SLEEPING BEAUTIES EPILOGUE: THE KISS

[yourkeepers]

[For all your kissing needs.]

Comments

for eijij

[armedanddangerous]

Squawky Man is collapsed on his back halfway down one of the smaller staircases in the Grand Hall. Even while sleeping, he looks pretty peeved. This probably isn't going to be a pleasant experience for anyone.

[medalrider]

While picking his way through the wreckage of the Grand Hall he comes across a figure partially obscured by vines. He doesn't waste a second in ripping them away to free whoever is beneath them. He's shocked when he finds the angry bird man, furious even in sleep, with his feathers all out of sorts.

If the house was telling the truth, then all he had to do was kiss him and he would wake up. It seemed embarrassing, doubly so because it was this guy. He was pretty sure the bird hated him. But if he wanted him to wake up (and he did, he wanted everyone to wake up and be happy and safe), then he had to do it. Bird guy was just going to have to deal with it.

He leans in and kisses him right on the mouth.

no kisses lined up, first come first served!

[vinetattoos]

The garden boy is entangled in some very stubbornly affectionate vines in the Inner Gardens, near the doors to the Great Hall. The flowers in his hair are closed, and the vines on his arms are still.

and what a fantastic way for sibs to meet again for the first time

[brassandblood]

Now that she's covered in metal and able to keep from burning things on contact, the forge is making her way into the gardens - after all, the vines started there and it was the hardest hit, so it stands to reason that there will be more people to find and bring back to waking in there. She's not exactly excited about the idea of kissing people - it's mostly baffling to her, especially that it would be required to break a spell - but she's not disgusted by it either.

It's not far to go before she's found someone. She hesitates when she sees the boy still wrapped in vines, though. He's covered in plants, and after her last adventure in the garden she's wary of touching anything easily set aflame, even shielded as she is. Still, after a moment she sighs and leans in, lightly pressing her lips to his.

Here's hoping it works.

for strix and ziz

[nosentimentalist]

In the library, you'll find this typewriter sprawled on the floor. He looks a bit beat up, what with the scratches on his metal skin, and even those characteristic large glasses of his are crooked and out of place on his nose.

Well, at least he looks like he's sleeping peacefully. The fact that he's metal, though, might be a bit of a problem for people looking to not kiss someone that's going to be naturally colder than them.

Re: for strix and ziz

[peafowl]

The twins approach the typewriter, cautiously. The blue peacock keeps tugging on the sleeve of his twin, worried about the vines snagging them both again, despite Mason's assurances.

The typewriter seems to have been missed in the rush to revive everyone. After a brief conference, during which the pink peacock states that she's not kissing a guy, the blue peacock (who is not at all averse to the idea of kissing the typewriter, metal or no metal) kneels by the typewriter, straightens his glasses and kisses him, very gently, on the lips, leaving some of his bright blue lipstick there.

open

[hourglassfigure]

Hourglass girl is out cold over here; she's undamaged, generally, apart from this little crack on her knee, which is where the vines got her. Her hourglass lies on the ground next to her open hand. It sure would be terrible if someone took it or something.

Still open - looking for a third!

[hand_of_courage]

The timekeeper, having been awoken at some point by someone was on the search for others who were asleep to help them. He wasn't sure how to wake them up - the person who had helped him hadn't been that clear - but he could definitely take them to someplace safe where someone else could do the work.

As he searched he happened to find the woman made of glass lying on the floor. She was awfully pretty, but he didn't recognize her at all. What he did recognize was the hourglass near her hand. At least, he recognized what it was. It didn't occur to him that it probably belonged to the woman, only that it must have been important and she looked like she was trying to keep it safe. Well, he could do that!

He picked it up and carefully wrapped it in some of the excess cloth he still had from cobbling together his belt pouches. It would serve as adequate protection for the hourglass. Once that was done, he took a look over the woman. She had a noticeable crack on her knee. That could be a problem. He wondered if that would make it difficult to wake her once he found someone else to help with that.

