Igraine

Masques and Daggers (Derren Krenshaw & Igraine)

"Klara?" Galina smiled as her fingertips brushed the old woman's petal soft cheek, until those pale blue eyes finally opened with a smile for her littlest girl. [["Shall we get ready for lunch?"]]

Klara lovingly returned that gentle smile, reaching to squeeze those beloved fingers. She pushed back the blanket over her own legs, taking Galina's hand as she slowly rose from the deck chair. [["I never imagined the sea air could make one so sleepy,"]] she murmured, taking the offered arm as the pair began to walk toward the stair that would lead to their luxurious stateroom suite.

[["Or hungry?"]] Galina quipped, and Klara only laughed.

[["Oh, one day you'll see Galina. The older you get, the less food a body needs - but then again, the less sleep as well, and just look at me now! Perhaps by the time we reach the other side of the Pacific, I'll be as fat and lazy as your father's old cat! Do you remember him? That fuzzy, mean, unrepentantly indolent creature?"]] The elderly woman shook her head slowly, chuckling warmly at the memory.

[["Ah! That awful creature! A rat could dance on his head and he could not be bothered to raise a paw to shoo it out of the room! Bah! But try to take his bowl of food before it was licked perfectly clean? You might have lost a finger -no! A hand!"]]

Galina laughed and nodded her head, finding not a single fault in her old nursemaid's recollection of that singularly nasty creature. Enormous and vicious in equal measure, hateful to every last man, woman and child - but her Papa. If anything, Klara might be slightly understating the beast's vile disposition.

[["Papa always has had a way with the vicious and intractible... "]]The young lady was lost for several long minutes in the old memories, reminiscing with her nursemaid as they strolled leisurely below deck to their rooms to freshen up. But even as they walked, the long-drilled discipline allowed Galina to peruse other matters as she would, appearing as unaffected and light as any guise she had ever worn.

Galina had not yet been contacted concerning her other purpose for being aboard this ocean liner. She had to admit to herself, the circumstances of her voyage were still more than a little strange, no matter the channels through which it came. She still did not know the name of her contact, or even the full extent of her mission.

A recruitment.

That was all she knew and, were the meet not made on the limited environment of an ocean liner like the Empress, Galina doubted her father would have ever allowed such a thing to occur. It was one thing to be brave. To be devoted and loyal. To serve where needed without question - but a whole other matter indeed, to be a fool.

Neither Vasily Demidov nor his daughter were fools.

And so Galina simply let herself be... Available. Unadorned and in plain sight. She would know when the time came who she was meant to coordinate with and, apparently , not a single moment before -

She gasped, so softly that not even Klara noticed as they walked, side-by-side, arm-in-arm. It was certainly not his clothing that caught her eye. True the expensive suit was beautifully tailored - fit like the proverbial glove actually - but there was little else remarkable about his dress. No, it was the cast of his face, the distinctive Japanese features -

Of course it was not him. But that did not mean the sudden knot in her throat hurt any less. Galina blinked, met the man's eyes quickly, smiling just a moment before she swiftly turned away. Even if her heart pounded in her throat, this thing showed not a wit in her dark eyes. She simply nodded respectfully, and then continued on with Klara without a second glance back.

No matter how it killed her.

Loki's Laugh

All finished up with the edits to the last post, and I do hope it works? If not, just let me know and I'll fix it - edits aren't a problem at all. http://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/4157/posts/ic?page=3#post-1258838 I apologize if this causes you too many problems Kuro, with the large document you're keeping there, but I promise to keep things like this to an absolute minimum in the future (read: never again!)

Loki's Laugh

The aventail really is impressive as hell, Idle! I just got home, and I'll get to editing my last post imminently here. ;) Loving all the helms - ALL THE HELMS - and you should know RoadRash, we only live to make you smile. Haakon's is seriously impressive too. Too bad for his freshly broken nose that, well... You know... >.>

Pieces of 8: Bones of the North

*shrugs with a grin* Hey, I'm good with getting called out on that name thing, because (1) it puts me in the very best of company, and (2) I have no shame anyway!

Just got home myself, but very much looking forward to what everyone else comes up with!

Loki's Laugh

But it's hard to flirt with all the randomly passing Danish girls when they can't really see the dreamy eyes, and you have helmet hair! D:



But I bet he never leaves the long house again without it!

Loki's Laugh

WOW! Poor Haakon indeed! Yup, that was definitely brutal RoadRash... Dang... D: So sorry you lost a day of work today too, but yeah, "serious risk of death" definitely counts as "good reason not to go."

I'll go back and amend my previous post a little later, after I get home, to amend for Haakon's beating too.

Pieces of 8: Bones of the North

Good morning, everyone! So looking forward to 'mild heroics' Dot, when you get the moment to write! And that certainly looked to be a very fun post, Lil!

Tides of Dusk: A Piratical Tale of Fantasy

"Maybe?"

Strong, knowing hands snaked around the waist of Thomas' coat, The slight weight of a woman's soft body leaned against the length of his wide back. She stood to the tips of her toes, all the better for her velvety, lush lips to brush against the tender edge of his ear, her breath a gentle whisper against the nape of his neck.

Antonia had not wished to keep Thomas wandering through the wild Jamaican groves that bordered Commander Murray's estate, but she had to be sure her lovely man was not followed. Doubt had plagued her every step, from the very moment she conjured her makeshift escape from the ball. Questions hissing suspicions, knotting her gut with confusion, had haunted her thoughts and turned every last minute out here among the mangrove and the lemon trees into a small yet hellish eternity.

"Why, if you'd prefer the sweet-yet-carnally adventurous French gentlewoman, Antoinette Greene?" the rogue's warm Creole voice offered breathlessly, "I still have her clothes right here, and her jewels - though perhaps you would prefer her in her jewels alone? She shan't argue."

Long, deft fingers slipped within the confines of the dark silver jacket, leisurely unbuttoning the vest beneath. "Much. I imagine it would be quite a sight after all, and Antoinette is such a tractable, accommodating creature... "

Antonia laughed softly to herself, mirthlessly, as she leaned back off her tiptoes. And then she sighed, heavily, as she wrapped her arms tighter still about Thomas' waist, laying her soft cheek against the silver silk of his justacorps jacket.

"Bah, forgive me my silliness. Worry makes me act such a fool. What is happening, my sweet Silverfish?" she whispered, closing her eyes tightly, utterly defeated by her useless speculation. "What happened between the end of our single dance, and your conversation with Commander Murray? And what of the First Mate, do you know nothing more of her flight? I have a thought, and yet... "

Antonia bit her lip, hard, mortified by the breadth of all the questions for which she could offer her lovely man no good answers. "Forgive me please, for failing to show my worth. What have I missed tonight?"

Pieces of 8: Bones of the North

Wonderful post LP - and, might I add, most spectacular embracing of the Kumbaya moment! ;)

Pieces of 8: Bones of the North

Oh thank you Lil, and me too! Kinda a Kumbaya moment here, everyone find someone[s] to help up, dust off, pull together, heal up and not get killed!