TESTING STUFFS NO POASTY PLEASE

[sheldor the CONQUEROR]

;; s i r i u s BLACK <<

It was early, and the sky was ablaze with color as the sun dispelled the tranquil blue light of early dawn with an invigorating bright light. Sirius opened his eyes. Just like that; there was none of the transitional period between sleep and wakefulness that he usually experienced; no grogginess or heavy-lidded eyes. At first, he wasn't sure what had happened to make him come so fully awake so suddenly. Last night's events came rushing back into his consciousness, and he closed his eyes as he reviewed each shockingly glorious detail. Usually the type to sleep until the very last minute, he found himself rising before all of his other roommates, no desire to go back to sleep or even to linger in the warmth and comfort of his down cover. He sat up slowly and stretched his muscles, cracked his back. Today was going to be another wonderful day; though he doubted it could really quite top last night's end, he was sure that today would be interesting to say the least. Today was the beginning of their little competition; Sirius had to abstain from flirting for an entire day. The terms were a bit unclear as to the prize; he knew that if she won, he had to relinquish her sketchbook. He pulled back the covers and turned to place his feet on the carpeted floor. It was not soft like the rich carpeting at his mother's house, but the firm fibers were a comforting sensation beneath his feet. He pulled open the drawer to his bedside table, lifted the stack of papers and fished out her sketchbook where he had hidden it. Flipping through the corner of the pages quickly without looking at the artwork, he chewed the inside of his cheek. Oh, he really wanted to look at the rest of it. He had sneaked a peek at a random page somewhere near the middle, and was surprised to find out she was really very talented. Perhaps if they were ever on good enough terms, he would ask her to take his likeness; as self-centered a person as he was, he greatly enjoyed having his likeness taken; drawn, painted, sculpted, he loved them all. His favorite, of course, were pictures. He was always up for a photo.

Deciding it really would be best to leave the rest of the drawings untouched (he did not wish to incur the wrath of an incredibly incensed Andy--and she was bound to be even more angry with him now than usual. He sighed and trudged off to wash up, pulling on just his trousers, leaving the rest of his uniform laid flat upon his bed cover, neatly made. After finally finishing with his daily morning ritual, he loitered about as he waited for his friends to finish getting ready. Once they were, they all headed off to the Great Hall for breakfast before classes. He knew he wasn't the only one excited about today; almost everyone knew about the competition, the bet; and almost everyone was excited to see what transpired through the day. A couple people were plotting on the side to sabotage in favor of one or the other, and Sirius anticipated this. So far, however, he'd run into few obstacles excepting the fact that more people seemed to want to talk to him today, to ask him questions. He wasn't really in a question-answering-mood this morning, and having woken up so early had caught up with him. He was feeling just a bit surly this morning--which was not exactly a deviation from most mornings, he was really not the type to really wake up for a couple hours.

Once they had stepped through the doors to the Great Hall, the people interested in the competition stopped to watch his and Andy's presumed first interaction of the day. He walked slowly, a broad grin plastered on his face. Ahh, he loved the attention. As he approached the Gryffindor table, He pushed aside the two students who were sitting across from Andy and Lily. He slammed his hand down on the table and waggled his eyebrows at her. All memory of last night was surrendered in his childish glee and without even trying, he was acting as normal as he ever could achieve. "Well hallo, Andy. Lily. Today is a lovely day..." He stood up straight, both hands braced in his hips in a 'heroic' pose. He drew a deep breath after the word 'day', his chest puffing out. "For victory." His genial grin disappeared, replaced by a sneer, obviously insinuating his own victory her her defeat. He was, by nature, a very competitive person, and he didn't lose without a bitter fight to the end. Any potential awkwardness was lost in the flow of his energy, his desire to beat Andy and show her he wasn't all talk. He realized she wasn't wearing standard regulation outfit, and he glanced her up and down and chuckled. Sure, he didn't adhere to the stiff decorum with his tie loose, his collar unbuttoned, and his shirt was not tucked in behind his belt. His pants were worn loose and down more around his hips than his waist, giving him a cleverly and charming disheveled look. "Sorry sweetheart, but flirting between you and me doesn't count in this competition. Hm...you know, a thought just struck me. What do you think? Does fighting or bickering count as flirting if it's done in a friendly manner?" He arched a brow and attempted to catch her gaze. Though he had a cheeky grin on his face (his rather standard expression), the question was not as teasing as he made it sound. He hoped he was conveying his true meaning to Andy, insinuating that perhaps they always were flirting. Though a serious question, the intent was to see what her reaction would be. He was hoping for blushing in embarrassment.

