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Post by Liou on Jul 28, 2014 20:55:15 GMT -5
Wow, Laurie had been lucky to meet such a chivalrous servant boy on the previous day. She made sure to nod, smile and giggle coyly whenever he said something slightly funny. Aww, the lad seemed a bit embarrassed! Was he a newbie? How utterly precious! Her eyes kept going over the young man's frame, the shoulders and muscles that would keep developing, and allow him to do plenty of things that Laurie could not. She tried to relax as she followed Gavin inside. She kept her head low, hoping that no one would recognise her or find her suspicious in any way. The faun king's quarters were so close... not now, she had to stay put. How was Laurie supposed to relax when she was such a terrible maid, and she had abandoned the poor princesses right before the coronation, and she had spent so little time watching over King Garrick? Once Gavin had shown her to some sort of seat where she could wait, Laurie thanked him for rescuing her with a curtsey, then sat down. "Fair maiden, I will fair maiden you all the way to the Pit, you may have got lucky when nature shaped you, but what good will that be when you're all roasted, a duck, how dare you call him a duck, you had better duck when I come for you, I will teach you to respect your masters! ... It's true that the name is rather catchy, though - Grand Duck. Grand Duck, Grand D- NO. I will make you apologise to him with a lick of his boots after every word!
Right after I rest just a tiny bit. I will close my eyes for exactly five seconds - exactly that many, five."Five seconds later, she was reclining on something very soft, and the sun had set. Laurie sat up cautiously, inspecting her surroundings. She was used to sleeping in an alcove, or on a mattress at the foot of a princess' bed if her company was requested. This was a room, with a bed in it. Not particularly fancy, but still a comfortable room. It was almost like, well, a bedroom. It had to be a mistake. Why would they give her a bed? She jumped to the floor and took a few rapid steps away from the bed, arms crossed over her chest. Who had moved her? The collar of her dress didn't seem to have been displaced... Laurie crept to the door, listened carefully, and tried to open it very quietly for a peek. She was locked in. A high-pitched whine escaped her lips, but she hastily covered her mouth, breathing fast. She was still in Stallion Manor with her beloved masters, was she not? There was nothing to fear. Maybe it was some kind of test. What on earth could she do to prove her undying devotion and love for her king? Of course, that toolkit. Laurie remembered the Grand Duke mentioning that he would like to have it back. If she could find where those rogues had hidden it and bring it back to the Manor, it would hopefully pay for her fancy bedroom and for the care they had given her sisters, and then she would be able to see them again, and then the tool kit would be used to craft more magnificent props for King Garrick's routines! Having figured out a solution, Laurie ran straight to the window and jumped out. First things first: little by little, she managed to leap and hoist herself all the way to King Garrick's window, checking that he was all right, and that it wasn't some big conspiracy to keep her locked up while someone sabotaged his dance shoes. Once she was reassured, Laurie crept back down and dashed out of the Stallion grounds, slowing down to a leisurely, inconspicuous walk once she was at a safe distance from the guarded perimeter. The climbing had strained her arms so much that she couldn't feel them anymore. Just as she was nearing the place where the toolkit had been lost, who should she meet but Arthur! After their narrow escape from Jadejail, the boy, who still seemed thankfully healthy and well, was on his way to another Shadow mission. On Jade grounds. And he had been worried for her. And it would be good if they could get her help. He was completely and absolutely out of his mind, he was throwing away a perfectly good chance at a safe, non-criminal life, he was being influenced by awful people, he was still clumsy and likely to be caught again. He was young and kind, he had always been good to Laurie, bravely swinging in to rescue her, and he did not deserve to land in still more trouble. So Laurie slapped her forehead and ran after him, to make sure that the mission went quickly and smoothly and that no one, but especially not Arthur, got caught. The servant boy had mentioned that they only had two of her sisters in the manor. Maybe there was a tiny chance that Briar would be at the mission. You and I keep running into each other all over town, You and I get roped into all these battles over a crown, You and I commit so many crimes, things are getting too foul, You and I should leave, and be done with them but I don't know how!
But rebel, there you go again, there you go again, making me help you! Yeah I remember that jail, remember it, cannot let go! Then you start staring at me, staring at me like a puppy! And now I'm feeling panicked, feeling panicked, running after you!
So I cross my heart and I hope they die, 'Cause I'm only helping you one more night! And I know they're threatening to ruin my life, But I'm only helping you one more night!
It was terrifying, there were all those rebels who were letting her help but who definitely hated her, and that sneaky evil redhead could have popped out from anywhere, and Laurie wanted to cry, but she squeezed the Grand Duke's handkerchief in her pocket for luck and picked the locks as fast as she could. Briar wasn't even there, and no one knew where she was. The screaming of the ring scared her so much that she was almost the first to run out of the Manor; she only lingered long enough to make sure that Arthur had got out safely. She wandered back to Stallion Manor like a ghost, still trembling. At this late hour, it was less difficult to sneak into the grounds. When she reached the bottom of the wall beneath her window, she nearly collapsed right there and wished she'd never come. But her masters would be waiting upstairs, with their grace for her eyes, and her sisters. One step for Daria, one step for Ciara. One pull for Daria, one pull for Ciara. She closed the window behind her and literally fell asleep on the floor. It starts from where I left off with Celestial's Gavin boy, then Laurie falls asleep and wakes up in a strange bedroom, gasp, then she sneaks out of the window to look for that conveniently lost toolkit, stumbles upon Arthur (hi Birdy 8D), gets hypnotised by his puppy eyes, sings a little and helps with the smashing of the Jade ring, and right now Laurie is asleep on the floor of her room like a good girl.
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Post by Omni on Jul 28, 2014 20:57:55 GMT -5
Orrin listened as Sieg talked a bit about where he had come from. "Yeh, I'm from Kine. And like I said, I completely understand," he replied. "I wish I could stay outta politics but, eh, it's been hard for me to avoid completely." Orrin gave a rather monkey-ish grin back. "Anyway, I was riding off to Stallion Manor. Would you like to ride with? You don't have to come in; I just thought that way we could still chat." Omni makes a short post. Orrin tells Sieg ( Shinko) that he doesn't mind at all, tells Sieg that he was on his way to Stallion Manor, and suggests that they ride while talking.
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Post by Tiger on Jul 28, 2014 21:01:58 GMT -5
Leif made it halfway down the street before he’d realized he’d forgotten to actually take the potions from Marson’s stores. He had to turn the horse around and go right back to the manor. Still flustered from his sudden wake-up and the strangeness that was Sir Orrin’s appearance outside his room - and a touch embarrassed by his forgetfulness - Leif earned some odd looks from the servants and guards as he came back in. He collected the potions and headed back out to the horse - Troiss, the nameplate on her stall had said - as quickly as possible. Troiss looked impatient with him, though Leif might just be assuming that because a raptor would definitely not be putting up with these shenanigans. Leif felt a little better once he’d gotten off manor grounds and the horse had settled into a steady gait. Well...maybe not better, but at least clearer-headed. The morning air, the rhythmic clopping of Troiss’ hooves on the cobblestones, being a bit above and therefore out-of-reach of the people on the streets… Of course, the Keep was looming above the whole city, dampening Leif’s mood and probably those of all who saw it and knew the Courdonians were staying in its towers. I wonder how much they’re going to do about yesterday. King Malik didn’t say anything, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t thinking it. Knowing Courdonian nobility, he’ll wait for the coronation for greatest effect - we’ll be talking kings and succession, nobody will be caught unaware…I guess I’d best enjoy the quiet while it’s still here. Leif sighed. Yes, while it lasted - tomorrow would be the coronation, and if the Courdonians didn’t declare war or insist one of their people should be wedded to Destiney, the princess would probably pick a suitor and then - that was it. The Houses would be going home. Carefully, Leif let his thoughts drift to the dream he’d had before it became a nightmare. "Don’t we have to go separate ways?”
“No - or - we shouldn’t have to. I don’t want to.” Apparently the Courdonians weren’t the only worry on his mind. Well, there’s nothing to do today but avoid Courdonians. Maybe, Woo willing, Kirin and I will run into each other again. ...Or, if Alain’s really so casual regarding inter-House relationships… Leif put the unnerving thought of approaching Stallion Manor aside as he reached the market district. Even if he talked himself into it, it was still too early to be proper and Leif had to see Aldrich first. There were a fair few people around the edge of the merchants’ shops. Leif listened to some of their chatter; nothing strange seemed to have happened in the night, at least out here, so there was that. Aldrich’s shop seemed quieter than it ought to be. That made sense, considering the time of day and the owner’s illness, but it still felt foreboding. Pretending he wasn’t suppressing memories of imagined red, charred skies, Leif tethered Troiss and went to the door. He knocked before opening it- carefully, in case any statues were nearby. “Mister Aldrich?” he called quietly. “It’s Leif - oh.” The studio was even more crowded than he’d expected to find it. “Lord Ambrose, Lady - or Baroness, rather? Lucinda.” Leif nodded respectfully before turning to Aldrich and the gargoyles. “I can’t stay too long or Lord Everett will have my hide, but I brought some potions and can try a little magic, if that will help. How’re you feeling?” Leif has to return to the manor for potions but then is on his way to Aldrich’s ( Lizica)! After a bit of worrying about the Courdonians and having to leave Mediville and Kirin after the coronation, he arrives at the shop and walks in, because apparently Leiflet was raised in a barn. He finds Lucinda ( Kristykimmy) and Ambrose( Celestial) there as well.
