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Post by Nadia on Jun 20, 2023 2:08:09 GMT -6
 "I would appreciate it greatly if you would not do that."
Boo stared at Nadia, and Nadia stared right back. He appeared the picture of innocence, despite one fuzzy foot resting squarely in the centre of one of her fine china tea plates; the fact that he shouldn't have even been on the patio table in the first place was another situation altogether. There he stood, looking like the world's largest dust mite, confused by the scolding he was receiving.
And then he scuttled dramatically to one side. Directly towards her tea pot. Thank goodness she was able to dive forward the few metres' worth of distance in the precious seconds before he made contact.
"I told you!" The inkrum chittered in protest and alarm as he found himself suspended in mid air, held at arms' length by his disgruntled housemate. "What is the matter with you today!"
Truth be told, he was not the only one. It seemed that every critter in the vicinity had ascertained through Nadia's nerves that a guest was expected, and they'd banded together to make her life a misery. The sundress beneath her apron had not been her first choice - that one had been splashed with houluh chow - and one cup had already been laid to rest in splinters. She was on pins by the time the hour of visitation was upon her.
But if nothing else, she had managed to arrange things in a satisfactory manner, in the garden. Parasol raised to offer some shade from the blossoming summer soon, tablecloth draped and immaculate, tea already brewing. A plate of her homemade scones ready to be sampled. As long as she held the wiggling ball of sooty fluff away from her hard work, all would be well.
Or so she could hope. |
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Post by Èdan on Jun 20, 2023 11:40:29 GMT -6
It isn't often the knight gets invitations, much less in such frequency to someone's recent acquaintance. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, though perhaps the social agendas and events do tend to require more.. practised poise than he'd be used to. This particular invite had been a bit obscure on the details of the matter other than it is to be a "garden sitting". Or a party. Presumably one of the two (The free use of the Common language in the City could never really fully tell one from the other).
He aims to show on time, though does mind to be at least a little late by some minutes of the exact hour. Not fashionably, but practically - arrive too soon and it might create the awkward situation of the host still preparing. Arrive too late and, well, that's just being a poor guest. So, it's to the fading sounds of what appear to be lady-like scolding that the knight arrives from the woodland path to the front of the house, attire much as usual with tabard and armour (For what dutiful knight would be without either), catching the tailend of the scene with.. well, he rather forgets the name, but a fuzzy crab of sorts. There's a clearing of the throat, followed by, "Good day, lady Nadia. I hope I'm not too early..?" Despite the armour, it seems the weaponry - sword or polearm - have been left at home for now. After all, a party would be no place for them, and it rather seems today's invite is more of a social nature on the lady's own grounds, rather than escort or attendance in the City proper.
And with said appearance, if the beasts were unruly before, no doubt the presence of a horned helmet is likely to.. not go over that much better.
. 1 . |
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Post by Nadia on Jun 20, 2023 18:21:39 GMT -6
Nadia almost dropped her fuzzy companion in her surprise. The knight had hardly snuck up on her, by any means - he'd made a perfectly normal approach. It just so happened that she was wrapped up in her argument with Boo, and her awareness of her surroundings had taken a knock as a result.
But with his speech, all attention was on him. The resulting reactions were markedly different.
"Sarv! Good afternoon, sir--" The lady herself was almost uncharacteristically chipper, whereas the inkrum made a shrill sound of distress, doubling his efforts to escape her grip. "-- oh, my goodness-- please, have a seat, have a seat--"
She hadn't been planning to sit down before her guest, but needs must, and she was sure if she continued standing, the strength of Boo's squirming would knock her over. Getting him on her lap and coiling both arms around him was the best course of action.
"Now, now... whatever is the matter this time..." The fingers of one hand soothed over his head, between his quivering ears. "Do forgive me, sir, everyone is in quite the tizzy today, including myself..."
One wouldn't think so. Perhaps the excitement of hosting was masking the worst of her typical anxiety.
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Post by Èdan on Jun 21, 2023 0:57:46 GMT -6
The little fuzzy creature's reaction isn't surprising. After all, nearly anything with four (or more) legs and a functioning primal instinct seems to have something of a tiff with his presence. With that said, there had been a slim enough hope at the sight of it that perhaps this time would go better than the last time it saw him, as it tends to avoid additional fuss.. (Slim, not a whole lot, though, as experience has shown better).
"Ah, I suspect the apologies are my own.. it seems the beasts are still quite unaccustomed to my presence," the knight bows a bit, and approaches the patio. There's a start of a move to help her sit down first, by means of intending to push the chair, but with her already seated a momentary etiquette math causes him to pause, before recovering - one of the hands clasped behind him brings out a small cardboard box with a thin ribbon into view, "I'm told it's the City's custom to bring something upon being invited to a personal gathering. A 'party gift' as it were." He places it on the table with due ceremony, not quite sure how the plush crab might react to an invading of presence were he to hand it directly to her. The box itself looks to be some jellied delights, the kind that aren't exactly out of the ordinary in these parts, though the presentation suggests this had been perhaps marketed as the 'ideal small gift' by one market stall or another.
