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Post by Satra on Jan 6, 2008 15:34:40 GMT -5
[OOC: LOL, I forgot to post the picture and color the text. xD] ~posted a little early with permission from Nat, points just haven't gone through yet~  It started as a normal day. The mail came early in the morning. The parakeet sifted through it as she sipped her morning tea. Bill, bill, Mom, student loan, bill... what the...? It was a letter addressed to Heilyn, but it wasn't the typical strange-smelling vellum that usually came from letter from the Bog. It had an official seal of the Court of Hearts. "I swear, you can make even smashing tea cups dainty," loomed a voice from the back room. Miss Amethyst jumped in her seat, then held her heart. She still hadn't gotten used to the way the coyote slunk about everywhere she went like she was stalking prey or was some kind of specter or something. Smashing tea cups...? She looked at the hand she was holding the cup in. Or rather, was. The dainty feathered hand was unquestionably empty. She looked at the floor. Her favorite tea cup was now there, and considering its current condition, no longer her favorite tea cup. Almost zombie-like in manner, she got up to go get the dust pan and a towel. "What's with you?" asked Heilyn. The bird's behavior was quite odd, even for her. Usually the little drama queen made a lot of noise when things happened. It must be pretty serious to make her shut up. Heilyn waited patiently for an answer as the bird cleaned the mess with wide eyes. "You... have a letter..." Sigh the only way she would think of getting a letter is if there was a problem with a shipment. She'd just sent an update yesterday back home, they couldn't have gotten back to her so quickly. She put her paws on the counter to look at it. Ears perked up to their highest at the seal. "Honestly, Heilyn," clicked the bird, her usual fussy self returning slowly, "why do you go about in your animal form? You've achieved bipedal! Have some pride." Heilyn's right ear twitched. She didn't really like that form very much. Balancing on only two legs... while she got it almost immediately (she practiced alone in her room while no one was looking), still felt strange to her. However -- she shifted and grabbed the letter with hands equipped with an opposable thumb -- it did have its perks. Over the next day she came in contact with Theofilus immediately to inform him that Miss Amethyst will be overseeing the orders while she was gone, should it be for very long. She thoroughly expected a paperwork mess to clean up when she got back, but this was more important. The silly little girl was in fits of giggles for the entire day when she got to meet the Queen of Diamonds. Whatever. ~ Heilyn arrived at the court, walking much taller and prouder than her usual prey-stalking-esque skulk. She was at the front gate. She was humming to herself and would not deny that she was excited. She did not expect them to get back to her so quickly to her request. "State your purpose!" called the guard. He wasn't so much trying to be threatening as doing his job. However, he was extremely unsure about this very strange-looking guest. She sat, exposing her chest with the bright red marking contrasting her dull brown fur. She motioned to the letter tied to the strap on her breathing tank in a borderline arrogant manner. She was let in. From there is was just to follow the directions... Which might be more difficult to follow than intended. Man, these people reacted worse to her than the folks back in the Capital! One man marched straight up to the guard and demanded as answer as to why such a horrible creature was let into the courtyard. Perhaps showing up in bipedal form would've been a good idea. Ah, well. |
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Post by Nathalia on Jan 11, 2008 1:16:35 GMT -5
 Bernard hurried down to the first floor, his shirt hanging half open, the edges blackened and looking slightly damp, his bangs sticking up off of his face also appeared slightly charred. His eyes were squinted with annoyance at himself. I know better than to let myself begin something that involved when I have students coming! Idiot!He chided himself thoroughly as he skidded past two guards who were pointing behind themselves and speaking, in what Bernard felt, were unnecessarily loud voices. He passed the two tall doors to the throne room, they were shut and the guard standing in front of them was staring uncomfortably toward the front door. "Your Highness..." His voice trailed off warningly, though the King didn't seem to notice. There were too many things slamming through his brain like those damn vehicles the Corvistowneians were so fond of. His nephew giving court to some person..he didn't even know who was in there with him...where had his head been last night? The spell that had backfired so magnificently, and the notes he had yet to take down on it... The poor Coyote he was supposed to be giving a quest to right now...where was she from agai- He stopped in his tracks. Part of his brain managed to register relief that he wasn't late...the rest of it... What in all the Highland hills!?? He stared at the apparition trotting proudly toward him...there was no mistaking it, he could see his own letter strapped to one of the ...tanks...on her back. He managed to remove the odd look from his face...though probably not fast enough, and moved forward to her with what he hoped was a cheery wave. "Miss Heilyn, am I correct in guessing that this is in fact you?" He held out a hand, trying not to think about what her paw was going to feel like on his newly acquired burn scar across his palm. "I am Bernard, the King of Hearts." |
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Post by Satra on Jan 11, 2008 2:20:03 GMT -5
Why hello, there~ she thought with a grin, extending her paw to shake. Her tail lazily wagged in both welcome and the state of his appearance. He was slightly damp and his shirt was a little open. Ooo~ and he had a facial scar, too. From the fact they were parallel, she assumed it was a battle scar (she didn't know what it was about battle scar that she thought was down right sexy, but mreow!) from fighting perhaps an animal or biped.