[sheldor the CONQUEROR]

☆ZENDYNE๑LINN๑HAYLE☆

« oh, what a world this life would be
forget all your technicolour dreams
forget modern nature
this is how it´s meant to be »

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« if we dance to their music we’ll stay there forever
in the misty oul’ moonlight, the dawn of the free, and we’ll dance
and dance and dance; we’ll dance all night on the hill »

[sheldor the CONQUEROR]

✖✖ LUCIEN ◦ ANTOINE ◦ CAVALIER ✖✖

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[sheldor the CONQUEROR]

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[sheldor the CONQUEROR]

❖...A young man stood in front of an impressive display of literature, striking a perfect picture of the idealistic princely figure. Such a countenance was natural for Larkin, the middling prince of Hienn. His body was held in perfect posture, his back straight and his broad shoulders rolled back. He was tall, with an athletic figure and narrow waist, draped in nothing but his finest. Though he was not one to obsess with fashion, he was sure that his servants took meticulous care of his appearance because...well, it's what a prince simply did in public. Strapped to his belt was a smallsword, more for decoration than anything else. His hair was uncommonly short, however, cropped close to his ears. It complemented his angular face, however, and was beginning to grow out--soon it would brush past his brow. An unfortunate accident had resulted in the chopping off of some of his hair, and when it had been styled to that length he decided he preferred to wear his hair short rather than long, as was much the fashion. He had soft hazel eyes and a bright smile. Even when serious or angry, his expression was never cold or harsh. He had learned long ago the skill of maintaining a constant mask of serenity.

❖...He was currently contemplating the wall of spines, a hectic mass of leather bound volumes of various sizes, topics, and usefulness. A single finger brushed against his lips as he cradled his chin in his hand, trying to figure out which book he wanted to remove from its specific location. A voracious reader since he was young, Larkin knew the inhabitants (both paper and flesh) of the royal library very well. He had many a friend among the servants that maintained the organization and cleanliness the room as well as the scholars that spent almost their every waking moment either here or in their private rooms with their research. He stretched his arm up as far as it would go; his movements were not so confined in his clothing as they could be, for his tailors were particularly adept with a needle and thread. He considered his clothing incredible pices of artwork, as he did with many things in the world; beauty was not lost upon Larkin. He could find something to marvel at in almost anything, from the smallest pebble to the largest building. Some considered him a bit simple because of his habit of standing and staring at random objects for lengthy periods of time, but he was really searching and observing every minute detail possible. Once he saw something, he never forgot it; his memory was incredible. It was how he had been able to create a mental map of the library; and there it was, the book he was searching for. He pulled down a thin volume of poetry, written down in a foreign language. He was currently working on translations in a new language, and he thought he would begin small. In his other hand was a dictionary of sorts, with translated words to aid him. His studies had always been important to him, and as a result he was well learned and a good diplomat. He loved to learn about new people, new lands, new cultures, new languages and customs. He had rarely been out of the country, for there were many obstacles to travel for him. He had numerous responsibilities, and he held his family and his country far above his own desires.

❖...It was that mentality that had lead to this arranged marriage with a Thieran princess. He did not have much of an opinion about it; he had never been much of a womanizer, finding himself not quite shy but lacking in any real pleasure of such relationships. Not to say that he did not enjoy female company; simply that he enjoyed the company of any being, male or female, and was much to preoccupied with his own world to maintain any intimate relationship with another. This may seem contradictory to the statement above, that he places the needs of others before him, but it is not so; he is quick to drop what he is doing to help another, but he does not do it because he needs love. He does it because he believes it is his responsibility, and he always does what he feels is right. He cares about people, and likes to spend time among them, but he doesn't feel real attachments, and enjoys spending his time alone just as much as when he is in the company of others. He is kindly regarded by the servants and the people he has met, but many find him stupid and annoyingly happy. He is a rather passive young man of nineteen, and though he is not always happy, he is rarely depressed or angry. It takes a lot to anger him, and his anger is best observed by intense silence that is easily broken because he forgives quickly and easily. He doesn't think much time should be wasted feeling poorly or angry, and finds it easy enough to make himself happy again. If something is going wrong, he works doggedly to change it to relieve his anxiety. Even though it is hard to make him angry, he is easily irritated by most things. He has a long list of pet peeves, but he doesn't let on when he is annoyed. Only those who know him really well can tell when he is cross, but his annoyance is not too heartfelt and usually dissipates after a little while.

❖...With both one book tucked firmly under his arm, he opened the one he had just removed from the shelf and flipped through it quickly to make sure it was the one he wanted. Satisfied, Larkin closed the book and grasped the pair in one hand. He nodded to his manservant Cathan, an amiable older man in his thirties who took his job very seriously. Larkin liked him because he didn't expect anything from Larkin except for Larkin to act responsibly, and when not in public he proved to be quite insightful in his advice and observations. Larkin vaguely considered him a friend, though he was more someone that Larkin looked to for advice--especially when it came to his wardrobe (Cathan considered himself to be quite knowledgable in all things fashionable). He had been the one to teach Larkin about decorum and customs once his nanny was no longer needed. Since then, he had ingrained it quite thoroughly in Larkin's character, and was a valuable source of knowledge on all things royal. As he took the books from Larkin, he bowed and left the room to go and bring the books to Larkin's private rooms for later use. Meanwhile, the prince set off to wander about the palace. Sure, he loved to read, but right now the sun was shining brightly in the sky, and he didn't feel like sitting inside and reading. Instead, he set off to find some minor adventure for the day. He heard female voices raised in concern, preceeded by a few shrill shrieks and an odd noise like stone upon stone. He searched for the source, and soon found a noblewoman sitting upon the stone floor, obviously distressed. In a pool befor her was a series of small pebbles, and surrounding her was a gaggle of ladies to aid her.

