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Post by Nathalia on Mar 6, 2008 1:51:53 GMT -5
"Good to hear, I would hate to have to chain you to the coach."
He smiled at her as he rummaged around in his bag, grinning as he located what he had been looking for. He pulled out two pictures and handed them to her, they were of tiaras. one silver and set with sapphires, the other gold with diamonds.
"I'm honestly not too worried, I just need you to keep in mind that this is a rather big deal, I'll do my best to keep Anoushka off of you, no worries. Anyway, I was thinking that one of these might suit you for your upcoming birthday, hmm? Or something like them? I don;t have much time to shop this month so...help your Uncle out and tell me which one you prefer, will you?"
He lit up at the suggestion of the restaurant, sliding over nearer to her to see her expression with his good eye as she saw the pictures.
"I couldn't get into the clubs anyway, Lani. Even when I wasn't old they would have kicked me out for being a nerd, remember? Anyway, the Silver Swan! What a good idea, I've been there with Dymphna a few times, glad to hear you like it, hang on, I'll tell Peter."
He stuck his head out of the coach window and called to the Lizard.
"Peter! Hi, Peter, head for the Silver Swan, will you? Tabs on me."
"Yer kiddin' yer 'ighness? As if I would turn that'n down! Yah!'
Bony digits slapped the reins down on the Aces' rumps and the cart picked up speed, Bernard pulled his head back in, grinning, his hair slightly mussed.
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Post by The Jenn on Mar 6, 2008 2:17:28 GMT -5
Lani accepted the two pictures curiously, setting them down on the seat next to her so she could get a good look at both of them. What were- oh my! Her gold eyes widened with pleasure and lit up as she looked at both of the tiaras on the page. She had always wanted one, but could never convince her Daddy that she wanted one enough... they were very expensive when done right, after all. Her dress-up tiara had been good enough for in private, but something like these she could wear wherever and be proud as anything to be seen in it.
Which did she like best? The choice was clear. "Oh uncle, these are absolutely gorgeous! I've always wanted one, you know that. Ah, thank you so much! I can't wait for my birthday! And it's Vio's too... I totally prefer the gold with the diamonds, that piece is just stunning, but can you just see Vio wearing the other one if it had emeralds? Or even amethysts, that would be lovely with her colors too..." Now that the girl had been completely distracted from the previous conversation, there would be no getting her back to it anytime soon.
With the promise of good food and drink on the house, the driver got them to the Capital in excellent time and they were seated at a table without a fuss. Even if Bernard hadn't been a recognizable enough face in the establishment for the head waiter to recognize his rank through the scarring and seat them, Lani was clearly a Queen of Hearts and looked more than regal enough to garner them a quick table and excellent service. If her uncle hadn't been here since the 'incident', she could only imagine what some of the staff must be thinking. Well, so long as the food was good and the service prompt, she didn't really care.
"So long as you're paying, uncle, I'd love the steak," she said with a cheeky grin. Yes, steak was up there on her list of all-time favorite foods, and if he was paying then she was eating cow tonight.
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Post by Nathalia on Mar 7, 2008 0:38:35 GMT -5
Bernard couldn't help the smile that crept across his face at Lani's obvious delight. He tried to hold back a laugh at the way that she included Vio in her statements...he had been counting on that, but it was still very endearing to see how protective she had become of hr sister.
"That sounds fantastic, I'll get right on it, gotta keep up my status as "best-present-giver", your dad'll be furious. Now just pretend to be surprised and everything'll be great."
He flashed her a grin as they rode on.
He hadn't been in the Silver Swan since before his...incident, and he wondered how some of the wait staff might react to him...hopefully not poorly, though the maitrodee refrained from commenting, simply widening his eyes after getting them a table in a look that clearly said what happened here?, he would have to fill Jerald in later.
He snickered a bit at his niece's comment.
"What? I thought you were treating?" He teased, picking up the menu. "Of course I'm paying, order anything you want, consider it my gratitude for bothering to come with me."
He finally decided on the braised duck and handed his menu over after placing his order and staring around the restaurant.
"So Lani, I've been wondering, how're you and Vio getting along with Xiven? She seems like a nice little thing, and her mother is...interesting. For that matter, have Raj and that thing he calls a brother been behaving, or do I need to have words with them again?"