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Post by Celestial on Jul 28, 2014 22:11:52 GMT -5
“I'm simply sorry for all the years I didn't understand,” came Lucinda's reply "It's okay, I forgive you. It's not an easy thing to understand," Ambrose smiled and shook his head at his great-niece. At her next statement, despite himself, he laughed a little. "Lucinda, look at me. I'm an alleged madman with magical powers and almost no use whatsoever and yet, as you pointed out, Alain has not given me up, nor do I think he's ashamed of me. If I could not do it, I doubt your vase would have crossed a line." Even though he had hardly meant his statement about Queen Destiney as a joke, Lucinda burst out laughing. It was a small gesture but it lightened the mood considerably for Ambrose, especially when Lucinda took his hand and made him take her arm. She had never done that to him. Alain, yes, but never Ambrose. Nevertheless, it was not unwelcome. Far from it, it felt comforting and, for the first time in a while, Ambrose really felt close to Lucinda. Like she wasn't just Alain's family, like he often felt, but his too. "Let's hope so," Ambrose replied to her comment, though he found it difficult to imagine Garrick as a knight. However, he decided not to mention this to Lucinda, just in case she got annoyed at him again. He looked up as she pointed out Aldrich's studio to him. At first glance it did not look like much, another merchant's studio in the quarters here, but if Lucinda was right, the man inside had some interesting magic. Ambrose swallowed, remembering the magic from yesterday and how it had affected him. He could only hope that his visions would, for once, choose a good time. Lucinda walked in first and after a moment's hesitation, Ambrose followed, not exactly sure what he would find. If the statues were magically animated as Lucinda said and caused the chaos that the little bird did at the feast then he had to be prepared for the worst. He glanced nervously at some of the statues around him. It was unlikely that they were going to be unfriendly but...who knew? "Hello, Master Aldrich. I've heard about you from Lucinda. My name is Ambrose Stallion. I'm sorry for disturbing you but it sounds like you were, or are, quite ill," Ambrose gave the young man a nod, looking him over. Ambrose turned as he suddenly heard a familiar voice and smiled when he saw Leif. It was surprising to run into the young man at the same time as they were here, or that he would have known Aldrich as well but nevertheless, Ambrose was glad to see him. "Hello," he said, smiling at him. "That's very kind of you, Master Leif. I didn't know you knew Aldrich as well. How is Xavier doing, by the way? He seemed to be fine after what happened but I still worry a little about him." Speaking of worry, Ambrose could not tell if Aldrich was better or worse than he had been before, not having a frame of reference, but he nevertheless wanted to do something to help. Leif had brought potions, Lucinda no doubt would cheer him up...he had to make himself useful. Fortunately, he knew a way. "Master Aldrich, I'm sorry but do you have thyme and honey, by any chance? If you make them into a tea, it should help your cough. It's what my mother always took for her coughs," Ambrose said, looking at the sculptor. "If it could help her, I'm sure it can help you." Ambrose definitely feels better and tells Lucinda( Kristykimmy) that if Alain is not ashamed of him, sh shouldn't be scared for the vase. He also feels like her family, for once so he decides not to make things worse by saying anything about Garrick. They approach Aldrich's( Lizica) studio and Ambrose goes in after Lucinda, unsure what to expect exactly from the statues. He also hears Leif( Tiger) come in and asks him about Xavier, before deciding to be useful and asking if Aldrich had the ingredients for a traditional Bernian remedy.
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Post by icon on Jul 28, 2014 22:51:10 GMT -5
(Collaboration with Avery, headed your way!) "Alright, then, Albert," Aines said to the squire standing before him, "all presentable? I certainly should hope you're prepared to face down the King of Courdon, because hey, guess what, that's what you'll be doing in a few minutes." The squire, Albert, stared back at the royal adviser with a cheerful nod. Ah, Malik, king of their maniacal neighbors to the south. Albert wasn't fazed by much, and was honestly a little excited to finally have something interesting to do; he hadn't had much excitement going on since he'd been roped into disguising the absent-minded goat herd way back at Destiney's feast. "So long as the spell takes, I'm more than prepared," he said confidently. Aines nodded as the boy smoothed over a few final creases into his outfit. "Now, don't forget. Malik is the kind of man who doesn't take well to affronts... which is, quite frankly, why we're doing this in the first place. Considering that he would wring my neck if he found out the real power behind the throne was a bird, and Winsbury wouldn't last two seconds against the man, you're the best chance we've got of halfway decent diplomacy." "And remember, you are only to say exactly what I tell you to, and no more. You're a clever lad, and I can respect that, but mouthing off to this man will put all of Kyth on the line. Is that clear?" Albert readily agreed, because if he didn’t he knew Aines would probably change his mind about letting the young squire pose as the Royal Adviser. The man was practically bouncing as he and Aines made their way to one of the Keep’s most dignified meeting rooms, whereupon Aines roosted in the rafters and Albert took a seat behind an imposing iron desk. They were met shortly thereafter by one of the royal family’s most skilled magicians, who quickly cast the communication spell upon and between them. “Test it out,” said the mage. To Aines: “Think something, anything—direct it at him, as you would if you were speaking. It should float straight into his mind.” Aines sat still, his beak closed in concentration. After a moment, Albert stated, quizzically, " Test, one two three?" The mage frowned. "Anything but that. It appears to be working, though." “This is weird,” Albert said, his own thoughts. “It’s weird,” Aines agreed. “Really weird—” Enough of your own speech, Aines thought to Albert. Then, to the magician, he said, “Thank you. You’re dismissed now. Wouldn’t want King Malik to catch you here.” As the magician made a hasty exit, Aines shuffled in the rafters one more time. Now, don't forget our stance, he thought. We can't offend the Courdonians, as much as I'm certain we would both love to cause an international incident. You can't back down from any of our policies.You don’t have enough faith in me, sire, Albert thought back cheerily, and then he snapped to attention as the King of Courdon, accompanied by his son Cornelio as well as Lord Duval, was shown into the meeting room. If Albert was terrified by the stark, rageful look on Malik’s face, the jovial squire didn’t show it. Instead, he stood and swooped into a dramatic bow, as Aines thought frantically at him: No, no, he’ll think you’re mocking him!Am I supposed to say that? Albert thought back. No! Say, say… “It is an honor to meet with you, Your Majesty,” Albert said carefully, beckoning Malik and his retinue to sit. "Good morning, sires, and might I apologize for the challenges you have had to face during your stay so far," he continued, then blinked back a frown. And you said I would mock him?Shush, just continue with the speech, Aines replied. "I am Aines of Ascension, royal adviser to the late King Starmey and his rising daughter, Queen Destiney," they smoothly continued. "I understand that you had a quarrel to raise with us?"“Quarrel,” sneered Malik, “is perhaps not the best way of putting it. Let’s see. First, you sent a spy clad as my son to my Court. Then, since arriving to your wretched country, we’ve had escaped slaves held from us, a peasant struck Lord Duval, and now our dear Haru has been murdered. So yes, Master Aines. I daresay we have quite the quarrel.” Malik leaned across the desk. “And unless I am given the heads of everybody responsible for Haru’s end by noontime, there will be hell to pay.” There would be hell to pay regardless, but Malik decided to keep this on the back burner for now; you didn’t win executions by cheerily reminding the enemy’s royal adviser that tomorrow you were probably declaring war. Good 'Woo above, Albert thought, if he really thought that Kelcey boy was clever enough to be a spy, then I'm starting to doubt his intelligence—
Back to the topic! Aines cut him short. Albert startled upright, then continued. "Well, certainly there was a spy sent to Courdon disguised as your son, as your painstakingly-crafted letter cared to point out, but to pin the blame on us? You claimed that the 'slave hunter' who found him came from Medieville, but why would we have any reason to fight with you? Could not other kingdoms ferry spies across to lay the blame upon us?