Heilyn like. <3
Granted, the charring could go, but that was a minor thing.
"Your Highness," she smiled, quite enjoying herself, "It is an honor to meet you. Yes, I am Heilyn. I can as soon as I could to your letter, and cannot deny that I am anxious to begin." Ears lifted a little at the note of the scar on his hand. She made no effort to hide the fact that she'd noticed it, but decided not to ask. Besides, there were much more pleasurable things to look at.~
However, she had to keep all that quite subtle if not non-existent. She didn't want to be thrown out the second she got there, after all! She kept her visual groping of him very casual, as if she was just looking at his outfit or curious as to the state of his appearance.
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Post by Nathalia on Jan 14, 2008 17:21:01 GMT -5
Bernard was at least glad to find out that this was actually his appointment...however odd she may be. And at least she didn't seem to mind that he was a mess.
He winced slightly at the sensation of her paw against his burn scar, but tried to ignore it. Using his power to rid himself of the pain now would only tire him out more...unacceptable...
"Wonderful, please follow me and we'll get started."
He motioned after himself and headed toward the marble stairs leading to the fifth floor. His actual office was a complete mess, so he would only take her as far as the first part of it...if they ended up needing more space well...perhaps they could use the grounds out back.
He turned to watch her and make sure that the stairs weren't going to be a problem, his eyes were drawn to her mask...
"If I may be so bold, miss Heilyn, what realm are you from? I'm terribly sorry but I can't seem to identify it."
Ye gads, how embarrassing! He hadn't anted to ask, he knew she might take it as rude but...he didn't recognize it. Was she a mixed Realm? Good lord, if she was then it must be a mix of at least four, her coat was such an odd combination of colors...
He finally left the stairs and pushed open the door to his office, small and cramped looking with a large bookshelf crammed with books and miscellaneous pieces of paper. His desk had a nice chair before it for guests and behind it a straight backed cherry wood chair for himself.
"Please have a seat." After she was seated he would ask. "So, miss Heilyn, what exactly are your reasons for wanting to become a Jack?"
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Post by Satra on Jan 14, 2008 17:54:03 GMT -5
[LOL four Realm mix. Now THAT I'd like to see! xD]
She followed behind him slightly. Usually with the canines it was a sign of submission. Of recognizing the followed party's superiority of station. That, and Heilyn was curious is the back of him was just as pleasant to look at. The little closet pervert was not disappointed. Granted, he was old enough to be her dad, but that couldn't stop her from looking, right?
Then a flash of brown and blue fur zipped through her mind. Oh, that's not FAIR. They weren't committed! They were just friends with benefits! But somehow it managed to stop her from enjoying looking. Pfft. Fine. Be that way.
Oh? He didn't recognize her region? She expected that he would've done a little research, perhaps, but then again, judging from the sight of him, that's probably all he did do. Running around like a chicken with its head cut off doing experiments and what not. That's what she assumed, anyway. Perhaps his busyness kept him a little absent-minded?