With the presentation done, and with slight awkwardness considering the very fanciful set-up of the table, the knight takes a seat on the other chair. (After all, under normal circumstances of a similar type, the knight's duty would be to stand near the lady, rather than sit opposite).
. 2 . |
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Post by Nadia on Jun 21, 2023 7:32:37 GMT -6
Boo was not relaxing to any extent as the seconds passed. His little legs were scraping over Nadia's skirt with a vengeance; thankfully, both his fuzz and the fabric acted as a buffer, and prevented him from doing any damage. It would be wiser to release him and let him hide away, but then he'd never get over this - wasn't it better to show that there was nothing to be afraid of?
(Whether or not that was even possible hadn't occured to her.)
"Oh, sir, you needn't have," she was quick to respond to the presentation of the gift, but the smile on her face showed that it certainly had not gone amiss. The raw sunniness in her expression was something seldom seen. How long had it been since anyone had offered her a present like this? It put her in mind of more peaceful days, where tea parties and jellied delights were regular happenings, and that was worth more than anything that could be purchased at the market. "Thank you. We must sample some together."
And now, there would be no argument about it. She fixed him with a very stern look as she reached for her teapot, one arm still nestled around the inkrum.
"It is I who will be doing the serving for a while, Sarv."
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Post by Èdan on Jun 21, 2023 15:15:23 GMT -6
The 'party gift' seemed such a small simple thing, based on enthusiastic vendor description, but the effect of it seems to surprise even him. Granted, they haven't known each other for a particularly long time, and yet he has always sensed a kind of subdued sadness to the edges of her expressions, even happy ones. The beaming sunshine of the now is quite something else (What wonders come from a sense of safety in one's own territory and element. Well.. at least for the lady. Not so much the beast). "I was merely following custom. You're free to keep them for whenever you wish, now or later."
That is about as much contrariety he's able to put forth, before her gaze fixes him in place. To be sure, there is knightly instinct to object out of principle (After all, it's expected, even if ineffective), but the look makes it clear there's battles one can win, and one's where you're better off conceding ahead of time. This one is decidedly the latter. Regardless, its a right good thing the helmet makes for a poor reading of the knight's expression considering the rather unexpected role reversal. The rest of the posture not so much - a tenseness of shoulders, an air of uncertainty, and the general sense of being out of one's element. The spirit of trying being there, just.. the mind trying to redrawn the lines of propriety that in-so-far seemed rather set in stone.
"..Just this once," the knight manages after some moments of overdue processing. Perhaps also because he'd not rightly know where to begin with such service (It's more in line with the etiquette of the nobility, after all, not the soldiers who serve). "If it please you, my lady." That part made it feel a little better. "Is there, ah.. any particular way to begin?"
. 3 . |
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Post by Nadia on Jun 22, 2023 1:42:29 GMT -6
It pleased her indeed. Nadia looked all too satisfied with herself, doing her best to seize the teapot elegantly as well as victoriously. Truth be told, the level of joy she experienced from calling the shots was likely overkill, but it wasn't every day that she got to exercise her will like this. It was best to let her be.
Since the knight had committed to that, she committed herself to pouring him a cup.
"None that I wish to worry about," she retorted, her smile edged with playfulness. "I do not wish to stand on ceremony. I wish only to enjoy this tea, and perhaps a scone, with you."
After all, they hadn't always been having an easy time in one another's company. Memories of the mansion and its foul tricks were still keen in her mind, as well as the drunken aftermath. Having something more decent, more civilised, to override it somewhat would serve to put her more at ease.
"I don't know how you like your tea, sir..." or, in fact, if he liked tea at all. "... but do feel free to help yourself to sugar, or milk."
By the time she was filling her own cup, Boo had been subdued to only mild shaking. His huge eyes were still fixed on the knight, however, and likely would be for the duration.
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Post by Èdan on Jun 22, 2023 2:31:48 GMT -6
That certainly helps the poor knight, feeling quite out of his element, for standing on ceremony is largely part of being a knight (At least if one was a self-respecting one. Exceptions, of course, existed, and largely the populace ever remembered the parts with the fighting, dragon slaying, and such not). It's no small overstatement that, if put into purely martial allegories, this patio and table is very much her battlefield, and she has the tactical skill of a tea party general. Small wonder, then, to see her enjoy it so (Though not an unwelcome one).
The knight's posture adjusts, shoulders relaxing at the assurance. It doesn't necessarily mean he's able to tell what steps are next aside accepting the cup of tea, but fortunately she's quite adept at giving some hints in that regard. "Right, yes." The eyes look over to the sugar bowl and small milk jug with some deliberation. (In truth he wouldn't have minded coffee, but supposes a strong enough brew of tea might pass for close enough, if the tea was basically undrinkable to the common person, and the coffee equivalent was considered fairly light). "It is quite fine, as is, my lady," he decides after some moments, the corners of the eyes rising slightly to indicate a polite smile somewhere beneath that helm.