❖...He hurried forward, careful not to step on the stones, and helped her to her feet, giving his most sincere apologies and making sure she was all right. He was mildly disappointed to see her countenance change as she registered his presence and attention to her. Whether he was attractive or not was, of course, of some small concern to him at times--what person, no matter what age or gender, doesn't feel insecure about their selves at one point or another? He could never be sure if women were attentive because of his face or because of his title; all except his family were required to pay attention to him when he demanded it, but that was besides the point. He was now to be married, but that didn't seem to stop these ladies from fluttering their eyes at him. He was usually fairly oblivious, but it was hard to not see their obvious attempts to gain his attention. He lavished it all the same, flashing his charming smile at all of them and voicing his hopes that they would have a lovely day, and could they please escort the lady to her rooms?

❖...Once they had left, he sighed, running a hand through his hair after making sure that no one was in the hallway to see his transgression from courtly protocol. Another positive about short hair; it did not have to be style, and he could tousle it all he pleased, a habit of his. He stepped into the ring of stones and caught his hand in his hair for a moment before squatting down and picking up a pebble, turning it over in his hands. He glanced up to see where they could have come from. The lady had proclaimed a ghost had attacked her, but he could see that explanation was improbable. He wondered who it was that had gotten in; who would even dare to do such a thing? He wouldn't punish someone for this, but he knew that had they been caught they would have been in great trouble. He stood up, pocketing the pebble in his hand. He continued on and found a servant, telling them about the stones and requested that they see that it was cleaned up quickly to prevent any further injuries. He heard another series of shouts and a small grin spread across his face. That voice, that voice he recognized. Ahh, Noel, you cheeky monkey. he mused fondly.

[sheldor the CONQUEROR]

❖...As Larkin stood surveying the hectic scene unfolding with obvious good humor and an impressive level of quietude, he grinned at Noel's antics, dressed as a maid. Soft laughter rumbled in his chest as he barely suppressed his mirth, watching as his younger brother discarded the costume with a flourish and began to lead the guards on a wild chase. He had no doubt that Noel would escape his "captors", because this was not a rare occurrence. Sometimes it was difficult, even for him, to get Noel to stay or go where he wanted him to, for Noel had a great deal of will and a strong sense of what his desires. A break from his usual beliefs, it didn't shock him that Noel went so against courtly protocol. He usually was often quite bemused when someone did not follow tradition for he knew nothing but; a product of his father, his place in line, and above all his good nature. He had been very pliable as a young child, and those beliefs and ideals instilled in him at a young age only became more concrete as he grew older. He liked his life to be organized and composed, but sometimes he secretly envied Noel his wild abandon, his ability to go all out and act as...himself. Larkin's smile faded slightly as he returned to a common train of thought for him; sometimes he didn't feel as if he was really all there; if he wanted to express himself completely with no restraints, what would that self be?

❖...His attention was caught by the scene again as his brother went flying down the hallway. He was glad to be distracted from his introspection, because it usually led to a bit of a character crisis, and he didn't enjoy feeling that way very much. He detested feeling anything but cheerful, and he forced a small smile back on his face. For some reason, he always felt better if he just willed himself to, and smiling was an easy way to do that. He was shocked as he heard what appeared to be a young lady exclaim in no uncertain terms how angered she was that Noel had bumped into her. He was simply shocked at her vocabulary; certainly a noble, much less a young female, wouldn't know those words much less utter them; especially in company! He didn't recognize her, and he knew almost all the young nobles that attended court. Certainly he would have at least heard about her, if this was her usual comportment. He stepped closer, deciding it would be intriguing to meet her, compelled also by the desire to apologize for his brother's antics that had seemed to cause her offense or physical harm.

❖...HHe stopped, however, as two other figures approached her. One was dressed as a servant in the castle, and he was again shocked to see her act in such an unseemly way to a person of rank. Surely, someone was playing a colossal joke upon him. He stepped forward and held his head high. "My greetings, ladies." He said as he approached them, to alert them to his presence. "I am Prince Larkin. I'm afraid I do not have the pleasure of your acquaintances." He laid a hand upon his stomach and bowed his head slightly in polite, though by no means deferential, acknowledgment as he spoke his name. His gaze traveled over all three of them, and up close he was sure that they were all strangers. True, he didn't know all of the servants in the palace, but he was fairly familiar with their faces, and this one seemed to be missing something important from her costume as well as her behavior. He wondered why she was wearing such a disguise, but he allowed it to pass for now. "I couldn't help but, ah...observe what transpired just now. I apologize; that was my younger brother, the Prince Noel. He can be a bit...energetic. I do hope you were not harmed." He flashed her his most charming smile as he waited for each to reciprocate his introduction with their own.

