I don't mind carrying on. Prefer it, really.
EDIT: D'oh, didn't see the latest posts. ;;
EDIT: D'oh, didn't see the latest posts. ;;
Songster Gecko Member
My last two braincells searching for a thought
STATUS: a birthday simply marks one more year towards my sell-by date, assuming i haven't crossed it yet 3 yrs ago
- Last Seen: 5 mos ago
- Joined: 9 yrs ago
- Posts: 166 (0.05 / day)
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- Songster Gecko 3 yrs ago
- ███████████████ 9 yrs ago
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3 yrs ago
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a birthday simply marks one more year towards my sell-by date, assuming i haven't crossed it yet
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3 yrs ago
the act of trying is already a huge first step! *REDACTED* that little *REDACTED* 's *REDACTED* up!
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3 yrs ago
twin-tail cat girls, my friends. short or long, twin-tails are the way
1
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3 yrs ago
preach it, brother; enlightened are the ones who acknowledged their likings for catgirls
1
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3 yrs ago
the truth is, everyone has a thing for cat girls. the question or not is whether if one is self-aware. once awareness has been reached, the possibilities of anthro-girls are limitless. such is the way
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Most Recent Posts
I mean I was waiting for the story line o progress but no one is responding ><
Aye, I can understand that. I was kinda expecting the story to progress as well. ;;
I'm kinda waiting for @Kaalee to respond to my post before I get anything up.
I'm finally done with having 7 page essay due ... so now I can write stuff I don't hate again.
iknowthatfeel.png
I've got another paper of my own to get started on, so I might not be posting much over the week ahead. ;;
Vesa nodded his thanks as he took the piece of fish from her hand. While he had certainly heard of people breading and frying fish, it was not a style of cooking that he was accustomed to. "We usually cook them over an open flame," He said as he took a bite, feeling rather pleasantly surprised went he felt a tinge of heat spread across his tongue. One's sense of smell and taste were often dulled due to the low temperatures of the north, and so most dishes were quite heavy with spices. When they were available, of course. "Usually coated in spices to give them a nice sear, and a bit of warmth."
He popped the rest of the fish into his mouth, savouring the crunch of the fried coating. It was just too bad that wheat products were still in far too much demand for anyone to wish to waste them on making breadcrumbs rather than actual bread. "It's good, though." He said with an affirming nod, then took another glass of the wine, taking a long sip from it to wash the fish down.
"You are too kind to my people and I," Vesa said, in response to her appraisal of his land. "But I suppose you are right. I may have been too harsh with my words." Raikkavar did have it's own charm, rough and unpolished as it was. The early morning mists over the Northern Sea, Vesa recalled, were indeed quite a sight to behold. To anyone standing on the shore, it would feel as if the world had been engulfed by a gigantic cloud, and there was nothing but a cooling, grey mass for as far as the eye could see.
However, the beauty came with a very high price, and Vesa knew from experience that pirates often used the mist to cover their advances as they crept towards any one of the fishing villages hugging the Raikkavar shoreline. Such raids were often devastating; the mist prevented anyone from raising the alarm early enough for Vesa's men to sally forth, and the pirates knew that they only had the one opportunity to gather as much loot as they could, and so they were far more ruthless in their pillaging.
Vesa shook his head slightly to clear it. Now was not the time to think about the North Sea pirates, even though he would have liked nothing more at that moment than to ride back to Raikkavar to find out how things were. "I highly doubt that most people here are looking for a match," He said with a nod, and looked around the ballroom for the umpteenth time. More and more people were filing into the ballroom, and he could see that those who looked as if they were the most powerful were attracting most of the attention. "But better for there to be alliances than war."
He cleared his throat once more. "Ah, I have been meaning to ask, but I would like to know a little about your lands." He said with a little bow of his head. "If you do not mind, of course."