Speaking of, with the prospect of eating and drinking upon them, the knight reaches up and unlatches the faceplate once more, placing it aside as he holds up the tea cup. It's still a bit too warm to outright drink, so by means of conversation he adds, "I was quite surprised to receive the invite, my lady. Is there a particular occasion for the party?"
. 4 . |
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Post by Nadia on Jul 22, 2023 21:40:24 GMT -6
It may well have been fortunate that the knight would be too honor-bound and polite to make any mention of Nadia's habits when taking tea, because she was an unusual sort. During those times, at least, she had given up on savouring the flavor of the beverage as it was; within moments of her pouring a cup, it had been doused with ample milk and rather too much sugar. The creamy sweetness did wonders to soothe her nerves.
"No occasion. Moreso an attempt to dull the sting of our... other unfortunate encounters," she explained as she stirred, trying her best not to make the tinkling of the teaspoon a distraction. "I feel we have been victim to many uncomfortable incidents."
Even to her own ears, it sounded like an understatement. Both of them could almost have been killed. Whether or not she believed the mansion truly would have pushed it that far, she certainly had faith that there was very real danger involved.
"So, I thought it would be nice for us to do something with significantly less risk attached."
The cup was brought to her lips, and she smiled over the rim.
"Our lives are hardly threatened by sitting in my garden."
Famous last words.
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Post by Èdan on Jul 23, 2023 1:37:15 GMT -6
There's a soft sound, the stifle of a chuckle as the knight gives a wan but bemused smile to the statement. Any other time it would be a considerable breach of conduct (But it was established that ceremony wasn't stood upon at this time). She isn't wrong in that this would have been putting it mildly either - It took him two days to get the faint ringing in the ears to fully stop. "Indeed, my lady does make an excellent point," the knight agreed, taking a careful sip of the unsweetened tea. The bitterness is a welcome flavour, even if still so very mild to the proper bite of coffee. (He'd be lying if he didn't have questions as to the sheer overload of her style of tea, though even without ceremony, that seemed impolite to bring up).
The cup is placed to rest on the tea saucer, allowing the taste savour to last a moment, as he continues, "In such case, I'm most honoured by your indulgence, and the invite to your residence." There would be space to add how the hardships are merely part of any proper knight's balanced diet of duty, but the day is nice, the forest serene and the garden pleasant, so why ruin the mood. Instead, he says, with a touch of humour "Ah, my lady must be careful, lest the day is jinxed, even in such pleasant weather." He doesn't necessarily elaborate on how exactly, considering the probability does seem cosmically low (Although experience shows the net chance of anything in life is never zero). Likewise, it's still actually very warm weather, but he tries not to think about that too much.
Struck by a related thought, however, the knight does take a moment to look around, "Though, it seems the most dangerous beast around these parts might be this one." The gaze turned back to Boo. "So perhaps we're in luck," he raises the cup for another sip.
. 5 . (counted)
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Post by Nadia on Sept 8, 2023 8:19:03 GMT -6
Who was being soothed, by the inkrum being held in such a fashion? Boo, or Nadia? The lines were perhaps blurred. The knight's presence was causing her less and less anxiety with each interaction they had, but it was still beneficial for her to have some form of distraction. Caution had become part of her nature, over time.
Be that as it may, it was clear that she was enjoying herself. Her speech was flowing easily in record time, and even her posture was more relaxed, even (heavens forbid) somewhat slouched.
"The honour is mine," she told him, even being aware that he'd debate that point given the chance. "It has been... an awful long time, since I last had the pleasure of experiencing something like this."
In fact, it was nowhere near recent memory. Had it been prior to her settling in the City? Prior to the events?
"Mm. You sound very confident, sir." A tease she couldn't resist, grinning as she reached for a scone. "I hope my man-eating beasts will refrain from leaping out at you for the moment."
Boo, as if following along with the topic of conversation, gave a handful of mournful chitters.
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Post by Èdan on Sept 9, 2023 9:36:08 GMT -6
Perhaps the corner of the mouth does twitch at that comment, perhaps it's a trick of the light. Still quite hard to tell sometimes, with the helmet's contained design. A teacup having barely the space to reach through, so he could take a sip, but still keeping much shrouded behind metal. "A confidence well-earned, my lady, if you allow me to be so bold in my words. Though I shall have to.. keep this one in sights, just to be sure," the blue eyes studying the.. well he isn't rightfully sure what it is. A type of fuzzy, shell-less crab, perhaps?
"To such a point," he continues the topic, lowering the cup again, "I would hope you don't mind me prying what exact manner of beasts are at your disposal? In case I might need to prepare for such a vicious attack." It's only half a playful jest returned, as there's genuine curiosity there as well. He's seen the fuzzy one, the dog and recalls vaguely the mention of a horse (or something mount-like), but for a city known for its monster trainers, Nadia seems hardly surrounded by any. And with that nervousness being the way it is, he can't help but wonder what else keeps her safe from the outside? (Himself notwithstanding)..
If anything.
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