"As for the rest of your stay, I do sincerely apologize. Our citizenry are not normally so rowdy, but, as they say, the freedom of speech means the freedom to face the consequences as they are due," Albert finished, cutting off Aines's speech. What are you doing? Stick to the script! the raven thought shrilly. Your script was lacking! Albert thought back, as across the desk Malik furrowed his brow and shared a nearly befuddled look with Cornelio and Duval. He hissed something into Duval’s ear—in Courdonian, of which Aines’s grasp was hazy at best, especially when the speaker was muttering—but the raven was nearly certain it was nothing nice. Up in the rafters, his heart was hammering wildly as Malik looked back at Albert, who was—dear Woo, why was he grinning?“Freedom of speech,” said the wicked king. “ Freedom of speech?” “It’s where you’re welcome to say what you want to say,” Albert provided helpfully, as Aines screamed at him: No, no, stop it!“I know what it is,” Malik growled. “I was merely puzzling over how letting the disobedient oafs you call citizens speak their minds—which is, of course, despicable—has anything to do with your lordlings pilfering our slaves and murdering members of our delegation.” " Well, your Majesty, I say this with exactly as much respect as is due to you—" Did I really think that out loud? Albert could hear Aines mentally berate himself " —our people believe that those below themselves should have a chance to rise to the top, as it were, and if they want to offer a peasant a helping hand— or a full lift, as the case may be— then why should we stop them? I myself used to be a mere squire, until Starmey saw me fit to advise him ," he said, mind racing. "A puny squire, suddenly fit to oversee an entire kingdom?" Malik's voice barely remained level. " The late King liked to think of himself as an equal opportunity employer. Very open-minded, he was." You should try it some time, Albert thought; even he had the sense not to provoke the King of Courdon's wrath too much. “The heads,” Malik said furiously. “Of everybody responsible for Haru’s death. By noontime, and not a minute after. Or else it’ll be your head I’m after, Master Aines.” “You can’t talk to me like that!” Albert blurted trigger-fast, before Aines could even begin to think up a response to feed the squire (whom he was increasingly regretting appointing to this role). "How dare you talk to me about hunting people down," he continued, as he realized that this was probably not a very good thing to say, and now struggling to find come up with a direction to take his act. "Since when am I to become a servant to your petty whims? I have a coronation to run. I have a kingdom to run, and you believe your bloodlust trumps an entire country's well-being? You don't even grieve for your merchant properly, seeking revenge before mourning his death!" He glanced up at Aines in the rafters, noting that the true adviser's feathers were looking unusually ruffled. Maybe it was a stress thing; the bird should really get that examined sometime. Albert wasn’t sure if the spell had worn off or the royal adviser was merely dumbstruck by Albert’s boldness, but whatever the case, no thoughts flowed between them presently. Albert leaned back in his chair, waiting for Malik’s response. It took the King of Courdon several moments to come up with one. And his voice was ice as he leaned in very close—uncomfortably close—and hissed, “That will be the last time you spit on my culture, Master Aines. We’re done here.” He stood, and gestured to Cornelio and Duval. “We’re leaving.” "Shut the door behind you when you leave!" Albert said brightly as the entourage slammed the door. The only noise in the room was the creak of a chair as Albert leaned back, resting his feet on the desk. Aines flew down from the rafters, silently landing directly in front of the smugly-grinning squire. Before Aines could speak, Albert let out a sigh of relief and said, “I think that went pretty well, don’t you?” Aines gaped. “I think you’ve just started a war, boy.” “No, no.” Albert waved it off, literally. “That’s how it is sometimes—people don’t like what you have to say initially, but then once they stew on it, they come to realize the wisdom in your words. He’ll come around really soon, you’ll see.” “Remind me to dock your pay, Albert,” Aines said; if he’d had teeth, they would have been gritted. Albert frowned. “For how long?” “Hm. Until we die, I do think.” “And when will that be?” Albert huffed indignantly, as if implying that this would be so very long from now and therefore was an unjust punishment. Aines replied coolly, “Oh, by sundown, I’d imagine.” “So pessimistic.” Albert stifled a yawn. “Know what would have been grand, sire? If you’d left some droppings on him on his way out.” “Heavens, no. I may be a bird, but I still have some dignity left.” “Sorry, sire.” He didn’t sound like he meant it. “That said,” Aines conceded, “I will admit that even bird droppings would have been an improvement on his outfit." Aines has a meeting with King Malik and discusses politics. That said, the Courdonian King would probably explode if he had to talk to a bird, so Aines enlists the help of Albert, the squire who disguised Kelcey. The meeting goes exactly as well as you think it would.(Duval ( Elcie) and Cornelio ( Rosalie Dylas (Maddy)) are also there)
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Post by PFA on Jul 28, 2014 23:19:57 GMT -5
Joffery was just on his way to find the Marsons when one of them stopped him, hurriedly shouting in a panic about something his family wanted him to do. Joffery was confused, but once he'd managed to find Marson and his family, they seemed to be... breaking things? Joffery could only stare in awe as they broke plates, tore up books... had the man gone mad from Jeniver breaking all of their furniture? He had to admit, though, their madness had a certain rhythm to it. In fact, audibly, it sounded rather nice. In fact, he could feel a song coming on! " There's chaos all around us; a tension fills the air But never fear, for I am here! There's no need to despair Together, we can face the storm—there's nothing we can't do! That's why I should be the one to spend my life with you!" Suddenly, Joffery beamed from ear to ear. "...Yes! It's perfect! Thank you, that's exactly what I needed!" It was only a moment later that Jeniver appeared on the scene, having followed the particularly frantic Phil. In response, she blinked. "Uh... what?" Joffery witnesses the Marsons' ( Coaster) rhythmic chaos and is inspired for a new song. Jeniver witnesses the same thing and is very confused.
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Post by Elcie on Jul 29, 2014 0:22:18 GMT -5
((Another monster collabpost brought to you by Elcie and Gelquie!)) The Previous Day...Elin listened to the conversation as it went on, and felt heartened by the level of gratitude Ilsa had shown. Ilsa, frugal though she may be, really did care; Elin could tell that just from her voice. She felt grateful about this development until she was reminded of the distance between herself and Clare, one that couldn't be helped... She was glad that Xavier had this, but Elin found that it made her miss her aunt more. Her thoughts were cut short when she heard Xavier speak: "I'm going to check on something in, in the kitchen," he said. Elin froze. Did he see her move? She thought she was being incautious peeking through the door... She felt her heart pounding against her chest, and for a moment she wondered whether she was ready for this conversation. Then she remembered that he probably wasn't either. Besides... At least this way she'd be able to really talk to him and see him again, and not while under the leering gaze of a terrible Courdonian slave lord. Still, Elin found that she couldn't move as the door to the kitchen swung open. Xavier took a couple of steps into the kitchen and stopped in his tracks. He didn't even notice the disarray that Ilsa had warned him about, his attention entirely focused on the girl who stood in front of him. He'd believed Alain and Ambrose when they'd reassured him that she was alive, but actually seeing her in front of him... "Elin," he whispered, remembering just in time to keep his voice low so that no one in the main room would hear. But he was so glad to see her. Without even thinking about it, he closed the distance between them in a few quick strides and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. His breathing hitched. She really was alive.Elin's eyes went wide as she felt Xavier's arms go around her, but the shock was only momentary, and no less than pleasant. Elin was quick to return the embrace, her arms wrapping around him and bringing them closer to each other. As she basked in his warmth, Elin realized with a sigh of relief just how tense she had been during the whole situation, now that some of that tension was leaving her. “You... You made it...” Elin whispered back. “I-I worried that... I hoped...” Elin trailed off, unable to find words for the thoughts and emotions that raced through her head. "...I thought you were dead." His voice broke on the word and for a moment he was silent, leaning his head against her shoulder and breathing deeply. "He - the Grand Duke told me what he did, but for a moment... I thought..." He trailed off, realizing his arms had tightened around her and making himself relax so he didn't squeeze too tightly. "Sorry," he whispered. He took another deep, shaky breath. The memory of that awful moment felt more distant now, less threatening. Her warm, solid presence in his arms seemed to ground him somehow. Elin was silent for a short moment, and she closed her eyes. “I told him to tell you as soon as I figured it out. But before, I... I didn't know what he would do. I-If I'd known, I would've... I would've tried to tell you. I-I tried to get away...” Elin found her hands trembling slightly at the thought, remembering the risk she was taking, and she tried to steady them as she continued. “But seeing what he was doing to you, what he'd done, I... I couldn't let him take you back. I couldn't.” He knew she meant it. He remembered the fury in her voice when she'd attacked Duval. Elin, Ambrose, Leif, Frederick... they'd all tried to protect him in their own ways, and that in itself was hard enough to fathom. But Elin had risked everything. To think of how much she'd almost sacrificed... She'd have died trying to stop Duval. She almost had. "I'm just glad you're okay," he mumbled into her shoulder. "What he'd have done to you, I..." Xavier swallowed hard. "I'm not worth that much." “...Xavier...” Elin put her hand to the back of his hair. “You're worth more than you think. If he'd... If he had taken you like that... Th-that's your... That's your life on the line...” Elin's voice broke on that word and she trailed off. "That didn't matter, though," Xavier said softly. "Not when yours was too." Elin blinked her eyes open, pausing at that statement. “But of course it matters. Even... Even if I...” There was a beat as Elin thought about her actions once again. She couldn't deny that she had acted impulsively, running right into danger... Making it all worse... Neither could she deny that she had acted stupidly. Even if it was for Xavier... Maybe especially because it was for Xavier. She let out a sigh. “I... I was rash,” she admitted. “But that doesn't make your life less important.” Xavier pulled back a little so he could look at Elin, still not quite willing to let go of her entirely. Looking earnestly into her eyes, he could tell that she really meant what she said. "All I could think about was stopping him from hurting you," he said quietly. "Whatever it took. I... I've seen Courdonian executions before, Elin. Or he would have tried to take you, and..." Xavier looked away. He could still remember how Duval had looked at Elin, like she'd caught his eye at the slave market. Or, no, worse than that. He'd been gauging what it would take to break her, if she'd be worth the effort. It terrified Xavier and made him angry at the same time. No one should look at Elin like that. Ever. "...But I couldn't stop him," he said quietly. "If the Grand Duke hadn't stepped in... or if he'd really decided to kill you..." It still upset Xavier to think about this. His offer to Duval had been an act of desperation, a wild hope that he could appease the man enough that he'd let Elin live, though deep inside he knew that his old master would never have deigned to bargain with a slave like that. They could have killed her in front of him and he would have been helpless to stop it. Elin brought her hand down over his shoulder when he pulled back, and she looked back at him, gauging his expression and trying to look into his eyes even as he diverted his gaze. The fear was prominent on his face as he thought of what could have happened... What could very well have happened. Except... “...If he hadn't grabbed me... I might have still gotten away. ...But I wouldn't have run without you,” she said, choosing to ignore the fact that she probably wouldn't have run without taking another shot at Duval first. “I wanted you safe too. I could've waited to come till it was safer, and maybe it would've been better that way, to stop what happened. Or... What could've happened...” Elin couldn't