[sheldor the CONQUEROR]

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☆CAERLINN☆
___ xx Caroline

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✖AEDHAN✖
___ xx Aiden

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[sheldor the CONQUEROR]

❖...Larkin was vaguely surprised at the young lady standing before him. Of the three, she seemed the most likely candidate for a noblewoman by her dress alone and a certain air of haughtiness that he had observed most royals carried, no matter how kind their personality. Those whose tongues were apt to be loose around Larkin in the absence of fear of offense had claimed that even he had a royal air about him. He had rather hoped he conveyed his rank simply by the way he held himself. He had worked hard at it, after all. Him, haughty? Never. It just wasn't seemly. This young girl had all the basis of a noble, and yet...there was something so wild, so uncouth about her behavior, right from her speech patterns to her short-cropped hair. Certainly, he was not one to talk; but he didn't know any real ladies with short hair. Actually, it was really more of a source of pride for the ladies of the Hienn court. He had never met anyone with short hair. She was certainly an odd person, he mused as he watched her strange reaction to his words. He wondered what on earth she could be thinking about, and he was a bit uneasy to realize she had the look of a person who was plotting some scheme. He realized belatedly that this group must be from Thiera; he had heard that the party was to arrive today, though he was surprised that if they had arrived, that no one had alerted him. He was, of course, the most important person in this whole situation--at least from the Hiennese side. He was the one in the marriage arrangement; the very idea of his brothers agreeing to be married was simply preposterous, and without him the subject would never even be breached.

❖...He noted with dissatisfaction that the hem of her dress was rather dirty, and she had a disheveled overall look. Perhaps she had not been shown to her rooms yet; something he could quickly remedy, though he would not take care of the situation himself. He had to go and prepare to meet the princess, after all. He was perplexed at the maid; now he was certain she did not work here. Not only was her costume incomplete, but she had shown no deference to him, which would have been out of line for any servant or even any noble. Though he was not first in line for the throne, he was a close second, and higher than any other individual in this country save the King and crown prince. He was pleased as the young lady gave him a pretty little smile in return; there, that was a motion he recognized. Her bow, however, was odd. He was not used to females...bowing. Especially when they were wearing skirts such as she. When she introduced herself as Corrine Rasurburg, bodyguard to the Princess of Thiera that was his betrothed, he arched an eyebrow, unquestionably surprised despite the consistent polite smile that was unwaveringly calm in receiving this information. A female bodyguard? Wearing....courtly dress? Surprising. It would explain her uncouth behavior, of course. A female body guard would mingle with the men quite possibly, and perhaps she was not used to wearing skirts. If she was not with her princess, then who was? He was good-natured enough to be inclined to believe that everyone was honest when there was not some obvious gain to lying, and naive enough to believe that this situation would never be a farce as it was.

❖...He simply blinked at her news, as this Corinne indicated the woman beside her to be the princess. Of course, he had simply misheard. He turned his gaze to the real Corinne, and his heart nearly stopped. A bemused and shocked expression quickly flitted across his face, and though he schooled his features into a small smile, his eyebrows were slightly raised. In comparison, nothing today had rocked his beliefs in how everyone should act as much as this. There were no words for his confusion and complete and utter shock. Luckily this situation did not immediately require words, and he simply blinked and smiled rather stupidly at Corinne as he composed himself. This...was no young lady. She was looked to be much older than his betrothed was supposed to be; she, was seventeen? There was no way. She was dressed in fine clothes, to be sure, but they were men's clothing. Had the bodyguard and princess switched clothes? Why on earth....he still hadn't figured it out and simply accepted what Candide said as the truth. But...the scar...she...it was too much for him. He bowed low at the waist and flashed her a smile as he recovered finally. "My apologize, milady. I must have been mistaken. I was not alerted as to your arrival here. I certainly hope that you find your accomodations to your taste." He would have to make a hasty retreat as soon as was polite, to properly let out his real emotions and explain the absurdity of the situation to Cathan, who was sure to share in his alarm.