Once he was certain he had the rest of his items secured, he picked her up in both arms and started walking towards the Dining Hall. People would probably be gathering there. Because food was there.

open

[creased]

The book girl's ended up in a heap with some of her less humanoid brethren. She's badly scratched, as though an editor's been hard at work on her skin's text, but she breathes easily in her sleep.

[ovidscholar]

Out of all the things-- the people-- that he'd wake, he chooses the book. He hardly knows her, and so his movements are dainty and prim. He snaps his wrist and brushes invisible dust off the page of her cheek. He moves at an angle, nose crooked absurdly over her cheek, and kisses the corner of her mouth.

Barricaded on the inside of the hearth room, and open!

[manelesscatking]

The sleeping page's hair is placid, and they rest sideways against a barricade with their head cradled in a chair. Tiny rivulets of blood run from a few cuts along their face. It's a slim chance that anybody'd be able to sneak through the barricaded door, but anyone already in the hearth room or with the ability to fit through cracks in doors would probably have a quick time of smooching the sleeper.

[vinetattoos]

By the time the garden (now calling himself Kale) makes it inside the house, the barricade has been well-destroyed by the other traffic through the hearth room, though the page has heartlessly been left among the debris. After finding the dog girl asleep in the garden, Kale had decided to seek out their other traveling companion to pass along Ember's cure for the magical sleep.

Finding the page among the partially-destroyed (and very singed) furniture, Kale kneels next to them. Looking around, he pulls some sort of fabric scrap from the debris to wipe most of the blood from the page's wounds. Once that's done, he sighs, unable to justify procrastination any longer, and leans in to kiss the fallen Fairest gently.

open and I sure do need a beast icon

[virulentvexation]

WHO WANTS TO KISS A HYDRA? Because "Trinity" sure got magicked asleep in her beast form. Three heads, yo. Gonna chance just one or all of them?

More helpfully, she's relatively unscathed, sporting a few scratches on the underside of her neck and belly.

[rocksthecourt]

Between his last conversation with Mason and now all this, MusicBox can't say he trusts him at all. Who's to even say he's telling the truth about this supposed "solution" either? Maybe he's just trying to trick them into another mess somehow. But the fact remains that many of the house's inhabitants are tangled up in vines and are out cold. Even if he doesn't completely believe this will work, they have to do something, don't they? So they might as well try it.

Apparently, that's a lot easier to say than to do in this case. Rather than rushing over to help, MusicBox is simply staring down at one of the heads of the... um... animal he'd found lying there. Unlike a few of the others, he can't identify what this is exactly... but it's huge. And intimidating. And very much did not look kissable.

...Is this even one of them? It probably is. But what if it isn't?

open!

[keepscalm]

He's tangled up fairly well within the Inner Gardens, nearer to the house where the foliage isn't as thick. There are plenty of scratches on him to speak of, though they don't seem to really bleed. And for once, he's not glaring! It's a shock, really.

I guess SOMEONE has to keep grumpybrows from sleeping forever

[fifty]

The messenger had mostly been wondering at all the fiery destruction--floating from place to place to look at the mess and, really, to marvel at the thoroughness with which everything seemed to be scalded with fire damage. He stumbles across the other servant tangled up in dead vines and, for a moment, wonders why he's still asleep before he remembers the conditions of the slumber involved.

Well, someone will probably get around to him lat--

The memory hits him then, pushing his other thoughts aside for faces and voices. He's there, and then there four are others--others whose names he can't remember, but one of them is the very same Darkling caught in the vines. He looks different, in the memory--less washed-out--but he recognizes the eyebrows and the face comes after. They're all shouting about--about something, it's difficult to tell with all the names blanked out in his mind. It's a meeting, they're all meeting up to discuss--something important? Even though mostly they seem to argue, the messenger himself remembers being cheerful enough about the meeting in question. Even the arguing was kind of amusing.

Then the memory stops, and he's left staring at the gardener in the vines. His first thought is to nudge and shove at the gardener, as if that would wake him up. "Hey, hey! Hey! I--I've met you before!"

It's only once his excited half-panic subsides that he remembers the conditions. He hesitates, floats back and forth as if he were shifting from foot to foot, and then kisses the gardener as quickly as possible, darting back as soon as it's done.

