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 Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2013 7:05 pm
She had slept so early compared to her usual schedule, and hadn't expected to awake so early as well. It was the day of the ball, the 20th of March, though still quite early, early enough to not worry about getting into costume and heading to the ruins. But she felt restless. It wasn't in her hands today, but in her feet. She missed standing around for most of the day, working at her forge, something she thought she'd never feel. Even so, the sensation was enough to be bothersome, and she dressed lightly in a dress she'd packed just in case of such a situation. Walking ever so quietly, as to not disturb the other patrons, she made her way outside and to the stables. However, she didn't have to walk far, Aelius bounding up to her happily, nuzzling her face in greeting, with warm happy feelings exploding in her head. Shuu was still puffed up, trying to sleep as much as he need to, though gave a small peep in 'good morning' The streets of Oldcastle were heavy with fog, low to the ground. Having never been, the smith was eager to get her bearings in the other city, keeping a hand at Aelius' shoulder as they walked. For once, the usually uptight smith had her hair completely down, looking far more like a younger maiden, though the way she carried herself hinted that this wasn't the case. Surely there was someone up at this time...Perhaps they could tell her more about the town.
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Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2013 8:17 pm
It was not unusual for Gabriel to arrive unnecessarily early for whatever event he was or was not expected to. His reputation was one of an odd young man of respectable lineage, and so for that he mostly slid gently under the radar of the noble and just above the working class. He wasn't even certain if the other members of his household were awake, let alone present at the masquerade. That was how he liked it. The way the fog lay was beautiful, and he was somewhat aching for his old stomping grounds.
That didn't mean he'd come in the normal way, though. He had probably had to scale some walls and distract some guards, but it appeared as if Gabriel was arriving through the stables. He and his Guardian were clad in a dark red brocade, bringing out both the man's blue eyes and the natural blood spatter pattern on Morai's legs.
Both members of the party noticed the woman and her friends nearby and both were drawn to stare. Gabriel didn't much like the idea of a stabled horse, and Morai meant for easy travel without having to lock anything in a wooden box for hours. He slid from his Guardian's back and approached the woman.
"Are the Guardians meant to remain in the stables?"
Not that it would change his plans at all.
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Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2013 8:28 pm
Red was a color well known to the three of them, especially to Rosalie. The color of her hair, the color of accidents, and the color of the forge. It was a color of passion, of vengeance, and of murder. She couldn't help but stare, in awe of how suited the two were to it, though she was unsure of the origins of the pattern on Morai's legs, whether it was temporary or just natural. "Ah...I think you're free to house them wherever. I spent the night, and my buck was exhausted, so I just housed him there for the night. I'm not sure how the innkeepers may think of a guardian entering however..." She replied, still stunned by how blue his eyes were. Her eyes next met with Morai's, looking the buck over. How morbid. Not in a bad way though. "Did you just arrive? I can lend you my own room to rest or clean up before the ball if there are none available." She offered. The smith wasn't afraid of anyone or most of anything. Rosalie was aware of how to handle herself.
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Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2013 1:21 pm
"No."
That was all there was for a long moment noted only by the long stare drawn from Gabriel. He spoke so late after that it was clearly an after-thought.
"Thank you."
His dead eyes flickered over the woman, trying to guess her age and profession solely from her manner and what she wore now. It had not struck him that arriving hours before the start of the ball meant having nothing to do for that time. People-watching was all well and good, but those invited would certainly not begin to arrive until ten or later. He'd gotten a bit ahead of himself, there, hadn't he? A few blinks later, he smiled without and patted the crown of his head in an exploratory manner. Had his hair come out of its greasing? No, it didn't seem so. He couldn't feel any dirt on his face, but there was this odd warm sensation...
Blood? He slid his hand upward in an attempt to hide what was not actually there, and as he lapsed into a sort of trance state, Morai nudged his elbow. The trance broke and the unsettling smile returned. There was no real threat to his manner, only an odd unease.
"My family lives in a home not far from here, I haven't traveled quite so long as you, I'm certain." He glanced to the girl's Guardian and tilted his head like a confused bird. An odd little thing, that one. Morai's eyes were drawn to him now as well. He stamped his feet and threw his head in greeting.
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Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2013 1:54 am
Rosalie wasn't sure what to say at his protest to her offer, and the long moment of silence didn't help. The smith knew well enough to be polite, though the aura that emanated from both Gabriel and his guardian seemed...disturbing. There was something in his eyes that wasn't quite all there, but his dress said enough. He held himself like most noblemen she had met, though there was a definite personality to it, something more different. "Ah. Forgive me if I was rude." She replied bowing her head the slightest bit, though her eyes met his upon inclining it again. Fascinating. But still rather unsettling. Rosalie held herself high, though from her dress she was obviously no noble. This one, reserved for only when she really needed to be dressed more formally, was free of singes from the forge, though the smell of sulfur was still faintly upon it. It seemed no matter where she stored it, or with however many flowers or spices, the only perfume she wore to her work always made it in. The fiery redhead was finely ingrained in her work. If Gabriel happened to look over her hands, he would notice the signs of her work, callusing and a certain roughness to them. With the change of the weather, they hadn't been shaking as much, though the slight tremor was still evident. His smile, while having no context, sent shivers up the back of her spine, though the smith made no outward expression of such. She wasn't sure what to feel...Or think at this time. After all, all the chosen she had met had been kind enough... "Ah yes...I arrived from Palisade last night." She nodded. Aelius was standing rather stiffly at her side, unsure of what to think of this man and the new buck either. For once it seemed, he wasn't being friendly, though he had certainly felt the hidden unease of his chosen. Serene, yet protective eyes met with Morai's at his greeting, and he grunted in return, then nuzzling at his lady's hand. Rosalie softened the slightest bit, patting her buck upon his head. "Your guardian is rather lovely...I've never seen such interesting markings before. Ah, where are my manners. I'm Rosalie Satre, and this is Aelius. The rook is Shuu, though he's not exactly a morning type of bird..." The aforementioned rook opened an eye before puffing up more and closing it again. He had no interest in these matters.