[sheldor the CONQUEROR]

❖...Larkin watched as a series of emotions flitted across the face of the girl in dress claiming to be a bodyguard to the rather battlescarred princess. He paused for a moment, thinking. He used his habit of smiling a lot as a way to distract people from what was really going on inside his mind. If they saw him with the same placid or cheerful expression, they would never guess what he was really thinking, or if he wasn't paying attention to the situation at all. It finally dawned up on him; perhaps, and this was difficult to believe, perhaps he had be had? No, surely not; surely no princess, no demure young flower of the court, would even think of deception, especially to her betrothed; whom she had never met. He knew above all else that first impressions were the most important. There could be no doubt; ah, but he was a fool. This girl, for all her crass behavior, was every inch a princess. She held nothing back, her emotions, actions and words were like a behavioral diarrhea that she just wouldn't hold back. He disliked the analogy greatly, but it's application to this situation was imppecable, if he might say so himself. Really, quite thorough. There was...however, of course...the slightest possibility that the truth was being uttered. In any case, he knew that the best course of action was to always be polite and adhere to etiquette no matter what. Just go with the flow. It was partly what had earned him a reputation for being gullible; aside from the fact that he was really quite so, he tried not to contradict those who were of noble rank to avoid any ruffled feathers. Always the diplomat, he hoped that if she was lying, the personal shame in retrospection would suffice to punish her rather than pointing it out and risk offending either girl, whomever was the real princess.

❖...It is almost expected that at Rantan's sudden change in behavior, he was quite perplexed. He didn't understand what the purpose was in her lying. She was obviously not a maid her. Her belated deference and the tears spilling down her cheeks were obscene to him. An offense on his very own person. He was an easy going type of person, but even he could only stand so much. To be lied to by a group of stupid little girls (this is not a normal sentiment from Larkin, but he was feeling quite petulant at the moment), this was a great insult to his intelligence, to be sure, his very character! Deceased sister indeed. He had half the desire to just bow out and walk away at this very moment before he lost his composure (an unlikely situation), but he managed to maintain his cheerful exterior. In compliance with his personal code of conduct, he flashed Rantan his most charming smile and took her hand up in his. "Oh please don't be too distressed, miss. You are a servant here, correct? Perhaps you can remedy the situation by taking her highness and bodyguard to their chambers. Also, you may wish to go to the {INSERT TITLE HURR}** and request a pin. You seem to have...ah...misplaced yours?" he raised an eyebrow and dropped her hand before turning to the other two.

❖...He was pleased at the expression on Candide's face. She knew she was caught in a lie; perhaps he would go along with the situation and pretend he didn't know. It was always safer if people underestimated you. When they thought you were stupid, they were less likely to watch what they said or did around you, and it had proved a very beneficial system for Larkin in the past. Perhaps a little underhanded, but he almost didn't do it on purpose, and he certainly didn't do it because he was looking for information. It was simply a part of his nature to act a little stupid if it would smooth things over. He was exceedingly pleased as the scarred woman, whom he presumed was Corinne unless the name was made up by the princess (though he didn't see why she would have), flushed a bright crimson and began to stutter. At least one of them was willing to tell him the truth; perhaps he should be more inclined to respect the bodyguard, though he wondered why she was stuttering so; was this a habit of hers, or was she merely caught by surprise by the lie as well? After all, she was still a woman, scars or no, and this was a fairly natural reaction from what he had seen in his own interactions with women. Especially if they were embarrassed. He felt like sighing; even these shockingly different people were the same. He just wanted to meet someone like him, who was careful and polite but really was just...different. Well....maybe he really didn't know what he wanted. He couldn't really think of anything past that, because...he hadn't bothered. Ever.

❖...He realized what Corinne had said and was furious. He had already decided to go along with the lies these three had woven so poorly for him and he forced a blush of embarrassment to creep across his cheeks. Splaying a hand across the lower half of his face, he looked down at the floor in pretense of embarrassment. Surely, he did feel embarrassment and shame; shame at the slight to his intelligence and his rank, to his person and beliefs, and to having originally been taken in by these...these...harpies! His gaze fully averted, nothing but the periphery of his eye left to observe, he shot a murderous look straight at a spot on the stone floor. This little momentary breach of his mask was quickly smoothed over, and he flashed another smile at Candide. "To be sure, nothing is more grievous than a dirty hem. Please, allow me to escort you to your rooms so that you may change at once. You must be angry that no one has shown you yet. I know that I am always exceedingly cross whenever I have to arrive somewhere dirty. I understand your situation completely, and please don't worry. I do not begrudge you the misdirection in the least." He forced a softened expression to complement his words. "After all, you and I are to be wed. There is no need for you to worry so..." he trailed off, feigning a look of great concern and directing it full force at Candide. Married, indeed. To this little imp? Perhaps this would be more difficult than he had first anticipated....

{{ **can't remember the word needed here ;=;
about the pin ;; couldn't think of anything else XDD }}

[sheldor the CONQUEROR]

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☆CAERLINN☆
___ xx Caroline

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"Mais ouais! We are from France, but our muzzer is from Irlande." she said in an exaggerated and heavy French accent, then grinned at him to show she was joking. Then it hit her, and Caerlinn was surprised. As there was a break in the conversation, she was most appalled to review her behavior through this entire conversation. She had forgotten herself; been carried away by her own enthusiasm and the response of a kindred soul. She should be more careful; she went back over her words to make sure nothing had been let slip. She would have to be careful of this one. Hopefully he was not so engaging on purpose, and if not it was a talent one was best ignorant about lest it be used to aid acts of ill will. He seemed to have a power with words, at least over her, and she decided to renew her suspicion of him, if nothing else to keep herself safe. No one had ever elicited some of the emotions she was feeling in his presence, and she was shamed. If only her captain had seen her! She'd probably be thrashed about and taught a lesson, as she would justly deserve! She went back to the conversation at hand, offering a small smile. "Yes...yes, I am thinking about joining more than one club. I shall have to see how they all are first." She sniffed lightly at the air, wrinkling her nose. "Tch. I hope dinner is ready soon. I am very hungry."

