) to check if someone's home.

If the lights are on, or she hears movement and activity inside, she saunters up to the door and raps one of her gloved fists against it, giving it a few hearty knocks. One, two, three firm and loud knocks! ]

Hello?

[ Should the occupant open the door, they will see a group of 3: Nero, short and clad in red, Wei Wuxian, a tall man who seems to have a flute in hand, and Tristan, another tall man who seems to have a bow-harp of sorts, and is looking pretty much utterly despondent and sad, but he always looks like that, so don't mind him. ]

Comments

[espritdecorpse]

[ An instant later it's gone. He springs to his feet and reaches for his cloak. ]

Yes! What a good idea! I'm sure we'll have fun!

[ He twirls his flute through his fingers and stuffs it in his sash. ]

Trouble is, I don't know any "Christmas Carols." You'll have to teach me some! Do you know any, Brother Archer?

[ There's a significant stress on the word "Brother." Is that a glint in his eye too? No, must be coincidence. ]

[noholdsbard]

Oh, but— [ Was—Was he the only one who noticed the weird aura in the room all of a sudden?? Saber???

He looks from her to Wei Wuxian, feeling a deep, dark dread pool in his gut even as he gives the man a wounded look of betrayal. He knows what they’re up to. He should’ve known. Is that why the elves brought him here?? He doesn’t want to think that. He doesn’t want to believe that Fate could be this cruel…! ]

Oh, to have sought out my king, only to be thrown into a lion’s den…

[neronian]

[ Nero noticed, on some subconscious level, but her current delusions of grandeur kind of smothered it. And even if she were aware of it, this is not a Holy Grail War at the moment, so she's not too concerned.

Tristan's hardy. He'll live, even if he's wandered into a lion's den instead of to the Lion King. Maybe his first mistake was to presume that Santa Alter wouldn't come and meet him directly in her Llamrei Mk. II, and would send strange creatures as her envoys instead... ]

I know a few, but I believe Archer would know more. Celebrating the Christmas season is not something I do very often.

[ H-Ha...ha...(just ignore her paganism, guys). ]

[espritdecorpse]

Don't be so dramatic!

[ He ruffles Archer's red hair. ]

Stop crying and share your vast knowledge with—ah!

[ He throws his arms wide, beaming. He's clearly had a Great Idea. ]

There are music scores in the library. Bet we'll find some Christmas carols, if we look. Let's stop there first!

[noholdsbard]

[ Look, his first mistake was believing in a Santa who was, after all, a ruthless tyrant.

Kind of like Nero, actually… ]

I suppose you won’t be needing me then… [ He’s still going to try and escape this. At least her paganism doesn’t faze him, but everything about this situation certainly does! He’ll have to ask the particulars of why Wuxian would be so bold as to ask an emperor to undress, if only because he’s not sure even Wuxian can explain why he’s simultaneously being helpful and trying to sabotage him by turns.

Haven’t the elves done enough? ]

Oh, what a pity. I really must be going then— [ He’s gonna take a step back and try and get to the door before anyone can object— ]

[neronian]

[ Silly Tristan, thinking his class advantage would save him here. Nero's hand shoots out in the blink of an eye, tugging on Tristan's upper arm, seemingly completely ignoring his lamentations. ]

Nonsense, Archer! Whether there are scores in the library or not, I am certain your knowledge will prove invaluable.

[ There's no telling how many scores will be there, after all, and they'll need all the variety they can get. ]

[espritdecorpse]

[ He reaches for Archer's other arm, the man's lamentations also completely ignored. ]

Ha ha ha! Not so fast. Have you forgotten? As Maiden Nero so astutely observed not half a moment ago, you're a blue, which is necessary for the quest.

[ The corners of his mouth tug into a smile, and he bats his eyelashes. ]

We just caaaaaaaaan't do without you!

[noholdsbard]

[ Tristan looks despondently from one to the other, trapped between Nero’s reassurances and Wuxian’s…gloating.

This isn’t good. This isn’t good at all. He’d barely recovered from the last time he’d heard her sing, and there were the other aspiring idols in Chaldea… ]

Then I have no choice but to give in. [ It really is his destiny to get pushed around by the whims of Fate, after all. The most he can do these days is accept it.

At the very least, he already knows Wuxian for a competent musician. It wouldn’t hurt to teach him a carol or two—what could go wrong? (Everything, Tristan. Everything.) ]