(@Kaalee)
He popped the rest of the fish into his mouth, savouring the crunch of the fried coating. It was just too bad that wheat products were still in far too much demand for anyone to wish to waste them on making breadcrumbs rather than actual bread. "It's good, though." He said with an affirming nod, then took another glass of the wine, taking a long sip from it to wash the fish down.
"You are too kind to my people and I," Vesa said, in response to her appraisal of his land. "But I suppose you are right. I may have been too harsh with my words." Raikkavar did have it's own charm, rough and unpolished as it was. The early morning mists over the Northern Sea, Vesa recalled, were indeed quite a sight to behold. To anyone standing on the shore, it would feel as if the world had been engulfed by a gigantic cloud, and there was nothing but a cooling, grey mass for as far as the eye could see.
However, the beauty came with a very high price, and Vesa knew from experience that pirates often used the mist to cover their advances as they crept towards any one of the fishing villages hugging the Raikkavar shoreline. Such raids were often devastating; the mist prevented anyone from raising the alarm early enough for Vesa's men to sally forth, and the pirates knew that they only had the one opportunity to gather as much loot as they could, and so they were far more ruthless in their pillaging.
Vesa shook his head slightly to clear it. Now was not the time to think about the North Sea pirates, even though he would have liked nothing more at that moment than to ride back to Raikkavar to find out how things were. "I highly doubt that most people here are looking for a match," He said with a nod, and looked around the ballroom for the umpteenth time. More and more people were filing into the ballroom, and he could see that those who looked as if they were the most powerful were attracting most of the attention. "But better for there to be alliances than war."
He cleared his throat once more. "Ah, I have been meaning to ask, but I would like to know a little about your lands." He said with a little bow of his head. "If you do not mind, of course."
(@Kaalee)
A mirthless chuckle escaped Vesa's lips when she made mention of wanting to make a trip to his little corner of Burlia, or at least, the general region. "My lady, Burlia's northwest has little to see." He said, and immediately felt his heart grow slightly heavier. It must have seemed unprofessional - traitorous, even - for him to talk about his land in such a way, but the truth was the truth. Raikkavar, and the surrounding lands, had little to offer. "Unless you enjoy the cold, snow, and barren rock for as far as the eye can see, I cannot recommend that you make a special trip there."
He paused for a moment, feeling as if he needed to say something good about his homeland. "The fish, however, is exceptional. Fresh from the northern sea."
Cassiopeia's mention of her feigned expertise on Burlian culture almost brought a grin to Vesa's face. However, he kept his expression neutral, and merely nodded. "Knowledge is power, aye." He agreed. "Though I know little of areas outside of Burlia. Not enough for me to hold my own as you had done earlier, in any case. I am not flattering when I say that had you not told me that you were feigning expertise, I would have not known. You sounded..." He trailed off for a moment, thinking of the proper word or phrase to use. "Like you had authority on the subject."
Vesa did not answer her next question immediately. Instead, he finished his drink and placed it on the empty tray of a passing serving girl, thanking her as he did. Almost immediately, he picked up two small tarts from another passing servant's tray. Everything seemed so convenient here, with food and drink moving to the people rather than the other way around. The tarts were strange to Vesa, being filled with a yellow substance, almost like hard pudding. He took a bite out of one before offering the other to Cassiopeia. "Tastes sweet, so I suppose it is good." He said.
Only then did he answer her question. "As for why I am here," He began, looking down for a moment. Just how was he supposed to answer that question? He had no doubts that outing himself as a bastard would be a bad idea, even if he could assume that someone as high up as a duchess would have undoubtedly heard of a bastard ruling an obscure corner of Burlia. Neither did Vesa want to make himself sound like some sort of sour grape; that would leave a poor impression, as well. He was rough around the edges in terms of etiquette, but he was not completely lacking in terms of social grace.
"With pirates and bandits in my march, you are right in saying that I'm busy." He admitted, and looked back up at her. That was as much truth as he was willing to share for now, and he kept his face impassive as he continued, "But it has been a very long time since I had time to myself. My family has also been badgering me to..." He trailed off once more, gesturing with his free hand to the rest of the ballroom. "You know, whatever it is that nobles do, and so I decided to kill two birds with one stone."