"I am from the Raemblen Bog. That is located between the Golfham Marsh and Tulgey Wood. Our Presence is still very, very new to the Outside, so, please, ask all the questions you like," if anything, being shown curiosity rather than contempt would be a bit of a relief at this point. The only way she would not be so happy about it would she might lose her voice from talking, being as generally unpracticed at it as she is.
She was fascinated by his office. Cramped, yes, but it was the quality of the objects in it. And, no, not quality in their expense, but quality in the knowledge they contained. She took a moment to look around and drool in jealously of his collection before sitting down.
"I want to be a Jack recognized by your court to serve as my home region's link to the Outside," she put quite plainly. Though she still called the lands beyond the Wall the 'Outside' even though she'd been living in it for quite some time. She noted a largish glass paperweight sitting on top of a pile of papers that was unmistakably from the Bog. Perhaps a gift unexplained? "Something of an Ambassador, if you will. Our region's isolation has made us create our own government, but we wish to be recognized by your courts, as well. Perhaps we might even assimilate, but that has yet to be decided. I was chosen for the job." That, and Father dearest was terrified I'd usurp him and take over. But she found it beneficial to keep that thought to herself.
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Post by Nathalia on Jan 18, 2008 1:11:10 GMT -5
Damn. He hoped that the poor thing wasn't disappointed in him. He had wanted to research her before she came but...things got out of hand so very quickly with that last spell, it shouldn't have but...wasn't that just the way things worked....
"Ah, the Bog." He said smiling and lifting his paperweight. "Yes, I should have realized, I'm sorry miss Heilyn, I hadn't quite remembered and I've. Well, I've never actually seen someone from your region before, and I didn't recognize the coloring right off the bat. Terribly sorry."
He listened to her reasons for wanting to increase her rank. Ambassadors... Good enough for him, he had always wanted to interact with people from somewhere a little different...aside from the Lowlands. This might be really intriguing...
Already the failed experiment was slipping from his mind to be replaced by thoughts of open trade an assimilated governments.
Chosen to go? Did that mean she was here against her will? He hoped not, that would throw off good intentions by quite a bit but...when family is concerned-
He cut the thought off instantly and turned his gaze back to the Coyote.
"Well, international relations might do us a great deal of good, I must commend you for taking on the job, miss Heilyn...not many would. As to your quest, tell me. What would you say are your best assets and why?"
He smiled, lips together, the scars stretched slightly when he did that, but his lips had chapped in the fire and he figured this was safer than having blood run down his face.
"Asking this will help me to determine what kind of quest to give you, be it us continuing our chat...or something taking a bit more effort."
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Post by Satra on Jan 18, 2008 1:49:03 GMT -5
"It really is no problem. Very few Outside my home region have seen one of us," she responded, "and it's my pleasure to be here. I can assure you, however, that you are not the only ones benefitting from this," she stated quite bluntly.
Her... best attributes? She blinked. She was used to those doing nothing but benefit her. She never had to list them before.
"Well, I am quite decent at close-quarters combat. I haven't had a chance to experiment with that in my bipedal form yet, though--" Gods, what was she allowed to say? She would just... reword things to be more socially acceptable, the things that had to be edited, anyway, "I learned this language fluently written and spoken, as well as dropping my accent within three years," I'm good as hell at torture and getting what I want either through intimidation or manipulation "My diplomacy skills are good enough for me to get what I need in most situations, however, I do prefer to work solo if not with a only a handful at most of highly trusted individuals.
And here's a little-known fact about me: I was actually born a '3'." Granted, I shirked some of my drive to achieve bipedal first and sometimes magic lessons, which I'm paying for now... Even though she was catching up, the fact that her bipedal via a chance trigger rather than by her own intentions irked her... "Meaning I am extremely driven. I have also been praised for my intelligence... is that enough? I don't talk about myself very often, to be honest..." True statement. She usually wallowed in her own awesome silently, rather than voicing it.