deny the very plausible risks that Xavier outlined. And she couldn't deny that they would've made things worse. Even so... “But he was already hurting you. And I hated seeing that done to you. S-so I ran out, and... Well, you saw. But then everything else... And when you offered...” Her breath hitched at the thought, and she couldn't finish her sentence. She had to pause for a short moment, after which she spoke very quietly. “It terrified me. The last thing I want is to see you taken away or killed, Xavier.” At that, Xavier looked back up at her. "I was scared too," he said quietly. "If Lord Duval had gotten his hands on you, I..." It was his worst nightmare in a very literal sense. "I know what he's capable of. I've seen what he's done to... to people who defied him like that." Xavier had to stop for a moment, collecting his thoughts and trying to figure out how to put them into words. "Elin, you're... you matter to me. A lot. And if something happened to you--" His voice shook a little, and he dropped his gaze. "Especially if it was because of me... I'd... I don't..." Elin took on a look of sympathy at this, and she squeezed his shoulder. “I know. I... I feel the same way... If something happened, I-I couldn't...” Elin shook her head and tried to catch Xavier's gaze again, leaning slightly closer. “But I won't let it happen to you. I'll have to stay hidden more than usual, and I'll try to be more careful. But when they leave the city, I want them to leave empty-handed.” Xavier met her eyes, and his breath caught. She was so close. "I'll be all right," he said. "Just... just make sure you are too." He'd already thought he lost her once. He didn't think he could bear it a second time. His heart started beating a little quicker as he looked at her. He felt so... comfortable standing like this, his arms around her as if it was the most natural thing in the world. And he couldn't take his eyes off her. "You really... you really thought I was worth risking your life," he whispered, still trying to comprehend that. Elin paused at Xavier's last statement, staring deeply into his eyes. In honesty, that was something that had slipped her mind entirely at the time. "I didn't want to lose you," she whispered softly. "I... You're..." She trailed off, her heart beating faster now. She found her hand moving over his shoulder and her gaze entirely fixated on Xavier, the entire rest of the inn forgotten. She leaned in closer and closer... Until she had planted her lips onto Xavier's, bringing them into a kiss. Xavier tensed as Elin's lips met his, but only briefly. He was startled, he hadn't expected this - but - it wasn't unwelcome. Quite the opposite. He held her more tightly, one hand moving up to stroke her hair, and relaxed against her as the tension left his body. It was hard to feel afraid when nothing in the world existed except for Elin. Elin's heart pounded as she pressed herself closer to Xavier, allowing herself to be lost in the moment. A small part of her knew she'd have to leave; go into hiding again, avoid people, warn the other Shadows. She knew that what happened in the town square would only make everyone push harder for the throne before things got worse, and that the Shadows would have to act soon. But those thoughts didn't stick in her mind for long, not with Xavier's warmth and the ecstasy of the moment. That was later... This was now. Just between her and Xavier. And nothing could ruin this. When they broke apart, Xavier opened his eyes and stared at her as if he'd never seen anything quite like her. "Elin..." He didn't know what to say... but maybe she already knew. He reached up and this time allowed himself to lightly touch the side of her face, brushing a lock of hair back behind her ear. Elin let out a smile as she felt Xavier's hand against her cheek, her arms still draped over his shoulders. She couldn't ignore the feeling of elation in her chest as she struggled to find words for what she wanted to say. "I care for you... So much," she said softly. "The conflict's still going on, but... Maybe sometime, when we can, we could...?" Xavier's heart leaped. The way she'd kissed him left no doubt about how she felt, but hearing her say it... "Yes," he said, giving her a small, shy smile in return. "I... I want to be with you. When we can, when it's safe..." His smile faded a little, thinking of the Shadows' rebellion, his own allegiances... Duval... "I don't want to put you in danger," he added quietly. "Even... even though I already have. Ever since all this started..." His fault she had to live as a fugitive. His fault she'd nearly been killed... He ran his fingers lightly down her cheek before letting his hand drop to her shoulder, squeezing tightly. She deserved better. But there had to be something. This conflict couldn't last forever. And though he knew exactly what would have happened to the Shadows if they had tried their rebellion in Courdon, knowing people like Leif and Ambrose gave him hope that there might still be some way to resolve this peacefully. Some resolution that would be best for everyone, even the Shadows. "You... you mean so much to me, Elin," he whispered. "If there's a way... I don't want to lose you." If he was never able to see her again, if that was what it took to keep her safe, so be it. But it hurt to even think about that. There had to be a way... Elin watched as Xavier's smile faded, and as he began talking about the danger. She could tell what he was thinking, what he was worrying about. With things as they were now, this wasn't going to be easy, she knew that. But hopefully, if things went as planned... This, at least, wouldn't be hard for much longer. And so many things would be better. Until that time... Well, she had already almost lost Xavier once. She brought one gentle hand up to the back of his neck. “I don't want to lose you either... But I don't think we can ask each other to leave our factions. After this is all over though, and after Duval leaves... It'll be safer. I know it. We'll just have to be careful until then.” She smiled again. “We'll find a way.” More than anything, Xavier wanted to believe that. It was hard enough to wrap his head around the idea that someone like Elin actually cared for him - and yet here they were. And that wasn't the only impossible thing that had happened today. So maybe... "Maybe it will be okay," he said, though it came out more of a question than a statement. "And maybe he will just... leave..." He surprised himself by laughing softly and shakily. "Lord Duval... I never saw anyone defy him and get away with it. He was always in control, he got what he wanted... but... you're still here. I'm... still..." Xavier trailed off, an unexpected tremble to his voice. He looked away, his eyes distant. "He lost today, Elin. I... I never really knew that he could." He could still remember the look on Duval's face, the change from smug to furious as he realized he'd been beaten. He had not expected his former slave to be so well-defended. Come to that... neither had Xavier. Elin put her hand from Xavier's neck to his shoulder, giving it a supporting grip. “It's not the first time he's lost, Xavier. He lost when you first ran away from Courdon. He lost when you stayed away and lived your own life. And for every minute you walk free, he will have lost. ...And his failure today won't be his last.” Xavier took a deep, shaky breath. "I guess I always thought... someday, somehow, he was going to find me. And it happened, but..." She was right, he realized. Duval could be beaten; there was always a way out. He didn't have to be afraid of him anymore. "Before, there was always a cost. I- if I stood up to him, I would be punished. And when I escaped..." Xavier swallowed. "There was... someone I knew. Another slave. We were both going to run. I... I wouldn't have made it without her, she always was the strong one, but..." He'd never told this to anyone before, and talking about it made the memories come back with such force that he shuddered. Her voice, screaming for him to run... and then just screaming. "They caught her. Not me. And I didn't - I ran, I didn't stay, but she was dying--" He broke off, his hand on Elin's shoulder tightening convulsively. It hurt to talk about this, but... it was also a relief, in a way. He'd spent two years carrying her memory alone. "Her name was Muriel," he added, softly. Elin listened carefully, and when he finished, she was silent for a moment, still clutching his shoulder. Then she leaned in and pulled Xavier into another hug, gently pressing her hands against his back. “Xavier... It wasn't your fault,” she started, speaking softly. “That's... They did that; not you. She...” Elin swallowed. “I'm sorry for what happened to her.” Xavier rested his head on Elin's shoulder, wrapping his arms securely around her again and trying to let her warmth and closeness push back the darkness of his memories. He'd never quite been able to stop blaming himself for Muriel's death. Even though there was probably nothing he could have done even if he'd stayed behind. Even though she'd wanted him to escape and go on into Kyth... He'd nearly gotten Elin killed today too, and the thought made his blood run cold. But she hadn't been. No one had gotten hurt. Duval had not been allowed to take either of them. "I didn't expect anyone to stand in his way today," he said softly. "I didn't realize anyone would... that they'd care... or that you'd risk so much to..." Xavier trailed off, breathing in shakily. Feeling overwhelmed, he shut his eyes and buried his face in Elin's shoulder, quietly crying with relief and exhaustion. Startled though she was, she couldn't help but let Xavier fall into her shoulder, and momentarily speechless, she gave him a pat on the back. In honesty, she was surprised too, by how many people rushed in to help Xavier, especially the nobles. The Jades were one thing; he was a member of their House. And she supposed that if he and Ambrose really were friends, then he would've been willing to help. But what of Alain? Even though he had explained his actions, she still found herself confused by them. The Grand Duke of Stallion was the last person she had expected to help, and help her too, a fugitive. She had expected him to hand over Xavier for 'diplomatic reasons', and Elin was willing to fight that to the end to stop that. But... It didn't happen. ...Maybe he could see just how terrible Duval was too. ...Elin didn't know. But she'd think about that later. This was more important. Elin hugged Xavier tightly. “You deserve more than what Duval would've given you, and what he has given you. Far more. Both you and...” Elin wasn't sure if it was Xavier's soft crying or something else entirely, but Elin found her own eyes getting blurry from tears. She took a breath and tried to blink them away before closing her eyes. “I'm glad you're here.” Xavier clung to her, comforted by the secure feeling of her arms around him. Whatever else happened, despite everything else that was going on... he still had her. He'd never felt this safe with anyone before, not even Ilsa. And this was yet another thing that Duval had failed to take from him. It still felt a little unreal, holding Elin like this, that he was... allowed. That this was something he was permitted to have in his life. No one controlled him, no one owned him. And maybe, with the conflicts still going on in the city and Duval bound to make another attempt to claim him, maybe it wouldn't be easy for them... but Xavier had hope. Maybe that was the reason this was all so overwhelming, the reason for the tears in his eyes. Hope at last that he could be free - really free, even in his mind, free of fear and of any claim Duval had over him. "I'm not going anywhere," he whispered, hugging Elin fiercely. That proclamation made Elin smile again. “And you won't have to,” she said. Although yes, she had to admit to herself that they'd have to part ways for short periods of time. Ilsa and the others in the inn might start to wonder why he was taking so long, and Elin would have to leave before they got suspicious. She still had to remain in hiding, and with things culminating and the climax of the rebellion so close at hand, she wasn't sure when exactly they could see each other again like this. But that was only temporary. Not forever. She wouldn't let Duval make it forever. For now, she was going to savor this moment. Xavier took a deep breath, letting the feeling of peace wash over him. He was so close he could feel the rhythm of her breathing, almost synchronized with his. He'd have to go back in soon, before Ilsa and the others started wondering where he was. But right now... right now he wanted to be with Elin a little longer. Standing here, in her arms, made him feel as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, something he had been carrying for a very long time. He smiled, nestling his head against her and reaching up with one hand to touch the back of her neck. For now, it was enough just having her close. And no one, not even Duval, could take this away from him. Elin and Xavier reunite in the kitchen of the Inn, and they embrace. They're grateful that the other is alive. They talk about their feelings, Duval, and Xavier's past, and they basically never leave the embrace for the entire post.