"Wake up, wake up!"

for kotetsu.

[ex_maelstroms207]

Beneath the starlight of the lounge, the Fairest sleeps, beautiful though he is battle-worn with bruises adorning his jaw, thorns yet entangled in his hair, and scratches marring his cheeks. A certain tiger, should he be on the prowl, will find the escort fallen behind a barricade of couches and chairs—it seems the Fairest had returned for something, despite knowing full well that the location had been overrun with vines.

But for who? What? Ah, only time will tell.

i'm so sorry for the late, bb

[earnedmystripes]

Mason had to make everything difficult, didn't he. The tiger doesn't even know why he feels so terribly awkward about the thought of kissing the people who fell asleep, but the lack of a reasonable justification for not wanting to doesn't make it any less uncomfortable.

Still, there's that thought, the one that woke him, and it's what drives him to seek out those who were knocked out by the vines. He thinks of that Fairest man who fought by his side against the onslaught of the vines, and the last place he'd seen the servant had been in the Lounge. So the tiger skulks his way back over to that room, tail twitching in slight nervousness. The mass of vines all around makes it hard to see anything else in the room, and he nearly leaves before he sees a few strands of brilliantly silver hair entangled in the overgrown foliage.

He trots on over, but his trepidation about the actual kissing is cut short--he trips on a vine and falls, right into the servant's proverbial and literal lap. Sorry for the slightly rough impact, bro.

for Sollux

[chromaticscale]

When the vines took her, the fish girl was dragged underneath the water's surface. Koi fish now weave between the lingering vines, nipping at her fingers to no avail. She rests just inches from air, but her gills took over instinctively, so the only thing hinting to her whereabouts is the little cluster of bubbles right above her face-- no one can hear you snore underwater, but in the right circumstances, they can see it. Even beneath the soft ripples and refracted light dancing across her face, she sleeps with a peaceful look, like she simply fell asleep there of her own will. Leave it to her to be positive even in her unwilling slumber.

[seerchlight]

He doesn't leave it to chance. Very soon after he's been awoken himself, the searchlight is already backtracking to where he knows that he slept. Hours and hours of hazy dreams later, he's going to finish what he started.

It doesn't take him long to find her pond. The vines have started to wither, but not enough. He can see how they've plunged beneath the water, and to a sight like his, the bubbles are all too obvious.

He only hesitates for a moment, hovering above the water as he contemplates his line of action. Then he's plunging beneath, fueled by his nebulous levitation, and heading straight for the vines entangling her legs.

His claws make short work of them, now that they're weakened. Once he's broken them up enough that he knows she'll be able to wiggle free, he returns for a breath of air, only to plunge beneath again.

Hands sliding over fish scales for purchase, luminous in his underwater light, he presses his lips to hers.

open

[fifty]

The messenger is sprawled out across a few cushions in the lounge quite haphazardly--having been dropped out of the sky by the vines, his sleeping position doesn't exactly look like the most comfortable situation, and his hands and neck are scratched up where his clothing doesn't cover them. He looks peaceful enough, though--it's rare not to see him moving, especially in a calm way.

[subtleserenity]

Brimstone raises her brow at the sight of the fairest changeling. She's still just a little incredulous that kissing is what's meant to wake them, but she owes him. And she's come to the lounge looking for people to help after the library. She sighs, then leans down and places a brief kiss on his lips. Lucky no true love need be involved in this.

For Wrathion

[whitepawn]

His own awakening was abrupt and as confusing as some of the things he went through while asleep. As fate would have it the circumstances that pulled him from his dream world was about as unique as the ones that caused him to fall asleep. After a red faced thank you to his own awakener, he wastes little time to getting up and his bearings in the large house. He never made it more than a few feet into the grand hall after rushing from the pond within the inner garden where the searchlight and the fish girl where to his knowledge still trapped and slumbering.

He steels himself for the frustrating task of cutting his way through still withering vines so he can get through the large door way that will lead him back to path that will take him towards the inner gardens and the friends he left behind. Driven by promises and past failures he pays little mind to the tiny nicks and scratches that come from moving vines aside, and once he's outside he shifts from half man to full beast and takes off at lightning speed, golden hooves crushing the dying vines with each meaningful step.