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Post by The Jenn on Mar 7, 2008 0:58:36 GMT -5
Lani laughed at her uncle's comment and shook her head. Him and his jokes... so lame, but they still made her happy. He hadn't cracked many of them since... the Incident, so it was nice to hear one again. "Yeah, as if. With you here, I'm not paying for a single thing if I don't have to. Which I shouldn't. Thanks, Uncle."
She wrinkled her nose comically at his choice of duck, not really liking the taste of it herself, and lapped at the water glass on the table. At his next question, she rolled her eyes expressively. "They've been annoying and smug and stupid boys, but they haven't really done anything that I've seen besides upset Xiven's little pet, or so I heard. That thing is so cute. As for the Queen herself, she's pretty enough. Too bad she's not a Highlander. Nice tail, though. She seems kinda timid, but I haven't really watched her all that much. I don't have any problems with her and I don't think Vio does either."
The waiter arrived with their meals after a short wait, the kitchen staff hopping that night, and doubly so considering who the guests were. It wasn't so swank an establishment that it expected high-ranking Highland Hearts to just drop in every night and wanted to make a good impression. That suited Lani just fine. It meant she got her cow in no time flat and she could dig in with a delighted grin.
After a few minutes of eating, her head raised and she looked at her uncle curiously. "So tell me, how did you figure out our Queen and the Club Queen were friends? I haven't heard any of that on the grapevine, and you know how I like to keep tabs on things." Things being gossip.
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Post by Nathalia on Mar 7, 2008 1:16:11 GMT -5
"Heh, just as I expected, don't worry, I'll spoil you as much as I can. I'm not your Dad so I'm allowed to."
He considered her responses and nodded, taking a sip from his water glass and picking out the lemon...which he ate while she talked. Bad habit, but he really couldn't help it, he loved lemon...
"Hmm, good to hear, I'fd hate a repeat perfromance like what happened to Lior. Keep an eye on them for me. AH, Xiven, she's sweet from what I can tell, and Lani, not everyone has to be a Highlander to be attractive, you peacock." He grinned at her, waving her off dramatically and delighting at how fast their food came out...he was starving.
"Hmm, Fluffy? Yes, she is adorable...I've been meaning to talk to Xiven about her, I'd like to examine that tail she's landed on herself, I think it might have magical effects to it. If I manage to forget, can you just tell her that I'd like a word with her? Thanks."
He made a face back at her steak, the meat was honestly too heavy for him usually, he preffered either fish or fowl.
"Ah, that was thanks to Anoushka. She noticed our Queen over there rather often and apparently asked about it."
He shrugged, grabbing a biscuit and buttering it.
"Nothing huge, and really it's not an issue...it just has the potential to become one through the gossip of people who aren't living in the Courts. If we get some overly zealous Hearts or Clubs who don't like the idea of them being friends...well...it's just better for the Courts to be on officially good terms as well so that people continue to think that it's just a good time politically."
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Post by Kiki on Mar 7, 2008 9:34:07 GMT -5
Nat and Jenn receive 1 token each, to be redeemed in Ashwin's Shoppe.
This will automatically be added to your recorded totals in the shoppe.
Congratulations, and keep up the good RP!
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Post by The Jenn on Mar 7, 2008 23:13:15 GMT -5
Lani couldn't help but laugh into her water glass, accidentally spilling a bit of it. "Oh wow, Uncle. If you were my dad? Um. Wow. Heh, no offense, but I like Daddy where he is and I like you where you are. It's just... normal, yeah? I can't even imagine anything else." She paused and dramatically posed, fluffing up one shoulder and her boa. "Just like I can't imagine anyone who isn't a Highlander coming even close to me in looks."
She couldn't hold the pose for long - well, actually, she probably could have held it for hours if it got her enough attention, but she was still hungry - so she turned back to her steak and proceeded to wolf it down in the manner befitting a princess. It didn't quite fly across the room and hit the wall. At least she was quiet about her gnawing and everyone was far too used to animal forms and their eating limitations to bother noticing much.