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Post by Nathalia on Jan 20, 2008 19:48:56 GMT -5
Bernard considered, not only what she was saying, but what she wasn't... It was fairly obvious from her pauses that she was deciding what to, and what not, to say. He wished he could see her face, it would really help him to gauge her reactions. As it was, he would have to work with verbal intonations and body language. "You've worked your way up from a three? That is quite an accomplishment, hard work is something expressly valued in this Court. We are not solely held to the idea of being born into your rank, I, for one, delight to hear that people work for what they have."He considered her other suggestions. "You sound like a great candidate for the Court insofar, however, allow me to ask you a few more questions...I urge you to answer honestly, regardless of your response you will achieve the rank of Jack...this is more to decide whether or not you would do well in the actual Court, miss Heilyn."He pulled a few sheets of paper out of his desk drawer, they were slightly rumpled and he smoothed them out and handed the first one to her. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Proclamation from Queen Malansar:
All Aces are hereby to be driven from the Court of Hearts, any that remain after a period of three weeks will be put to death. All Jacks are to follow said regime and to report any sightings of Aces to the Current King in command so that they can be sought out.
Signed,
Queen Malansar. Bernard watched her read. "What would you do if this was handed to you by the current Queen with every expectation that you carry the order out?" |
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Post by Satra on Jan 20, 2008 23:26:18 GMT -5
"I can be completely honest, but I can't guarantee you'll like what you'll hear, but I suppose that's true for just about anybody." Hey, she warned him. What she thought of as perfectly logical, she was beginning to find (especially here in the Outside) that she was considered a cruel and brutally practical person. Which, of course, made no sense to here. Apparently her calmness and acceptance of "cruelty", whether she dealt it or received it, unnerved people. That's just the way life was, why were people in denial of it?
She read through it very quickly... but was rather taken back by its words, almost to the point of being offended. She reread it several times. It looked legit (then again, she wasn't entirely familiar with the look of official papers from these parts), had this been an actual decree that was carried out at some point? She couldn't remember any Aces coming in, but she also hadn't really paid attention. She gave obvious signs of slight confusion and annoyance. Her right ear twitched more visibly than usual.
"I am aware that it really would not be my place to question this kind of authority, but I must express a curiosity as to why this is deemed necessary before carrying out any action," she stated, a very subtle disapproving undertone to her voice. She then put of very obvious signs of thinking. It's not that she was acting, it's just she was giving no effort to hide her actions or thought process.
Surely there is a good reason behind this. I could understand not trusting them with secrets since they have no way to secure those secrets magically themselves, but just because they're inferior doesn't make them completely vile or incompetent... however, due to the region she'd been brought up with her entire life, she couldn't mentally overcome this culture shock. It wasn't the first time she'd encountered this prejudice, but this was the first she'd heard of it being carried out to this degree.
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Post by Nathalia on Jan 21, 2008 13:18:16 GMT -5
Bernard smiled, watching as she checked the paper over, realizing that she was probably checking for a seal or something.
"That proclamation was issued about 70 years ago by a very old Queen, very set in her ways. Long before I was even thought of, much less a part of the Courts."
He smiled at hearing her answer almost relieved...he hadn't quite known by looking at her, wondering if her desire to be the link between her home and these lands might override her senses of right and wrong.
"I was hoping you would say that, there is never such a high level of authority, that it cannot be questioned. Especially if you cannot even begin to fathom a reason for the order given to you."
He glanced down at the paper again.
"Sadly this order was never overturned, as even my nephew sees most Aces as scum. I cannot see any reason to kill them, much less exterminate them, many keep their Aces as treasured companions and pets. It is good to see that you are able to keep your head in this situation, I would hope that you would be able to keep it if addressed by actual authority."
He nodded and pulled the paper back toward him, trying to stop his torn and blackened shirt from sliding down his chest with his shoulder.
"At present I would see you as an excellent candidate for this Court, however, I will warn you that while we commend thinking for yourself. Politeness to those in higher rank is also seen as appropriate. Even if you severely disagree with a reigning Queen, it is always a good idea to disagree in as polite a degree as possible...however harshly doing so may grate on your nerves."
He raised his hand and flicked it lightly, she would feel a slight burning sensation on her chest as her rank changed to Jack.
"Welcome abroad, miss Heilyn. Will you be needing a room now, or later tonight?"
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