It does not take him long to return to the pond and discover that the searchlight and the fish girl are awake and well. He is relieved and grateful that no real harm had befallen them after the vines had managed to entrap them. It makes having to go easier, at least something about the way the other two look each other tells the unicorn they'll keep each other safe. He leaves them with another promise, to check back later, after he manages to search the rest of the gardens for another pond.

He finds the one in question after another ten minutes of hard running through the hedgerows. As described to him a large tree with a thick moss covered trunk rises high into the air and casts a large shadow over the vine covered ground. Slowly his steps the unicorn inspects the tangled mass of vines that grow thicker the closer he gets to pond's edge and sure enough at the very center of the thickest section he can spy the familiar site of dark skin and appendages that have been entrapped.

Taking care this time the unicorn uses his horn to slice through the thickest parts straight to the ground in a circle around the dragon to ensure once all the vines are cleared there will be enough space to ensure they'll both fit comfortably in the area. Try as he might, but his teeth are simply not equipped to remove the vines as quickly as he would like and a moment later the unicorn reverts back to his half human form and begins to claw at the throned vines again until he can wrench the dragon free and into his lap. A task which leaves him breathless thanks to his draconic friend's metal composition.

"I gotcha and jeeze you say I should lay off the feed," he huffs in relief, a tired laugh escaping his lips as he repositions himself and the dragon so that he's able to cradle the other more comfortably in his arms.

"I wonder if you can even hear me," he says as his head tilts down, sending long blond hair to cascade over his shoulder and around the dragon's upper body like a golden veil. "It's probably for the best that you can't," as the last thing he wants is to argue more when the dragon wakes up, because as far as the unicorn could tell he had seen and been through a terrible ordeal and the last thing he wanted was to add to that aggravation.

Gently as if the dragon in his arms might some how fall apart he reaches up with his right hand to ease some of the longer sections of unruly black hair aside from the slumbering dragon's face. Regarding the peaceful expression the other boy wears, he finds it even harder to believe that beneath it all the dragon was and may still be at the mercy of something dark and sinister.

All he can hope now is that what he's been told works, he promised to help, swore that no matter what he would not let anything else happen. He had already failed the fish girl and the searchlight, watched helplessly as they were entrapped and dragged beneath the water, and he thinks as he hovers just a few bare inches above the dragon's face that at least there is no way he could mess this up as he bends the last inch to push their lips together.

open to one lucky kisser

[fuzzyduck]

The Dog Girl had no time to regret choosing to run to the gardens in order to escape the vines before they put her asleep. Her hair is dishevelled; there is a frustrated look on her face even as she sleeps.

Goodness, who wouldn't want to kiss that lovely mouth?

[vinetattoos]

The new-christened Kale finds the dog girl during his post-waking examination of the gardens. Recognizing her from the dream-world, he sighs before leaning in to give her frustrated mouth a chaste kiss.

No kisser lined up.

[hand_of_courage]

Laying on the floor at the far wall of the Great Hall, just a few steps from a locked door, is a wooden man, curled up on his right side and shivering with fitful dreams.

[manelesscatking]

Stomach rumbling and slightly woozy from hunger again, the page stalks out of the hearth room on the way to the dining hall. Squinting, they can barely make out Tick Tock from the first time they went for food. What a coincidence, they think.

Huǒ strides over and brushes the wooden man's hair from his face. He looks rather cute, though the whole "nightmares" thing could stand to change. Remembering their recent lesson from Kale, Huǒ leans in and kisses the clock quickly.

For Sollux

[pythianpixie]

It isn't until the commotion has finally died down that the crystalline fairest comes back to the silvery boy lying on the ground. The Grand Hall has been a mess of flames earlier; after clearing the vines from his body, there was nowhere to take him but to the entrance of the gardens and hope that he would remain out of harm's way. With her Sight, she was reasonably sure that he wouldn't be burnt to a crisp, but things were so chaotic... She's glad to find him relatively safe and sound.