"I told Xiven to go and see you about that blue thing on her pet's butt... geez, the girl just doesn't listen. I think she's scared of you or something. I really don't know how she could be. She's nearly an adult, after all, and the only people you could really scare are little kids or something if you looked at them funny."
The comments about the nature of the friendship and alliance between the two Courts merited a nod around bites. "I know exactly what kind of gossips you're talking about, the bastards. They're a pain to everyone, always looking to start something."
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Post by Nathalia on Mar 9, 2008 19:51:30 GMT -5
"I can't imagine anything else either...and no, of course there are no Highlander's who can compete with my niece."
He said with a smirk and a slight pose, posture regal and a hand on his chest.
Watching her eat didn't affect him, he remembered his family's mealtimes when he had been far younger, unable to change out of his Human form. Sometimes, when his father had been in a rush, he would simply take his Animal form, quite literally choke something down, and take off again. This was nowhere near that awful to watch.
"She's scared of me?"
Bernard asked in complete astonishment, why on earth would Xiven be afraid of him? No one had ever in his living memory been afraid of him.
"And now I scare kids too? Since when?" He said it as a joke, but hoped she would at least have some answers. After ordering a small dessert of pastry puffs with a chocolate filling, easy for Lani to pick up with her tongue, they left and tugged the coachman out of the bar with minimal complaint. Heading off to the inn about twenty minutes away.
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Bernard awoke the next morning to the sound of his niece pounding on the door to his room...had he really slept that late...Hills...impatient young people...
He dragged himself out of bed and got himself ready in about ten minutes, slumping across the table downstairs in the desperate hopes of coffee or tea...preferably laced with something alcoholic.
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Post by The Jenn on Mar 9, 2008 20:02:05 GMT -5
Lani laughed and struck an equally dramatic pose, one wing half-extended and folded in at the same time to approximate the gesture of his arm. She enjoyed playing games like these with her uncle, usually in private... but she supposed that just being out of the Court might make it easier for him to play too. She really wasn't sure. She played like this wherever she went.
"Well, you're always busy and you're the King of Hearts, Uncle. And it's pretty well known that you don't like Pravus. What makes you think she wouldn't be intimidated by you?" She arched an eyebrow at him in a classic 'duh' look. "As for the kids comment, well, you're kind of missing an eye and not doing anything to cover it up. When I was a kid, that would have freaked me out."
With a shrug, she resumed her meal, more than pleased when dessert came out looking utterly delicious and covered in chocolate. Then the were out and she crashed on a bed nowhere near as incredibly comfortable as her own, but pretty standard fare for an inn in the Capital, which she was used to on weekend trips.
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Morning, hah... as if her uncle had ever woken up in the morning in his life. A little after noon, she was pounding on the door for the fourth time, having left in disgust after a few minutes during each of the others. He was as impossible to wake up as he was to get to sleep, in the words of her father. She'd heard of Serafino throwing water on him once or twice to get him out of bed for something. Too bad his door was locked.
She heard footsteps finally on the wooden flooring and rolled her eyes in annoyance before heading downstairs for lunch. She'd had a few bites for breakfast two hours go but she could use more.
When he finally got downstairs, she watched him fall forward on the table and looked pointedly at one of the servers. "Could you get something to wake him up, maybe? It won't do any good if I have to drag him on his own trip."
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Post by Nathalia on Mar 9, 2008 20:25:25 GMT -5
Bernard was a little thrown by her comments...just because he wasn't as fond of Pravus as he could be didn't mean that he disliked his children....and ever since that meeting with him when he had been recovering, well...his feelings toward the Cat were a bit...different now, though he was still by no means on good terms, he knew...
"Don't give me that face and fine, I concede, I'll invite her personally...and then act like an idiot, maybe that'll help. As to the eye...the kids can deal with it, I'm leaving it alone for personal reasons, sorry."
He shrugged as his niece dive bombed the dessert.
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He heard the snide remark Lani made as he rested his upper half on the table...but he was still tired, damn it all, and until he got something to wake him up, he was staying down.
He waved a hand in a slightly irritated fashion at his niece and mumbled.
"I don't have to be dragged on my own trip...I just need coffee or tea...and some vodka...that would be good..."
His head was in a fog, he hated mornings....early afternoons...waking up...
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