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Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2013 11:16 am
"My second home is just outside the city limits with Alise Blithe," he offered. His name meant less here. The folks in Oldcastle knew the Blithe family as a regal older couple graciously taking in their bizarre little grandson of indeterminate origin. People didn't spit on him here.
Again someone was mentioning how 'interesting' Morai's markings were, which made Gabriel's smile return and broaden. They certainly wouldn't be calling him 'beautiful' or 'handsome', and it seemed that others felt as if they had to break silence with a compliment. Blood and skeletons... 'interesting', certainly. Morai seemed more than willing to accept the compliment, though, and gently nibbled on the woman's sleeve a moment.
"Ah, yes, well. I hear that quite often," he said, a brow arching as his smile innocently faded away to nothing. He seemed preoccupied for a moment before he turned to the woman again, "Gabriel Blithe. A pleasure. This is Morai."
The buck made a series of 'plut plut' noises with his lips and tongue, which even his Chosen turned to see. Odd little thing, he was...
The man's attention then turned to the bird called Shuu, and he inspected him a moment.
"Your rook is quite beautiful," he nodded, although as his smile was gone it was difficult to discern his motivation. Morai's attention was drawn to the bird, and he lifted his nose and gave a large, interested snort.
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Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2013 6:48 pm
"Ah....I'm terribly sorry. It seems so many have traveled from all over Sunderland to be here, I just assumed." She felt embarrassed the slightest bit, though the name vaguely rung a bell....Where had she heard it before, though? Had she perhaps read it somewhere? It didn't really make a difference to her either way, continuing to keep an interest in the man. "I don't think I've ever seen a sort of skeletal guardian before. He seems rather unique, though they come in all sorts of colors I've found. It seems pleasant on him though." She elaborated, leaning to the side a little to get a better look. "It's a pleasure, Sir Blithe. And a pleasure to you as well, Morai." She knew very well how intelligent guardians were. They deserved to be greeted just as much. Aelius wasn't even sure what to think of the noises Morai made, thinking them odd, though he stood tall and proud, making sure Shuu was front and center to be admired by the two. "He is. A little bit of a flirt with female rooks, but nothing too drastic." Rosalie mentioned. "Nothing nearly as regal as the rooks that came to deliver the invitations."
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Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 6:50 pm
Gabriel gave a small bow. Propriety said that he should be kissing her hand, but he had never been fond of that particular ritual. Who knew where a strange woman's hands had been? At having not moved, though, his brow furrowed. he certainly would have liked to get a better look at the underside of her hands... the tops certainly looked worn, but it was not unheard-of for a lady to have particularly unattractive hands.
Morai bowed his head and bobbed it back up in greeting.
"Truly?" Gabriel asked them, somewhat suddenly, "I found my delivery rook especially plain."
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Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 9:35 pm
Rosalie certainly wouldn't have minded, though she wouldn't be so quick to let him examine her hands. The slight chill of the morning already had them shaking, and if he had gotten a better chance to see the underside, they were just as scarred as the topside, a slightly more fresh burn on the side of her right palm. "Ah, ours was a number of lovely colors. A bit of red and white, with the most piercing blue eyes I've seen in a while." She described. "It was a shock, how suddenly it found its way in. I wasn't sure why in the world it would want to visit, but I was even more surprised by the invitation." Rosalie looked over his outfit subtlety. "I have yet to don my own more...fitting clothing for the event. I think we might match rather well."
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Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2013 12:55 pm
"Indeed?" Gabriel asked, clearly disinterested in the possibility of wearing the same shade of red as some stranger... or anyone else, for that matter. Fashion was nice and all, but it didn't make as much of a mark as some imagined. He idly wondered how much of her salary the woman had needed to drop for hew gown...
It was a little bit ridiculous, really, to invite the commonfolk to things like this. He'd always found them more interesting than nobles, but they certainly didn't have the same amount of expendable funding. Their choices were to show up in rags or pay a hefty sum, and all to arrive at a ball full of stuffy rich folk who would judge them regardless of their status as a Chosen. To deny such an invitation would be to deny a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most of them, and so it was likely that they would feel obligated to come. The Queen covering the price of vestments, though... it made him wonder.