"Ah, so many siblings! So. That's where you get your protective streak, huh?" She chuckled softly, looking down at the ground and shaking her head lightly at his concern.She felt a pang of annoyance as he question Aiden's motives. If anything, it was his behavior that would be called into question. He didn't know anything about Sophie, for all he knew her here. This was not the real Sophie, this was not Sophia; Sophia was the real person, Sophie was a mirror image, cold and lifeless and only led by the real soul that was trapped within this limited space. She had always felt like they were their own little club, and although she knew it was selfish of her, she didn't like it when people acted as if they knew Sophia as well as she and Aedhan did. She followed his gaze into the kitchen and turned a serious face to him.

"I'm guessing Aiden has offended you, or rubbed you the wrong way. He does that to a lot of people. You'll just have to trust me when I say he's not a people person. So when he chooses to get close to someone, it's not to be taken lightly. It takes a lot for him to want to pay attention to people, and in the past year I haven't even seen him even look at a girl except me, and that's hardly to be taken in the same way. I can't guarantee you that it won't be more than just friends, but I can tell you to stop worrying about his intentions. His acts toward males may be questionable at times, but he doesn't trifle with women." she said, fiercly defending him. She didn't completely blame Bray, for he didn't know about the situation, so she restrained her tone of voice to make it seem as casual as possible so as not to offend him.
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✖AEDHAN✖
___ xx Aiden

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Aiden was floored by her comment. From anyone else, of course, he would have been immediately insulted. From her, however, he was merely surprised. He hoped he wasn't so transparent that just anyone could see right through him, and that it was merely their closeness that allowed her such a close view of his psyche. He had been under the impression that he was the big dog, rather than a "small" one trying to seem big and scary. Was he failing so badly? Or was it merely that when he was in front of her, he had to pretend to act tough because his steel walls melted around her, leaving him so vulnerable? He blushed a furious crimson at her words and was thrown into a coughing fit, totally taken unawares and torn between embarrassment and bursting out in laughter. He restrained himself, his shoulder shaking lightly, and bit down on a knuckle to keep himself from laughing, though his eyes were smiling. He didn't answer her question; it was not something he would tell her. He was more of a...find out as you go type. He turned his attention to the food, his stomach growling loudly. He hadn't eaten at all today, and he could feel it. Now that all the work was finished to get them here, he had relaxed in a way. He hadn't known he was so wound up, he didn't recall how easy it was being around her until he felt all his tension released, his muscles relax, and his mind float free of worry that had plauged him for over a year now.

He leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms, just watching her. He didn't care if he was blatantly watching her, he'd caught her staring at him more than a few times in just this little time spent in the kitchen. A good omen, of course. He was worried he'd have to completely woo her again, which had been difficult enough to begin with! Much less starting a new where she wouldn't have known him before. Pah. He was lucky so far, but no reason to let down your guard. He was relieved to hear that the men were mostly in couples, so even if they stared at his Sophia, they couldn't do anything more than that. He was quick to volunteer to replace Bray, however. "Well if you'd like I could also be your helper at lessons. If you judge me to be good enough, of course." He straighted his back and struck a pose, one of the rare times he was goofing off. He wasn't joking about being her helper, simply being a little silly, which he didn't do often, and never around other people but her.

He smiled at her description of magic. If only he could show her; after a while, when she trusted him and before he told her who they all really were, maybe he'd show her he could perform magic. You know, to cement her trust and interest in him (a mostly self-motivated reason), and to help trigger her memories and degrade whatever spells and constrictions had been placed upon her. "No, I don't. As long as you don't tell anyone I said so, I agree with what you said." it was embarrassing to admit, but he did know what it was like to see the beauty in everything; Sophia was his pair of rose colored glasses, through which everything seemed to be enchanting and novel. He was still uneasy about her pendant; he'd have to point that out to Caerlinn when he got the chance. "Besides. Who ever said being a romantic was bad?" He offered her a hesitant smile. He cursed himself for acting like a little schoolboy around her. He was a grown man by their standards, well into his mature years.