(@Kaalee)
He paused for a moment, feeling as if he needed to say something good about his homeland. "The fish, however, is exceptional. Fresh from the northern sea."
Cassiopeia's mention of her feigned expertise on Burlian culture almost brought a grin to Vesa's face. However, he kept his expression neutral, and merely nodded. "Knowledge is power, aye." He agreed. "Though I know little of areas outside of Burlia. Not enough for me to hold my own as you had done earlier, in any case. I am not flattering when I say that had you not told me that you were feigning expertise, I would have not known. You sounded..." He trailed off for a moment, thinking of the proper word or phrase to use. "Like you had authority on the subject."
Vesa did not answer her next question immediately. Instead, he finished his drink and placed it on the empty tray of a passing serving girl, thanking her as he did. Almost immediately, he picked up two small tarts from another passing servant's tray. Everything seemed so convenient here, with food and drink moving to the people rather than the other way around. The tarts were strange to Vesa, being filled with a yellow substance, almost like hard pudding. He took a bite out of one before offering the other to Cassiopeia. "Tastes sweet, so I suppose it is good." He said.
Only then did he answer her question. "As for why I am here," He began, looking down for a moment. Just how was he supposed to answer that question? He had no doubts that outing himself as a bastard would be a bad idea, even if he could assume that someone as high up as a duchess would have undoubtedly heard of a bastard ruling an obscure corner of Burlia. Neither did Vesa want to make himself sound like some sort of sour grape; that would leave a poor impression, as well. He was rough around the edges in terms of etiquette, but he was not completely lacking in terms of social grace.
"With pirates and bandits in my march, you are right in saying that I'm busy." He admitted, and looked back up at her. That was as much truth as he was willing to share for now, and he kept his face impassive as he continued, "But it has been a very long time since I had time to myself. My family has also been badgering me to..." He trailed off once more, gesturing with his free hand to the rest of the ballroom. "You know, whatever it is that nobles do, and so I decided to kill two birds with one stone."
(@Kaalee)
Vesa's shoulders relaxed visibly, and he heaved an inward sigh of relief, as the guard released him. To sprinkle a little more salt onto the guard's presumably wounded ego, Vesa shot him a piercing glare as he straightened his coat, then proceeded to make a show of brushing off the shoulder that the guard had gripped. Still, despite everything, Vesa could feel a sense of pity for the guard. He was only doing his job, after all, and it was just his misfortune that he was both misinformed, and was on the receiving end of Cassiopeia's words.
"Make certain before you accost someone next time." Vesa said as the guard scurried off, sounding as if he were giving one of his own men a light reprimand. The guard gave no acknowledgement that he had heard Vesa's words, and the marquess honestly did not care much either way. He was much more intrigued by Cassiopeia's knowledge of Burlian culture. It was not everyday that he met someone outside of Burlia who spoke with such authority on anything related to the place.
First of all, however, there were the pleasantries he had to get past. If he did not go through with them, he felt quite certain that Raiki would jump out from some hidden corner to give him a very stern talking to. Vesa removed his hat and held it to his chest, and bowed, holding it there for a second before standing back up. "Thank you, my lady." He said, and introduced himself once more, this time in a more proper manner. "I am no lord, however. I am the marquess Vesa Kaivarri, marcher lord of Raikkavar, guardian of Burlia's north-western frontier. Pleased to make your acquaintance, as well."
He placed the hat back on his head, pulling down on the brim to make sure that it had a snug fit. With the pleasantries out of the way, he allowed himself to relax slightly, and picked up the drink that he had been intending to take earlier. He took a long sip as he looked around the room once more, savouring the sweet taste and aroma of the southern drink. "This is good, this," He said as he looked back at Cassiopeia, his face impassive, though his tone sounded more affable. At least, he hoped it sounded that way; being affable was not something he had to do in a very long time. "I mean no disrespect, but I was surprised that you knew much about Burlian culture." He began. "It is not something I imagined to be taught in much detail outside of Burlia itself."