Gently, she props the other Fairest's body up against a tree in a sitting position. Mason has said to kiss the sleepers to wake them. She's skeptical at the silliness of it, but all signs and Sights point to his advice being correct.

Kneeling, she lifts the boy's chin with one finger and plants a chaste kiss on his lips.

[seerchlight]

It all feels very sudden. One moment his in floaty, inconsistent dreamland, and the next...

He feels something soft on his lips.

His black eyes open, as the rest of his body burst back into vibrant, white light. It refracts off of her crystalline body quite dazzlingly, and honestly makes waking up sort of alarmingly fantastical looking.

He pulls back against the tree a little, caught very much off guard.

"Uh-" he starts.

for klavier!

[peafowl]

The twins are lying in the Inner Gardens, under a tree. More precisely, they're lying in the bushes under the tree, with the pink peacock far more entangled with plant life than the blue. They're holding hands, even in sleep. There are leaves stuck in their hair and tail feathers.

They occasionally stir and mutter, but otherwise their sleep seems quite deep, if not precisely peaceful.

[rocksthecourt]

Honestly, MusicBox finds himself a little appalled at the state these two are in. They don't appear injured and seem to be sleeping peacefully, sure. But look at this mess! There are leaves and twigs all over them, and he can only imagine what a pain it will be to get all that out of their hair. In fact, he's tempted to clean them up first. The poor girl is tangled up even worse than the boy and should honestly be attended to first. However, after looking her situation over, MusicBox figures it might actually be better to wake the other first so they can both help get her free.

He's new to this concept of giving a kiss, but it seems even his own loose definition of the idea is good enough to help others wake up. That's good enough for him. He kneels down next to the boy and brings himself down to softly place his lips over the other's own. ...Even if the lips are strangely blue, they're much easier to kiss than the first creature he'd tried this on.

For Asch and the Peacock Twins!

[subtleserenity]

The vines have withered in the library, leaving a pair of possessions behind. They've been brought down to the ground level... fallen, really, and lie slumped against the bookcases. The metallic woman has one hand on her holster. Even in dreams, she holds her rifle close.

hell yes

[bloodand]

The redhead is curled up and twitching slightly, on his side with his back to the path between shelves. His breath is completely silent, record run its course in the time since he fell asleep. Even rolling him over and knocking him into things doesn't produce any kind of sound.

open to anyone

[ovidscholar]

To rescue this beauty you'll have to scale the library shelves. He's curled up and near the top, like a lazy cat in a high tree bough.

[wingedapostle]

Getting up there is no problem for her, considering that she can fly.

She keeps herself at the appropriate height and sees that the figure she spotted from below is a man with a very large nose. She wonders briefly if it ever gets in the way of doing things, then leans in and places a soft kiss on his mouth. It didn't get in the way of that, so maybe not. Backing up a bit, she hopes that this works. Not much will happen if it doesn't, though she will feel quite silly.

no designated kisser!

[justbeclaws]

The typewriter is just outside the hearth room, sprawled ungainly over the flagstones as though fallen in an instant of motion, one hand outstretched but empty. She makes small wordless noises in her sleep.

ROLLS UP AWKWARD CRAB SLEEVES

[crabhammer]

He's been feeling anxious and restless since he failed to keep Mason from confiscating his double, and sort of guilty for being defiant about it in the first place even as he resents the house for the whole business.

He almost trips over the typewriter on his way to the hearth room. It's her – the one who thought she might know him. And she helped the hearth, too. He might know her, she might know him – she might be one of the people he was supposed to be responsible for, before. He can't just leave her here.

The idea of kissing her, though, makes his mandibles fold up. Supposedly he knows her, but as far as what he remembers is concerned, she's basically a stranger... and he's not sure how well suited for kissing his mouth even is. He twitches a mandible. Not very, probably.

He kneels at her side anyway, though, because he knows he's going to have to do this even if he doesn't want to. There doesn't seem to be anybody else around ready to relieve him of the responsibility, anyway.

He glances nervously around, just to make sure nobody is watching, and then leans over, screwing his four eyes shut and pulling his mandibles back to deliver the briefest of smooches to her sleeping lips. He sits back immediately, trying to look nonchalant. That had better have worked.