Aiden shook her head at her question. "I am not sure. It seems as though for now, it is a long stay, though I think eventually we will leave. Hopefully it will not be for a long time. My parents don't like to move us a lot, but they are quite picky about where they live." he shrugged. It was hard not to tell her the truth, so he did so as best he could. He didn't want her to think that because there was a possibility of moving that perhaps she shouldn't get close to him, but he didn't want to lie to her outright and say they would be staying forever. It would be the same either way; they would be together, but the environment would change. He couldn't say that, but he wished he could.

[sheldor the CONQUEROR]

;; s i r i u s BLACK <<

He merely arched a brow as she stuck out her tongue in a childish display, following with the words "Anyone can bluff". He merely scoffed, rolling his eyes to the ceiling, which reflected the beautiful day it was outside. "Now Andy, would I lie to you? You do me a disservice, you know." He grimaced and smacked his hand over his heart, grasping the material of his shirt and sweater vest in his grasp. "No, you may trust me in this matter; I will not allow you to win. Though perhaps...no, never mind." He had been about to mention something about him already having one victory, in a vague reference to last night, but then thought better about it. He was fairly sure he could tell what was too much for a joke toward her, and he was quite certain that would cause the situation to turn sour. Sure, they were fighting now, but this was that almost friendly competition they were so well known for, rather than the true fighting it could be. Vicious and desperate, it would be no fun at all!

So he merely grinned, as if he knew something she didn't. "You know, I'm winning so far. Hey, actually, this is almost unfair. You don't have to do anything except watch me. And that's not work at all, it's a priviledge. I'm the one that has to sacrifice everything just to win..." He pouted at her, whining, pitching his voice loud enough so that the small audience that wanted to listen to their encouter could. He was only vaguely surprised that she blushed. "Oh....Andy! Your cheeks are so red. Are you feeling quite well?" he asked in a haughty voice as he watched her response, the emotions flitting over his face indicating to him that she was, most likely, thinking about last night. Perhaps if she grew angrier, it would make it all the more interesting...

"Because I'm obviously secretly in love with you, right?" she spit at him, rolling her eyes and apparently deciding to give him the cold shoulder. As their gazes caught, he saw her angry expression relax slightly, into something he wasn't exactly sure he recognized--that he wasn't exactly sure he wanted to recognize. He frowned as she continued to ignore him, and right then James arrived and saved them from awkwardness. He grinned and turned as James sat down. He merely arched a brow and greeted him with an idle smile as he listened to James begin to admonish him. As he revealed that he couldn't with a straight face and began laughing, Sirius joined in, slapping his fist once down on the tabletop, earning him a couple surly looks from the other Gryffindors as their plates jumped."James! Morning, mate."

[sheldor the CONQUEROR]

❖...Larkin was blissfully unaware of the fact that his well-guarded emotions were being read so well by the princess, or he would have been more careful and made sure to still the thoughts that were running through his mind. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to be able to read people as well, and so he continued on, oblivious that he had been found out, which would have been more than embarrassing--he would have been mortified. Not only that he hadn't kept his shileds up as well as he had thought, but especially since she would know what he was really thinking. He had no idea what was in store from him; it was true, he did greatly underestimate her, a great mistake given that he had seen what she would do when unchecked. He doubted that anyone really seriously tried to keep her in check. Perhaps if they had started when she was younger, she wouldn't be so unruly as a young lady.

❖...No matter; he would suffer whatever hell she threw his way for the sake of their alliance, for his father's health and sanity, and for his country. He would prove a loyal companion to her through almost anything she could send his way, because that was his nature; he would make this work, even if he had to only converse with her when required. He had little aspiration in any sense of his love life, and had never been any type of romantic. He couldn't deny his basic human instincts, and his vanity was apparent by the few times he engaged the ladies of the court in brief moments of flirtation, but he had never loved and had never expected to. He certainly loved people; he simply didn't believe in restricting his compassion to one person in particular, with perhaps the occassional exception of his family members. He didn't often treat people differently in that sense, though of course his behavior changed depending on the situation and the person or people in question.

❖...As he finished speaking, a bemused expression crossed his face. She suddenly looked very ill, and he assumed that perhaps it was the trip to Hienn. She didn't seem to have gotten a chance to rest, and he knew that sometimes he felt a bit off after a long ride in a coach. He much preferred traveling on horseback, but it was hardly acceptable for him to travel for more than a few hours on horseback, so he never had. He knew he ought to conduct himself with care, and so he was about to suggest he escort her to her rooms forwith when she spoke up. He was surprised and had to recall his manners and shut his mouth. It seemed it was a constant emotion, this shock and surprise, around Candide. He wondered if he would ever be able to understand or at least not be shocked by her words and actions. He cast her a broad smile, biting back the clip of laughter that bubbled up at her words. He enjoyed the lovely manners of court, but an empty mind was not precisely good company. A healthy mix of the two--perhaps Candide's sense of etiquette would grow as she matured, and so there was a glimmer of hope among the laughter in his half-lidded eyes as he offered her his arm. "Very well, milady."