Also, they kiss. Elivier is completely canon now.
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Post by Draco on Jul 29, 2014 1:24:07 GMT -5
Davorin returned home and slept for a while. He didn't get as much rest as he wanted, but it was enough. Then he went for another walk. He had to think how he was going to get to the other Courdon bounties. There had to be a easy way. Before he knew it, he was standing outside the building House Stallion was calling home. "Well, they do owe me a chair..." He walks up to the front steps. He was hardly noble looking, but... It was worth a shot, plus that message sent the other day had a extra note added to it about a chair. He knocks on the door and waits a moment before a servant answers the door. Before the servant can ask a question, and with a smile, Davorin walks past him. "Don't mind me, looking for a chair." He touches, sits, and tests each chair he comes across as he walks through the building. He avoids entering anyone's actual rooms, even though he knew chairs in there had to be great. All the time the servant, occasionally joined by more, were watching stunned by this peasant just wandering in the building. "Ohh, I like this one. And I love the pillow." He had found it. He lifts it up, and walks towards the exit. The servant still confused one what to do, follows. And before the servant knew it, Davorin was out the door with a chair. He calls back to the stunned servant as he walks down the road. "If anyone asks, you were just visited by Davorin, your neighborhood jack of all trades!" And away he went, down the street, and back to the church. -- He was almost back to the church when he saw a noble wagon go by. These wagons were usually used when transporting something very important, either a person or item. It was covered, usually well guarded, and has shaded windows to keep people from seeing inside... At least usually, these people had the shades up for all to see inside. Four people total, two of who Davorin knew right away, the other two he didn't get a good look at. Then there was the driver, so five total people, powered by some horses. Davorin looks at the wagon, and weighs the chair. He closes his eyes, and reluctantly places the chair down, pushing it into a alley behind some crates. "I'll be back for you." He takes off after the wagon. --- Backtrack a few hours ago, and up at Raven's Keep, four men enter a wagon. Two of the men are advisers who accompanied King Malik. They spoke to each other in Courdonian quickly and energetically. The other two were nobles from Elacs, possibly a friend of Courdon, and Medieville itself. They were excited to be going on a tour of the town, with their guide, Aizen, the local. The man from Elacs, a pale man by the name of Cifer Iorra was the first to get in and sit down. Aizen follows, leaning over to Cifer and whispers. "I'm sorry, but my Courdonian is a little weak. Can you help me with the translation?" Cifer laughs, "Do not worry. They understand our language better then most. They just speak their native tongue to annoy people like yourself. It's a sort of joke these two enjoy." "I... See... Very well." The two Courdonians enter and sit town, laughing and having a good time. One was named Caster Fate, the other was his cousin Caesar Clow, both very odd for even a Courdonian... It doesn't take long, but they head off down from the Keep and into town. The driver, who is half deaf, humming a tune to himself and taking a drink from a flask. ---- Davorin had been following the wagon for a while now. He was now in the merchant district of town, ahead of the wagon. He guessed by the course they were taking, they were on some sort of tour of the city. What a shame, for them, that coming down the street in front of the bigger shops in town before heading back to the Keep. And he was now standing on a rooftop overlooking said street. And the wagon was coming down the road, just as he planned. He smirked to himself about his plan. "It's a stupid idea you know." Death stood behind him. "I mean, I've seen better, but this could lovely if you failed." Davorin ignored the figure lurking behind him... Because in a moment he was going to.... JUMP! He flies off the roof, and falls through the roof of the wagon, between the two Courdonians. They all stared shocked at Davorin, who stretches his arms around Caster and Caesar. He says something to them in Courdonian, they are more shocked then they were before. Aizen looks at Cifer quickly, "What did he just say?!" Cifer shakes his head, "I'm not sure! He used very bad Courdonian! Something about the bread of death!" The two stare at each other confused, then back to Davorin and the cousins, both silent, with knives sticking out of places they shouldn't be. Now a little bounty info here. The two cousins were very odd, and were also not very good people. Caster was known to kill slave children and even some of the free children. Caesar on the other hand, tended to experiment on slaves in horrible ways. Both of who have been under noble protection for a long time now. Davorin sat, staring at the two natives to Kyth. Cifer, like Todd, helped transport people to be slaves in Courdon, usually taken right out of their own homes. Aizen was once wanted for killing three whole families, but was let off on a technicality, even though twenty people saw him do it... "Now, we can do this one of two ways. We can either do this-" They both start screaming for help. The driver oblivious to the racket, or even the fact a man just fell through his wagon, kept driving on. "So... The loud way?" Death sat next to the wagon driver, looking him up and down. "Surprisingly, you'll live to be a hundred and eight." The driver laughed and nodded, confusing Death a little, because he was sure he couldn't see or hear him... ----- Davorin dived off before the wagon started to head up to the Keep. In his bag was several trinkets as proof. He slowly walked back to where he left his chair, only to find it gone... He grumbles a bit and walks back to House Stallion, knocking on the door again. When the door opens he waves, "I'm back." Several minutes later he leaves with another chair, this time giving the servant a flower and a cheap gold ring as he leaves. -------- Back at Raven's Keep, the wagon comes to a stop, and the driver opens the door to the wagon. "All right, so how was the tou-" He stares at the four dead men inside. Death stands next to him clapping happily. Davo takes a chair from Stallion ( Celestial). Four advisers and nobles go on a tour of town. Davo leaves chair to go after wagon. Four people die in wagon. Davo loses chair... He gets a new one.
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Post by Lizica on Jul 29, 2014 1:53:56 GMT -5
((This post so long, and I'm so sorry. @_@ "Maybe you should cut out some of the unnecessary characters and the blathering dialogue." "Standorf, you old fool, if she did that, there wouldn't be anything left!" "Exactly!" "DOHOHOHOHOHOHO!")) Aldrich felt a lot better today. ...Although technically he should have been feeling even better. But he'd been awoken sometime in the middle of the night by the Shadows, who hadn't realized he was ill, and they insisted he come with them to the Jade manor to help them dismantle the prison cell wall again. But once he was there and they realized his state, even they had to question whether his presence there had really been a good idea after all: Aldrich's wracking coughs (and apologies) nearly gave them away half a dozen times, and the manor had a cavernous, acoustic echo. Perfect for singing fully orchestrated songs, but--it made for a rather bad combination with coughing. The shrill, terrifying screech of the Jades' ring--echoed and repeated and bounced back tenfold--was almost enough to make Aldrich feel like he'd gone temporarily deaf yet again, and with a fresh headache he even started to feel somewhat sick to his stomach. Elin had brought Aldrich quickly back to his studio afterwards, and she made him a new batch of tea and some light broth. It was late and she insisted they not talk much; Elin was only able to stay long enough to make sure he was comfortable before once again disappearing into the night unseen. Hopefully she'd be alright. Babewyn hadn't said much during the entire escapade. And in addition to everything else, Aldrich found this to be extremely worrisome. Ilaria's explanation for her wounded leg the day before had already been worrisome. What sort of man would think her a vampire and then attack her for it? (Someone, he wondered blearily, someone who would think Babewyn was a demon bat, perhaps?) Ilaria, however, seemed quite chipper about the whole ordeal somehow. Perhaps that was a positive indication. Lucinda, at least, had taken her news in stride and made a joke of it. But Aldrich couldn't help but be worried anyway. And he continued, despite Emery's reassurances, to worry about Stippling and Babewyn in addition to the two young women seated in his studio. Thankfully, the two sculptures reappeared before anyone had had to go out in a panic to search for them. Oddly enough, yet another young woman had been right behind Babewyn when she arrived--but she had scampered off, wide-eyed, before even entering the shop. "Her poetic feet must have been so stressed that she had to run off to see the podiatrist," Waller had said from the window, as Babewyn and the busts peered after her in bewilderment. "If we had even heard her poetry," replied Standorf, "I'm sure she wouldn't have been the only one running." "DOHOHOHOHOHOHO!" As Lucinda, Ilaria, and Aldrich finished their tea, Babewyn had perched herself next to Emery and been remarkably quiet. Aldrich had fallen asleep in his studio's friendly company before he had had the chance to ask the gargoyle if something was wrong. And after the Shadows mission, when he finally awoke to daylight the next morning, the remnants of Elin's broth and tea still beside his cot, Aldrich wondered if he had had the