(@Kaalee)
"Make certain before you accost someone next time." Vesa said as the guard scurried off, sounding as if he were giving one of his own men a light reprimand. The guard gave no acknowledgement that he had heard Vesa's words, and the marquess honestly did not care much either way. He was much more intrigued by Cassiopeia's knowledge of Burlian culture. It was not everyday that he met someone outside of Burlia who spoke with such authority on anything related to the place.
First of all, however, there were the pleasantries he had to get past. If he did not go through with them, he felt quite certain that Raiki would jump out from some hidden corner to give him a very stern talking to. Vesa removed his hat and held it to his chest, and bowed, holding it there for a second before standing back up. "Thank you, my lady." He said, and introduced himself once more, this time in a more proper manner. "I am no lord, however. I am the marquess Vesa Kaivarri, marcher lord of Raikkavar, guardian of Burlia's north-western frontier. Pleased to make your acquaintance, as well."
He placed the hat back on his head, pulling down on the brim to make sure that it had a snug fit. With the pleasantries out of the way, he allowed himself to relax slightly, and picked up the drink that he had been intending to take earlier. He took a long sip as he looked around the room once more, savouring the sweet taste and aroma of the southern drink. "This is good, this," He said as he looked back at Cassiopeia, his face impassive, though his tone sounded more affable. At least, he hoped it sounded that way; being affable was not something he had to do in a very long time. "I mean no disrespect, but I was surprised that you knew much about Burlian culture." He began. "It is not something I imagined to be taught in much detail outside of Burlia itself."
(@Kaalee)
Did a quick post. Hopefully that'll get some things moving. ^^;;
For an event that was supposed to bring future husbands and wives together, there was awfully little courtship going on. Then again, Vesa supposed that he was not exactly the best person to decide what was considered courtship or not; he had only ever attended one other ball, and that was nowhere as grand as this one. It had not even been one of the kingdom-wide balls, held at Hesey, and had been just a small function hosted by one of the more well-known lords in West Burlia. In fact, now that Vesa thought about it, calling the alcohol-fueled, expletive-filled, fight-starting event a ball was an insult to all balls.
He snickered inwardly at the thought as he stood near the entrance of the ballroom, his arms stuffed into the pockets of his coat as he watched the various peoples. The nobility - easily spotted thanks in no small part to their elaborate clothes - clustered together, sipping on their drinks as they no doubt discussed matters of import, while servants flitted through the crowd, their presence either ignored or not even noticed, as they removed soiled cutlery and replaced them with clean ones.
Vesa drew in a deep breath, and straightened his back. Whether he liked it or not, he had just taken a month-long journey down from Raikkavar to Belchester, and he was not about to let all that effort go to waste. Even if he did not find a wide - as he himself suspected - he was going to have his fill of southern food and drink. He felt almost certain that it had to be better than the austere fare he ate on a daily basis back in his march.
He walked over to one of the tables, where a lady stood as she took sips from her glass (@Kaalee). "Excuse me," Vesa said, a little more curtly than he had intended, though his intent had been to be brief. Just as he wrapped his fingers around a glass, and was about to lift it, he felt a hand clap down on his shoulder.
"Excuse me, what do you think you're doing?" A stern voice asked from behind.
Vesa shrugged the hand off his shoulder and turned around, coming face-to-face with one of the castle's guards. "Practicing flower arrangement," He replied dryly, and looked at the guard's unamused face with an equally unamused look of his own. "Having a drink, what does it look like?"
The guard folded his arms and scowled. "You have some lip, for a bodyguard. This is for nobles only. Go find your lord or lady if you want something to drink."