The silence that stretched as Gabriel thought was not unusual for him, but perhaps for others unfamiliar with his mannerisms.
"The rook that came to me was an odd, almost shimmering red-brown. it had an odd marking on its back, but I'm afraid that I startled it away before I could get a proper look. It was large, though, for certain. My grandmother will be arriving as well, although she is no Chosen."
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Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 1:21 pm
She nodded, seeing no need to continue the conversation. She was good at picking up on when something didn't need to be continued, and this was certainly a subject to drop. Fashion wasn't an interest to her, and she was almost dreading having to wear that dress. The smith missed her pants and boots dearly, and the warmth that could sink into her bones. Her hands were already trembling in this terrible cold, though she hoped the news was true that it would soon fade. Rosalie wrung her hands a little, secretly trying to get them to stop shaking, to stop the pain that ached somewhere deep in their flesh. It was bad today, and she had no idea how much worse it would become in the course of this party. Her outfit also seemed to be meant more for warmer weather, though the tailor had insisted.... "Yes, mine seemed to be even larger than my rook. Well fed perhaps, though Shuu certainly never starves." She glances at the rook, unamused. There had been many a times she had been about to eat, turned her back, and suddenly half of it was gone, and the rook would be cackling at her from the rafters. "Ah, did she receive her own invitation then? Or is she your 'plus one' as they put it?" She was curious. If she was correct, then he was nobility. If not, he was probably still a higher class than herself. It wouldn't effect the way she spoke either way.
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Posted: Fri Mar 29, 2013 4:16 pm
"Ah, no. My grandmother is more well-respected than myself," he admitted, unfazed by this fact. His grandmother had not been involved in the mysterious disappearance of her son's entire family. Things like that stuck in a man's reputation. "I am noble by birth, by my grandfather's father's fortune. You, then? What do you do?"
Morai, bored with the situation, wandered over to snuffle at the other Guardian's neck-fur. He was not a deer that saw particular use in respecting personal boundaries. While it may have been nice thought that he preferred the reactions of those who felt vulnerable, it was basically just beyond him.
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Posted: Fri Mar 29, 2013 9:39 pm
Ah so he was a noble, and his grandmother as well. A family that had been here long, though perhaps not as long as hers had. She was unsure of how far back the family line went in Palisade, or in Sunderland's entirety, though it had been at least for 5 generations. Plus Gabriel had only mentioned the fortune coming from his great-grandfather. Fortune did not equal lineage after all.... "Ah, I see..." She replied, "Well....I'm a smith. I own a shop in Palisade, and do a little bit of everything, though I admit my strengths lie in detailing, whether it be sword or jewelry." Rosalie explained as best she could, hoping he wouldn't be too terribly off put by her gender in such a profession. He wouldn't be the first if he had been. Aelius was unsure of what to think of the other male checking him out. It wasn't any different than it had been with the others he had met, and yet he felt uncomfortable with this one. He stood rigid, looking down most nobly at Morai, a rare occasion for him. A single snort was given, though it was neither threatening or welcoming to the attention.
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Posted: Tue Apr 02, 2013 2:53 pm
While Gabriel's personal wealth was specifically traceable to his grandfather, his noble lineage went back several generations in Gallia and had apparently reached over to Sunderland in one way or another. All of the information regarding the details of his nobility would likely have been given at a later age, but as it was his grandmother only spoke of the "old country".
"I see," he offered then with a soft nodding, apparently unfazed that Rosalie was a smith. Perhaps it was the cloud of insanity, but he had never seen a reason to look down upon the working class, nor to hold their occupations against them. Even prostitutes had their uses. "I must say, I'm rather envious of particular craftsmen. I've just received a commissioned dining set from a local carpenter, and it is beyond what I could have imagined. I..."
Some horse must have shifted, or else there was a napping stable boy in one of the stalls. A shadow had moved, oddly dark and human-shaped, but there had been something wrong with the arms...
Gabriel shook himself from his shock, deviating gaze drawn again to Rosalie. His eyes were widened slightly.
"Yes, well. The world needs good craftsmen."
Morai seemed put-off by the way the other buck was treating him, however, and snapped aggressively twice with a great clacking of bared teeth. Gabriel turned and shouted to him.
"Morai!"
The buck began to clatter, head lowered deeply, body language turning threatening as he stared.
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Posted: Tue Apr 02, 2013 6:48 pm
"A carpenter?" This was interesting to her, "From around here? I might have to meet a fellow master of the arts. It sounds like he really did a number for you." She perked up the slightest bit, though assumed this particular craftsman was male...Most were. There were few rare cases where her gender would take on such jobs.... Aelius felt the threat and rather protectively stepped before his chosen. Like hell he was going to do this. He wasn't going to let anyone get in his way, and be damned if this one went after his chosen. There was the slightest scrape of a hoof in the dirt, only emphasizing he wasn't going to move. Morai had best stand down. Rosalie was slightly surprised that her usually sweet natured buck was being....Well...Something he usually wasn't. She didn't step back either, though was keeping a wary eye on Gabriel's buck. "I don't think....He's too pleased." If he did snap, she worried for Aelius more, cautiously placing a hand on her buck's back.
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