presence of mind in his illness to thank anyone--Lucinda, Ilaria, Elin. Had he remembered to thank them for looking after him? Because he did feel much better today. Maybe not great, but--he pushed off a few of the blankets, gently moved a couple resting sculptures from the top, and stood up shakily from his cot. He slowly made his way across the studio, stepping over Rasp and Riffler and sidestepping Fantail. Emery watched him attentively, but didn't stop him. "A shaky beginning to the day can't be good," Standorf noted. "Of course not," agreed Waller. "This game had a shaky beginning, too, and look how that turned out." "It's not that shaky," objected Aldrich hoarsely as he sat down at his workbench by the unfinished marble block and gathered up his tools. "Hm, well, when he's right, he's right." "He is?" "Yeah, if this thing was any more rickety, everyone would have fallen through already for being such deadweights!" "DOHOHOHOHOHOHO!" "So you're feeling well enough to sculpt?" That was Babewyn. She flew down from the top shelf and landed stiffly on the floor by the workbench. Aldrich examined her; she examined him in turn. "I'm feeling quite a bit better than yesterday, yes." The gargoyle carefully eyed him and the marble block. "Were you a workaholic before we met you, too, or is this a recent development?" Aldrich tilted his head incredulously. "What? I'm not a workahol-holic," he said, stifling a cough. Something about this response made Babewyn relax a little bit; she shifted her forelegs. "Yeah? Says the guy that had to be buried in sculptures just so he'd lie down?" "I might've lied down! You and Emery were overreacting." "Speaking of overreacting," Babewyn added tentatively, "I accidentally bumped into a Courdonian yesterday--" "Wh-what?" Aldrich sputtered, dropping his chisels with a clinking clatter. "Yeah," said Babewyn. "They were quite upset, made a big deal of it, jotted down the studio's address, said they were bringing in a platoon, we're supposed to meet them at high noon in front of the King's Arms Inn, so make sure you wear a wide-brimmed hat and make ominous whistling noises--" " Babewyn." "Kidding! Just kidding." Babewyn stretched her wings and comfortably shifted her perch on the ground. "...I'm glad you're feeling better," she added. "The Courdonians are up at the Keep by now. Hopefully they're being serenaded." Aldrich sighed with--not exactly relief--but with a slight lessening of apprehension. "How--how about our visitors from yesterday and last night? Did they all make it out alri-right?" he added with a raspy cough as he bent down to retrieve his sculpting tools again. "I think they're all fine." "And...all of you?" " We're fine, don't worry so much." "Even though you were so panicked that you bumped into a foreigner?" "I said I was kidding." "But you weren't, were you." "Well, alright," said Babewyn, finally grinning in earnest as she waved off the incident. "If you simply must know, I bumped into someone and then apologized very nicely and then hurried away. Honestly. It's like you expect everything I do to turn into a disaster." Whatever response Aldrich was about to give--groaning or laughing or pointing out Babewyn's current track record pockmarked with disasters--was swallowed by another coughing fit. Babewyn furrowed her feathery brow and looked concerned again. "Go lie back down. Bad sculptor, bad." "H-h-help me move the cot over here so I can multitask, th-then." "Ha! 'Not a workaholic,' you're hilarious. --Emery, help me drag him over--" "Hang on a minute, I'm using the boiling pot for more tea." "I can walk, calm down, you two--wait, Emery, how much water are you putting into that pot--" "Oh, so we're not allowed to worry, but you are? Such a hypocrite." Despite his protests, Aldrich was soon sitting upright on his cot underneath three blankets. (Two of said blankets were dripping at the corners with over-boiled tea.) In one hand, Aldrich sipped tea from a flower vase, while with the other he held a cloth and attempted to clean some mud from Fantail's feathers (which was something most of his sculptures would likely need help with now that the floor was dry again). The studio was remarkably quiet. Amid the relative silence, the shop door opened. “Aldrich, it is Lucinda. I've brought company.”Aldrich looked up. "Ah--good morning, milady," he said. He wasn't sure if he'd been expecting her today or not; after yesterday, a broken haze of sleep and sleeplessness, Aldrich hadn't prepared his studio for more guests. He hoped she hadn't left very late yesterday after he'd fallen asleep. But he was glad to see her. Stippling brightly cheeped in greeting and flew circles over the young noblewoman's head before lighting vertically on the shelf side. The marble chimney swift's flight pattern also directed Aldrich's attention to another man entering the shop behind Lucinda: the nobleman with the worn face, from the Shadows meeting. A quick little zip of panic shot through Aldrich, but it dissipated when the man spoke. "Hello, Master Aldrich. I've heard about you from Lucinda. My name is Ambrose Stallion. I'm sorry for disturbing you but it sounds like you were, or are, quite ill."The nobleman was a good man and might not even recognize Aldrich. (And maybe Aldrich's voice was also now hoarse from coughing?) And even if he did remember him from the meeting--maybe it would be alright; maybe Lucinda wouldn't get in trouble for coming here, since Lord Ambrose had also come here, too, and-- "Rasp--Riffler!--stop, let him walk." The miniature horse and phoenix had approached the nobleman and had stared up at him for a long moment before starting another one of their bickering arguments right in Lord Ambrose's path. Aldrich coughed and mimed trying to wave the two miniatures away (even from the distance of his cot). Thankfully, they obliged and shuffled off to the pottery shelf, where Stippling chittered at them. "I-I'm s-sorry if they were bothering you, m'lord, they're just curious," Aldrich told Ambrose. "They didn't mean any harm. And it's a pleasure to meet you. I was ill--or I am still, I suppose--but I'm feeling much better today, thanks to Lady Lucinda. Which I--" Aldrich was interrupted by yet another knock upon the studio door. “Mister Aldrich? It’s Leif - oh.”At this point, Babewyn, who had been perched atop the top shelf again, could no longer contain herself, and she let out a burst of her crackling laughter. "Oh--I'm so glad I'm here today. This is turning into quite the party hotspot in here today, isn't it?" "Uh, I--I don't see how that's a party," said Aldrich. "No, no, it's fabulous, we always needed more visitors," said Babewyn, brightly flying down to ground level. After Lord Leif greeted the two Stallion nobles, he turned to Aldrich, Babewyn, and Emery. “I can’t stay too long or Lord Everett will have my hide, but I brought some potions and can try a little magic, if that will help. How’re you feeling?”"Oh," said Aldrich from his cot, surprised. "Th-thank you, m'lord. I'm--I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but--thank you, for all your trouble, and your concern. I'm feeling much better today; Lady Lucinda gave me some medicine yesterday." All through these sentences, Aldrich had been straining to hold back another mild series of coughs, and he finally let them out once had finished. Seeing this, Babewyn trotted over to him and helpfully threw the tea from his teacup/flower vase down his throat and forced him to swallow, which actually had the complete opposite intended effect and made Aldrich start coughing and choking on the hot tea instead. Meanwhile, Lord Ambrose and Lord Leif were talking, presumably discussing events from yesterday. Aldrich listened with a bit of concern, unsure if he'd met someone named Xavier, and he wondered if he should have asked Babewyn if she had seen anything else important while she was out yesterday. ...But at the moment, Aldrich was also trying to stop choking on tea. "Master Aldrich, I'm sorry but do you have thyme and honey, by any chance?" said Lord Ambrose, turning back to the sculptor. "If you make them into a tea, it should help your cough. It's what my mother always took for her coughs. If it could help her, I'm sure it can help you.""Th-tha-tha--" Aldrich wheezed in response. (Babewyn hit him hard on the back a few times, which again had the opposite intended effect and instead made Aldrich's coughs stagger.) "Tha-that's an e-excelle-hent idea, m-m'lord, th-thank you. S-some ho-honey and thyme might even coo-cool it down, too, w-wouldn't it? I-I don't think I have any t-thyme, but--" "I think there's some honey in the trunk," Emery piped up, seeing that Aldrich was having quite enough trouble speaking. He bustled over to the trunk and flipped it open, withdrawing a very old jar of honey, barely touched and covered in white studio dust. "I-I'm sorry, m'lords, milady. It's p-perhaps not much, but--c-can I o-offer any of you tea, or--or anything at all?" Aldrich offered sheepishly, still trying to catch his breath again. "We should use Lord Ambrose's sug-suggestion, b-but be careful, the tea's hot. Have you all met each other before?" Sooo... Yesterday, Babewyn returns to the studio with Millian in tow ( icon), but Millian runs off for some reason. (Poets are so weird.) Lucinda ( Kristykimmy), Ilaria ( Pixie), and Aldrich finish talking and drinking tea and then part ways for the day. In the night, Aldrich is woken up to go on the Shadows trip to the Jade Manor, and Elin ( Gelquie) helps the ill sculptor back home. Today, Aldrich awakes feeling a little bit better, and he attempts (attempts) to get more work done on his marble block. He and Babewyn talk, and she seems a bit less panicked when she realizes his health is improving. Lucinda and Ambrose ( Celestial) come to visit Aldrich as he's resting upright on his cot, as does Leif ( Tiger). Though a bit overwhelmed by so many people visiting and by their thoughtfulness, Aldrich offers his guests tea with honey.