"I-" Vesa began, then remembered his attire. To just about anyone, he must have looked like a regular Burlian soldier, and he did not exactly have a nobleman's face or tongue. A sudden as it came, Vesa's indignation disappeared, replaced by a sense of dull amusement and relief. It would not be too much of a trouble to clear up the misunderstanding. "You are mistaken," He said, his face neutral and expressionless. "I am Vesa Kaivarri, marquess of Raikkavar."
The guard looked at him for a moment, then burst out laughing. He collected himself soon enough, and said, "Right, and I'm the King of Merriedge. Stop with your delusions and come with me. Raikkavar's not even a real place."
Vesa blinked once, then twice. Perhaps the guard had not been informed of the list of people attending, or more realistically, he could not remember everyone's name and title, but still, he felt rather surprised, and a little wounded, that his march was so unknown. "It is a march of Burlia," He said slowly, as if he were explaining something to a young child. "Eternal winter, hunger, depression, no?"
Whatever mirth the guard had disappeared, and his face turned hard. "Look, I haven't got all day. Come with me now, or we'll have problems."
Vesa could think of many problems, though most of them involved the consequences of him assaulting a Merriedgean guard, or even accidentally killing him. He let out a sigh of frustration, and glanced over at the lady beside him, hoping that she could somehow lend him a hand.
He snickered inwardly at the thought as he stood near the entrance of the ballroom, his arms stuffed into the pockets of his coat as he watched the various peoples. The nobility - easily spotted thanks in no small part to their elaborate clothes - clustered together, sipping on their drinks as they no doubt discussed matters of import, while servants flitted through the crowd, their presence either ignored or not even noticed, as they removed soiled cutlery and replaced them with clean ones.
Vesa drew in a deep breath, and straightened his back. Whether he liked it or not, he had just taken a month-long journey down from Raikkavar to Belchester, and he was not about to let all that effort go to waste. Even if he did not find a wide - as he himself suspected - he was going to have his fill of southern food and drink. He felt almost certain that it had to be better than the austere fare he ate on a daily basis back in his march.
He walked over to one of the tables, where a lady stood as she took sips from her glass (@Kaalee). "Excuse me," Vesa said, a little more curtly than he had intended, though his intent had been to be brief. Just as he wrapped his fingers around a glass, and was about to lift it, he felt a hand clap down on his shoulder.
"Excuse me, what do you think you're doing?" A stern voice asked from behind.
Vesa shrugged the hand off his shoulder and turned around, coming face-to-face with one of the castle's guards. "Practicing flower arrangement," He replied dryly, and looked at the guard's unamused face with an equally unamused look of his own. "Having a drink, what does it look like?"
The guard folded his arms and scowled. "You have some lip, for a bodyguard. This is for nobles only. Go find your lord or lady if you want something to drink."
"I-" Vesa began, then remembered his attire. To just about anyone, he must have looked like a regular Burlian soldier, and he did not exactly have a nobleman's face or tongue. A sudden as it came, Vesa's indignation disappeared, replaced by a sense of dull amusement and relief. It would not be too much of a trouble to clear up the misunderstanding. "You are mistaken," He said, his face neutral and expressionless. "I am Vesa Kaivarri, marquess of Raikkavar."
The guard looked at him for a moment, then burst out laughing. He collected himself soon enough, and said, "Right, and I'm the King of Merriedge. Stop with your delusions and come with me. Raikkavar's not even a real place."
Vesa blinked once, then twice. Perhaps the guard had not been informed of the list of people attending, or more realistically, he could not remember everyone's name and title, but still, he felt rather surprised, and a little wounded, that his march was so unknown. "It is a march of Burlia," He said slowly, as if he were explaining something to a young child. "Eternal winter, hunger, depression, no?"
Whatever mirth the guard had disappeared, and his face turned hard. "Look, I haven't got all day. Come with me now, or we'll have problems."
Vesa could think of many problems, though most of them involved the consequences of him assaulting a Merriedgean guard, or even accidentally killing him. He let out a sigh of frustration, and glanced over at the lady beside him, hoping that she could somehow lend him a hand.
Posted, and I got a little too carried away while writing. Sorry. ;;
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