[sheldor the CONQUEROR]

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☆CAERLINN☆
___ xx Caroline

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She sighed as he mentioned her homeland. "Yes, France is very beautiful...I can't wait to go and see it again." She insinuated that she couldn't wait for a break from school to go and visit her home, and she mostly meant it. Sure, she wanted to return home in the right time and place, but she also was dying to see what it was like now. She knew it could be devastatingly different, everything she knew; gone. Luckily it wasn't permanent, however, because she would be able to return to everything she knew when this ordeal was finished. More than she was anxious about the change, however, was she curious. This world was not completely unknown to her, for they had done a lot of research once they knew what year she was located in. They had learned all they could, and though they could not completely understand everything, at least they didn't have to hide confusion or culture shock. She wondered what it would take to get them to France; she was fairly sure she and/or Aiden could travel there with little problem and no real expense, but she wanted to save her magical reserves for when it was really needed.

"Hey Bray, what do you figure it would cost for us to all take a trip to France?" she mused aloud. Certainly if they decided to go, or perhaps even needed to relocate Sophia and Eve to protect them, it would be convenient to figure out what they would have to do to get her there. "Maybe there is some way we could all make a trip of it! Oh, that would be fun. I think we could probably pay for most of it....and we wouldn't have to worry about staying at a hotel or anything, we can stay with our family." of course they would just bewitch some family and convince them they were relatives until the party left, but that was not to be mentioned for very obvious reasons. She smiled down at Eve as the girl began to chew on her hair. She flipped her hair out of reach and back over her shoulder, offering instead the string from her hoodie {{which she magically is wearing}}. "No hairballs for you, cuz." she said jokingly.

Caerlinn was cautious. The type who never agreed to anything, made no promises unless she knew all the details, understood every facet, contemplated every loophole or chance for a scam. So far, it had done her well; she didn't even agree to false little promises offered in passing conversation. Not even with Sophia and Aedhan, though she was less inclined to scrutinize quite so much unless they meant business. So when Bray asked her to make sure that Aiden didn't hurt Sophie, she merely offered a smile and shrugged, making a non-commital noise, suggesting nothing but "I'll try". Her head whipped around as Sophie announced that dinner was ready, and with a broad grin she shrugged and stood up with Eve, flowing upward from a sitting position with no struggle despite the deceptively heavy load cradled in her arms. "It's all right, I've got her." She knew it wasn't her business, but she still couldn't help her training. She had been hired to be a personal guard, and she had been chosen to help Aiden because of the platonic attraction she felt to Sophia. Like Bray, protecting was her talent, and it was her reason for existence. To serve and protect. Eve was under her care by extension of her loyalty to the child's mother, and though she knew she shouldn't feel that way, she wanted to be unbelievably cautious. She walked into the kitchen with Eve gazing back over her shoulder, and she tilted her head slightly as she took in the two of them. She grinned at Sophie and asked what she wanted to be done with Eve. Her gaze flickered over to meet Aiden's, and unspoken words were communicated between them. Working together for so many years, they had perfected the art of twin-like communication. They had to learn to read each other without speaking, just as a precaution if they needed to be silent or secretive. Anything and everything for the princess Sophia....
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✖AEDHAN✖
___ xx Aiden

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He remained still as a statue in his chosen posture, though his eyes followed her as she slipped in a circle around him, watching the graceful movements of her body as she moved about the room. When she leaned in close to him, he lowered his head slightly so that their faces were close together, a wolfish grin plastered his face in a rare moment of exposed emotion as he nearly caught and held her face, ready to take her into his embrace. He didn't, however, and as she pulled away he exerted his self control and straightened his back again to watch her through half-lidded eyes, a little surprised at himself. Yet....at the same time, he wasn't surprised; he was usually always in control of himself, but he had forgotten how she always broke down his barriers, exposing him as the rogue he really was on the inside. A wolf, indeed...

He refrained from frowning as she mentioned Bray, and with a bit of an edge to his voice that betrayed his jealousy, he ran his tongue over his teeth, and arched a brow. "I think that if he can handle it, I will most certainly be able to enjoy whatever follows from dancing in your presence. If, that is, you think you can make me dizzy..." he turned from a terse reply to teasing her right back. He watched her as she readied dinner, blushing prettily. He vaguely wondered if she felt embarrassed, but it didn't much matter to him. He didn't see anything wrong with her conduct, and so to him there was no reason to observe or acknowledge her potential embarrassment. He gave no response to her question, and instead offered a shrug accompanied by a cryptic expression.

He realized he had relaxed after the lengthy time spent in her presence, and a real smile crossed his lips, the kind that brightens your face and crinkles your eyes. He stretched out a finger to trace along her jawline. "I think I can manage to garner some enjoyment from my time here." he murmured, his wolfish grin hitched back in place as he regarded her through half-lidded eyes, emanating an unbridled lackadaisical allure that was usually so cloistered behind his steely exterior. The moment passed, however, and as she called to Caerlinn and Bray, he resumed his impassive exterior and helped himself to some food.