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Post by Avery on Jul 29, 2014 11:27:51 GMT -5
As Aines and Albert (well, mostly Albert) were insulting the Courdonian contingent several levels below, in the upper storeys of the Keep-- the residential quarters-- Destiney sat in the sitting room of her chamber, staring at the young girls across from her. Her sisters stared back, their faces equally mixed with uncertainty and annoyance for all having been hauled away from their preferred activities to meet with the raven-haired rising queen. "Did someone else die?" Harmoney asked dramatically, her mind flashing back to a few weeks earlier, when it had been Destiney also to inform them of Starmey's passing in the night. "No," Destiney said, "but well-- um. I have something else to tell you." Her eyes drifting to Karma, she added, "Something you might not... like." "Ugh," Cloudey said in her best brooding teenager voice. "Just tell us already. Woo, I don't see why you have to draw this out, you're just as bad as Aines--" "Cloudey," Destiney interrupted sternly. "Have some respect. Anyway. As you all know, King Malik of Courdon has come to... visit. I have good reasons to think that it's not a well-intentioned visit, and in fact has the potential to go quite wrong, most likely tomorrow at my coronation. I do not want you five here to potentially get caught up in that wrongness, if everything is indeed as precarious as Master Aines and I suspect. Therefore, this evening, all of you will be taken away from the capital, to an undisclosed location, until any threat of danger has passed." For a long moment, the younger Ascension girls simply gaped at their sister. The expressions they wore melted from mild aggravation to, well-- a gamut really. Hope, the most level-headed between all of the Ascension children, kept her face flat and inscrutable. Aura even grinned a bit, her young mind excited by the idea of a secret trip. Cloudey let out an exaggerated sigh and rolled her eyes. And as for Karma... well... Destiney's eyes finally settled on her littlest sister. And then the rising queen promptly cringed. Karma's lip was quivering. Her fists were trembling at her side. Oh. Oh no. "Karma, sweetie, it'll be fun," Destiney said, still cringing as she braced herself from the howl that would soon emit from her sister's lungs. "And... I've a messenger out searching for Kelcey's sisters--" (she didn't mention that he'd been out looking far too long and she was afraid he'd never find them) "--you remember Kelcey, right? I'm going to send them away with you, so you can have new friends, honey! Don't you want new friends?" ** The messenger, who indeed had found the Kidde sisters, smiled and then bowed at the Stallion patriarch. "Thank you, m'lord," he said. "Your assistance is greatly appreciated by the Keep. Now. Laurie is the eldest, am I correct?" Alain nodded, before saying, " But may I ask what this is about? Why is the Queen suddenly showing interest in these girls?""Ah, well. It is very tragic, m'lord, but their brother's had a bit of an... incident... down in Courdon. Queen Destiney was quite fond of him, and due to certain ah--" He considered "-- activities prior to their brother's sad demise, she wishes to make sure they are tended to. Now, as I was saying, I think I shall speak to Laurie first, so that it may fall to her on how she wishes to inform the littler ones. I have orders to take them all back to the Keep with me at once, so we will all be out of your hair very soon, m'lord. Thank you again for your cooperation." With that, the messenger rapped on Laurie Kidde's door. Destiney informs her sisters, including Karma ( Lizzie) that they're being sent away, how fun! =D Meanwhile, the messenger tells Alain ( Celestial) why he's at the Stallion Manor, then knocks on Laurie's door ( Liou) to tell her about Kelcey.
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Post by Tiger on Jul 29, 2014 11:42:40 GMT -5
Babewyn’s unmistakable cackling drew Leif’s attention to the gargoyle’s shelf, and he took a brief moment to let his eyes dart over the entire shop again. The statues were quieter than before, but no less spectacular. He wondered what Lord Ambrose thought of them; hopefully Lucinda had prepared him. "Oh--I'm so glad I'm here today,” Babewyn declared. “This is turning into quite the party hotspot in here today, isn't it?"
"Uh, I--I don't see how that's a party.”
"No, no, it's fabulous, we always needed more visitors."“Good morning, Babewyn. And you, too, Emery,” Leif said. "Th-thank you, m'lord. I'm--I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but--thank you, for all your trouble, and your concern. I'm feeling much better today; Lady Lucinda gave me some medicine yesterday." Leif frowned a little at the man’s cough. If this was better, he wondered what yesterday had been like. Mentally he ruled out a few of the potions in his satchel. As Babewyn… helped Aldrich with the tea, Ambrose greeted Leif and asked, “How is Xavier doing, by the way? He seemed to be fine after what happened but I still worry a little about him."“You and I both. From the sound of it, he left the manor of his own accord last night, and when I asked this morning, I heard he’d made it back safely, so I suppose he’s feeling all right. Hopefully Duval will stay in the Keep today. Whatever bruise he’s sporting should coax him out of pulling another stunt like that.” Although I’m sure they brought some mages of their own, and they’ve already seen to it, Leif thought regretfully. Ambrose suggested honey-and-thyme tea, which Aldrich agreed to with a series of jolting coughs. Leif winced when Babewyn smacked the sculptor’s back to help; strikes from that stone paw, even meant as aid, must hurt. Emery was a bit more genuinely helpful, fetching the honey. "I-I'm sorry, m'lords, milady. It's p-perhaps not much, but--c-can I o-offer any of you tea, or--or anything at all? We should use Lord Ambrose's sug-suggestion, b-but be careful, the tea's hot. Have you all met each other before?"Finding an empty space on a table, Leif reached into his satchel to start choosing potions. “I’ll pass on tea, I don’t want to take a cup and then have to leave before I can drink it.” He pulled a red potion from the bag, read the tag wound around its stopper, and tucked it back inside. “I think you need it much more than I do, Mister Aldrich.” The next potion was a slightly different shade of red; Leif put that one back, too. “We have met, though not Lord Ambrose and I until yesterday. Ah, there it is.” Leif finally set one of the bottles on the table; its contents were a third shade of red. “Lady Lucinda, what was in the medicines you gave Mister Aldrich? I don’t think any ingredients should clash, but just to be safe…” Leif’s at Aldrich’s ( Lizica) with Ambrose ( Celestial) and Lucinda ( Kristykimmy)! He answers Ambrose’s question about Xavier, declines tea since he’s gonna be busy this round morning, and starts picking out potions, asking Lucinda what she’s already given Aldrich (“Warning: Do not take this potion while taking drugs including wolfsbane, tooth of hen, or acetaminophen”)
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Post by Kristykimmy on Jul 29, 2014 13:36:39 GMT -5
Lucinda was glad to find Aldrich still in bed, resting, but she didn't like the sound of his cough. She thought the medicine should have done more for him. Either he was worse than she though, or he hadn't gotten the proper amount of rest the night before. The statues all started bustling about, excited by the presence of Ambrose. Stippling landed on a shelf near her and she walked over to stroke the bird's head with a careful finger. “Hello, dear Stippling.” Aldrich waved his mischievious statues off and began speaking to Ambrose. He was interrupted by a knock at the door. Leif opened it. “Mister Aldrich? It’s Leif – oh. Lord Ambrose, Lady - or Baroness, rather? Lucinda. I can’t stay too long or Lord Everett will have my hide, but I brought some potions and can try a little magic, if that will help. How’re you feeling?”“The title doesn't matter,” Lucinda told him. “Thank you for coming to look in on Aldrich, Lord Leif.” "Oh--I'm so glad I'm here today. This is turning into quite the party hotspot in here today, isn't it?"
"Uh, I--I don't see how that's a party," said Aldrich.
"No, no, it's fabulous, we always needed more visitors," said Babewyn, brightly flying down to ground level. “If I had known you were lonely here, Babewyn, I would have brought Uncle Ambrose before,” Lucinda told her. Babewyn then proceeded to attempt to drown Aldrich with a cup of tea, in a well-meaning way. Lucinda hid her smile; sorry for Aldrich's discomfort, but charmed by Babewyn's attempts to help him. The gargoyle then proceeded to pound Aldrich on the back to try to help with the choking-related coughing, but only made it worse. Ambrose offered to make Aldrich a tea her great-grandmother apparently drank when she had a cough. Aldrich had honey but not thyme. Lucinda set the basket she had been carrying the chest and looked through it, pulling out the cloth bag containing the loose-leaf tea she had brought. “This has thyme in it, Great-Uncle. Will it do?” she said, showing it to him. “Lady Lucinda, what was in the medicines you gave Mister Aldrich? I don’t think any ingredients should clash, but just to be safe…” Leif asked. Lucinda turned back to her basket and pulled out the medicines she had brought. “I gave him these. The ingredients are listed on the labels,” she told him as she handed him the bottles. She turned to Aldrich as he was set upon by another fit of coughing. “Aldrich, were you up last night? Unless I misjudged how sick you really were yesterday, you are worse off than I was expecting to see today.” Lucinda hangs around Aldrich's ( Lizica) studio with Ambrose ( Celestial) and Leif ( Tiger). She offers tea leaves she brought and and gives Leif the medicines she gave Aldrich for him to inspect. She then questions Aldrich about his activities last night, as she suspects he didn't rest after all.
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Post by Celestial on Jul 29, 2014 17:37:42 GMT -5
Ambrose had to admit, while he knew the statues were alive, he had not expected them to be so...rambunctious. The little bird, which he saw now was a swift, flew above his and Lucinda's head and then a small horse horse and a phoenix statue began bickering in front of him, forcing him to stop in his tracks. Despite it, he found himself quite amused by their antics. It reminded him a bit of Lord Everett and his brother. However, when Aldrich shooed them away and tried to apologise, Ambrose shook his head. "No need to apologise, it's fine. I understand that it's hard to control things sometimes. It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Master Aldrich, and please, just call me Ambrose," he said. However, Aldrich's voice sounded...vaguely familiar. It was raspy, yes, but he could have sworn he had heard either that voice or those intonations before. At the Shadow meeting? A chill ran down Ambrose's spine before immediately, he dismissed the thought. Shadow or not, they had been reasonable and there was no need to fear them. And regardless, Aldrich was Lucinda's friend and he was sick. No matter what his affiliations were, it did not matter to Ambrose, not at this moment, not ever. He noticed the gargoyle who had also spoken and looked over her curiously, watching her as she poured hot tea down Aldrich's throat, making him have a coughing fit. The gargoyle did not help by patting him on the back and Ambrose went over to her. He was not really sure how to attract her attention, since she was stone and he was not sure how much of a sense of touch she had, so he resorted to coughing to attract her attention. "Excuse me..." Ambrose tried to recall what Leif called her. "Babewyn, I know you must be concerned about him, but maybe you could let us handle it? I imagine we know more about healing humans." He went over to Emery and took the honey jar from him before shaking his head at Aldrich. "I don't want any, thank you, but it is very kind of you to offer. Don't worry about us, you should rest now, Master Aldrich," Ambrose said. He let Leif lay out his potions on the desk, trusting the Jade to figure out magic while Ambrose took care of the non-magical remedies. "That will do perfectly, Lucinda, thank you," he took the cloth bag from her and opened it. From the inside, he could smell thyme, peppermint and even a little bit of ginger. All things that his mother swore helped her with her troubles. He looked around but the studio did not appear to have a teapot or any sign of a fire going. However, the gargoyle had gotten the hot water that she tried to down poor Aldrich in from somewhere...Lucinda did mention that her vase could whistle so perhaps... "Please correct me if I'm wrong, but does that vase boil water?" Ambrose asked, pointing to it. "If you could show me how it works, I'll make this for you." *** Alain's face remained impassive as he listened. So, that was what had become of the boy. He did try to warn him but apparently, he was too much of a fool to listen. Still, it was not like it was all his fault. The fool was simply caught up in a game he did not understand. However, telling Laurie Kidde about her brother, considering her mental state was...well, unwise. Nevertheless, Alain moved aside from the door. "I see. I am sorry, I best leave you to break the news. However, Laurie is not in the best of conditions right now so you best be careful when breaking her the news. She has already had a difficult time. When you are ready, feel free to take them. You have all the time you need but please inform somebody when you leave so that I'll know. I do hope that the girls will be alright though. It is good of the Queen to look after them, however, especially in these dangerous times," Alain said and, with a small nod of his head to the messenger, turned and headed away. Perhaps it was slightly treasonous, not to tell him about Briar, if the Queen had requested them all to be taken to the Keep. But of course, for all his loyalty to her, he still had his own interests. He could always explain himself to the Queen later, if she wanted to know why he had not told her about the other Kidde sister. But this was a problem that would only matter if it came right. Now, Alain had many other things to take care of. Ambrose is amused by the antics of Rasp and Riffler and he vaguely recognises Aldrich's( Lizica) voice as somebody from the Shadow meeting but decides it does not matter, not while he is sick. He asks Babewyn to let them handle it, refuses tea, let's Leif( Tiger) deal with the magic, takes the tea from Lucinda( Kristykimmy) and after deeming it good for his purposes, asks if the vase really boils water and how it works. Alain, meanwhile, expresses very little sadness over Kelcey's( Avery) death and leaves the messenger to break the news to Laurie( Liou), warning him to do it gently since she is already in a bad way. He wonders if not telling about Briar is betraying the Queen somehow but decides to cross that bridge when he comes to it.
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Post by Elcie on Jul 29, 2014 18:11:02 GMT -5
((Collab with me and PFA!)) Xavier was still reeling slightly from the events of the previous day. Despite the fact that Lord Duval was in the city, he’d felt strangely lighthearted as he returned to the manor the previous night. The knowledge that Elin returned his feelings… and the fact that both of them had escaped from Duval… He was beginning to have hope that everything would turn out all right, after all. The disturbance at the manor brought back some of his worries, however. The Shadows were still playing a dangerous game, and thinking about what could happen made Xavier feel tense. He hadn’t been there at the time, busy patrolling the Merchant’s Market for signs of wrongdoing, but he couldn’t help but wonder if Elin had been involved… and what her faction’s ultimate plans would be. He hoped they would not do anything too dangerous, or turn to violence. The Jades were in need of a new chest to lock up their valuables after the destruction of the Ring, and the task had fallen to Xavier. He knew of a good locksmith in town who had once fitted the front door of the King’s Arms, and Ilsa had never been anything but complimentary about her services, so he was planning on heading to her. On his way out of the manor, he encountered a group of their hosts the Marsons, who were… breaking things. Enthusiastically. He stopped dead, near Jeniver, with a very similar dumbfounded expression on his face. “What…?” (He couldn’t help but think that it was fortunate that Jeniver, not the Marsons, had been staying at Ilsa’s inn. Ilsa would murder them.) “I, um,” was all Jeniver could say, “I have no idea what’s going on.” Xavier studied the Marsons warily, and decided not to comment. The customs of nobility were still a mystery to him. Furniture-breaking was clearly more popular than he’d realized. “Lady Jeniver, hello,” he said, deciding the best course of action was politeness and nodding to her. “I… was just heading out to the locksmith’s to see if she can repair our chest,” he said, and gave the Marsons another confused look. “...maybe they won’t mind if I go around?” Jeniver blinked, looking up at Xavier. Come to think of it, she hadn’t really interacted with him much since he threw her in jail, though he’d been... really weird ever since then. And she heard something about a big scandal yesterday with the Courdonians? She wasn’t really sure what that was all about, but apparently it was a pretty big deal. At any rate, now he was talking about repairing the chest with a new lock. Jeniver smiled. Maybe this was her chance! “Can, uh, can I go with you?” she asked. Xavier looked surprised, but nodded. “I don’t mind.” He couldn’t really blame her for wanting to get away from the craziness currently taking place in the manor. “The shop is not too far from here, I think.” Circumventing the Marsons as much as possible, the two of them left the manor. As they stepped out onto the streets of Medieville, Xavier glanced at Jeniver somewhat nervously. He’d grown much more comfortable around Leif, but it was still hard not to think of the rest of the Jades as, well, above him. And he was surprised she wanted to be anywhere near him after he’d arrested her. Jeniver felt equally awkward. Now that she was thinking about it, was going out alone with Xavier a good idea? Would her parents get mad at her? Well, even if they did, it wasn’t like Xavier was going to arrest her again or anything. ...Right? “So, um,” she spoke up awkwardly, “how are you adjusting to being a Jade?” “It’s…” Xavier struggled to find the words to answer this question. Not as bad as I thought seemed potentially insulting. “A little overwhelming,” he settled on finally. “But not in a bad way. Your House has been very kind to me, Lady Jeniver.” Well, mostly Leif, not her uncle, but going into detail about how much Lord Everett still kind of terrified him seemed like the wrong thing to say. “Oh, that’s nice. I’m glad.” Jeniver frowned, not sure what to say next. Asking him why he’d been so upset when he was first recruited probably a bad idea. And she got the impression that asking about the Courdonians would be a bad idea, too... “It’s been a crazy past few days, huh?” she remarked eventually. “To say the least,” Xavier agreed fervently. “I hope things calm down soon. Maybe after the coronation…” His thoughts drifted to Elin and their conversation the previous day, and a small smile crept onto his face in spite of himself. When things were calmer… He shook his head, trying to clear it of distracting thoughts of Elin’s smile and Elin’s brown eyes and Elin’s arms around him… Xavier coughed, trying to think of something else. “Uh, you’ll… you’ll probably be heading back to Corvus after this is all over…” Once he’d said it he realized he wasn’t sure what he would do when that happened. He was still aligned with House Jade, but there was his life here… “Yeah, I hope so,” Jeniver said, before she could realize that was probably rude. Oh well. “I mean, um, it’s been interesting here, but I want to go home. ...I don’t know about you or those other recruits. Maybe you’ll stay here with Marson?” “Maybe,” Xavier said hopefully. “I guess it would be useful to House Jade to have some people here, particularly if Lord Joffery succeeds in taking the throne.” He supposed he’d discuss it with Leif when the time came… or… or Everett, he thought reluctantly, who would probably have stronger (and more important) opinions on the matter. “Yeah, I guess so,” Jeniver agreed. They were approaching the locksmith’s shop by now. Xavier went for the door, but stopped short as he heard the noise from inside. There were voices, and someone had screamed. He shot a nervous look at Jeniver. He couldn’t just lead her into danger, but if something had happened to the locksmith… he had to do something.“Stay back, Lady Jeniver,” he said nervously. “I’m going to see what’s going on.” Bracing himself, Xavier opened the door. Jeniver frowned, clutching onto her wand nervously. Despite his warning, Jeniver tried to peer past him so she could see what was happening, as well. Was someone hurt? Jeniver and Xavier escape the madness of Marson Manor to go get a replacement lock for House Jade's chest, make awkward conversation on the way to Morgaine's ( Shinko) shop, and then hear the sounds of a struggle inside when they arrive...
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Post by Liou on Jul 29, 2014 18:18:57 GMT -5
After being woken up several times by nightmares of screaming rings, Laurie had finally managed to catch some sleep when she heard a great pounding sound inside her head - wait, no, it was a knocking sound, like on a door. She opened her eyes and blinked several times, a strange room swimming in and out of focus around her. Where could she be? Had she fallen asleep in an abandoned room of the Keep? Were the princesses waiting for her? She sat up, and the Grand Duke's handkerchief fell out of her hands. She remembered where she was, and why. Well, at least she wasn't late for work. She slapped her face to try and chase the sleepiness away, patted her hair and skirt into place as well as she could, then went to open the door with a curtsey, ready to welcome her Stallion masters with gratitude. The person on the other side was wearing Ascension colors. They had finally decided to do something about her thieving. She gulped and glanced behind the messenger, but there were no guards in sight. "Good day sir," she said tentatively. "How may I help you?" Laurie wakes up and opens the door for the messenger ( Avery) what else do you want me to do
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